The Detroit times., 1916-10-17
nErRolr opERA AousE.

behind the innocent title, The
Harp of lifc." j. Hartley Manners
has written powerful preachment
and nuc play for his wife I.aur
rtjc Taylor. and I'm which that tai
onrcd actress is making her initial
appearance In Detroit this week, IN.
the Detroit opera house
Mis-. TAYLOR created sweet and
humorously shrevd Peg IN her hus.
bands play. Peg O. My Hear.
and has done other charming roles
since. AN OF them the embodiment
OF the beauty and youth which is
hers but. IN The Harp OF Life, "
she leaves innocence and girlish in.
experience behind. and convincingly
offers the portrait OF a woman ~
&c, lovely IN person. IN mind and In
character. and the mother Of boy
Of 70.
Sylvia and Marshall Brooke and
their only child Leonard, are a
happy little family living in the
1u!et OF English country life not far
from london The father as played
by Philip Mertvale, is a big. rather
awkward and heavy chap whose feet
are set snIidly in the paths OF rectl
tude Worship'ns his wife. he is
Just little bit resenttul o' the
great love she bears their boy, and
40 20 offset her indulgence OF Leon.
ard. Marshall is fairly stern with
the lad Leonard Is Just an ordinary
lively young fellow. normal. healthy
and the credltable result ot his
mothers sensible, careful bringing
I'D and her limltless UNDERSTANDING
and sympathy The two have been
playmatcs always, and the mother
has sought with every means 10
keep 'hr lid as unsulied and pure
within her shcl'cring arms and love
as whom be lay O babe az her breast
Being mother Is 20 Sylvia The
nohlos' most beautiful thing I'm the
world. and she has given everything
Ia her NE 10 her ideals, and her
IDEAS. of what q mother should BE-
In one ~ 'hc most delicate passages
of exquisite writing poet or dramat
ist has ever created. Mr. Manners
immortalizes himself. and Miss Tay.
lor places herself upon a high plane
% rhetorical ability. when tho moth
er relates how she told the secret
OF The mystery 81 lfe 20 her little
son when his awakening inteilr
Rcnce revealed 20 her the psvcho
logical moment had come. II IS p
sane and beau'ifullv expressed state
men'. and az given 10y Miss Taylor
was more effective IN real instruc-
tion to the large audience OF men
and women who listened 80 etten
lively than nh " the literature that
could ever DO sent broadcast by tho
advocate ~ Tho teaching o, sex
hyglcuo 20 the younE
To 'he father Sylvia has lef' the
telling 90 'hc non o' tho pitfalls
which eildrd vice viii las for the
boy who takes his Hrst steps out
into The world beyond his home
Bur Marshall has put or this duty
and suddenly The parents find them
selves confronted with the fact that
Leonard has succumbcd 20 the wiles
- a vcllkuown demImondainc and
g. deep in the elamor OF love for a
woman twice his age The woman
has lcn tho boy untouched except
to cutauglc h.m into an oGer Of
marriage 20 hcr The third act OF
.te play shove thc struggle for the
possession OF fne lad between tho
mother and fhis woman. and the
triumph c' motherhood
Miss Taylor b. an actress who g.
crovnro adovuwout 10 the stage
and one who Us on every side o
sheer d,lrht tc tho admirers OF
dramatio arr sngularly gifted .hc
embodlcs every attribute 20 win al.
miration and with a voice and de
'ion AMI cIearness OF enuucistlou
that are not tho least ~ her many
charms. she onthralls all who come
within tho spell of her personality,
her intelligence and her beauty.
Tho supporting company ia eN.
eeptional in sbility. w. j Ferguson.
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