The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-08-08
New Light Shed Upon Noun,
taineers By Prof. RainG
GestiCuIating Little NGapOli.
tan Tenor Wins Hearts
Of Audience

An unwillingly hypocritical priest,
made so largely by the idolatry of an
ambitious wife, was restored to his
true state of self, snug, pious and
sanctimonious bishop, in his heart and
secreta deeds an arrant rogue and a
scoundrel, was completely unmasked,
while a father whose heart bled for
his daughter and daughter who
.yearned for her father were reunited,
ali through the talismanic or, better,
divine powers Of a supposed mystic
from the East, who to many persona
6ied the character of Christ and en-
bodied his heavenly attributes, at the
chautauqua Friday night when Charles
Ram Kennedy's own players, the Will
liam Owen company, gave mighty in
depreciation to "The Servant in the
House." holding an audience breath
less for two hours with their superb
acting.
The play exalted real, manly virtues,
as against an undue assumption of
Importance because of station. 1t ex-
tolled brotherly love as one of the vi
tai increments of worldly existence as
against disdain of the so-called low
er classes. And, it presented start
ling picture of what might be expected
If the Christ were to reappear ON earth
in the flesh.
The role of the Reverend William
Smith, vicar who has become almost
hopelessly enmeshed in net of de-
ceit and unfaithfulness to himself
through the soft, siren-like pleadings
of his wife, was admirably assumed by
Robert Stevens. The first act finds
the vicar taxing himself with his false
life. He admits, 81 know Latin, Greek
and Hebrew and all the other cursed
pendantries of my trade, but l am a
7iar." He startles his wife with such
an outburst as, Il wish every stone in
the church were crumbled to dust"
A crime Of years gone by when he
separated from his brother, a drunk.
dIU anu ~ aius iiIIiO uou6htOi
whom he took to raise weighs heavily
upon his mind. He breaches brother.
ly love, but has steadfastly refused to
admit this erring brother to his home
and all because of possible shame that
might come to him on account of the
lowly occupation-that Of drain man
of this brother
His wife is personified by Miss Sa
rah Wiley, an artist of fair dramatic
ability who unfortunately possesses a
voice which does not always carry to
the entire audience. She harbors an
ambition which would have her hus
band, with his sterling oratory and
soul appeal, unite wit the rich and
the powerful clergy and become
leader among them. To this very end
she has been to a great extent re
sponsible for the barring from the
home of the lowly brother, resentine
the fact that relationship must ever
exist and favoring the endowment oi
this brother with sufficient amount
of money to keep him drunk all of the
time and hasten his death. She also
has a brother, the Most Reverend
James Posonby Makeshyfte, d. D., the
Lord Bishop of Lancashire, portrayed
by j. w. Mcconnell, whom she brings
to their home for the purpose o
launching an alliance with her hus
band which will crafty her ambitions
The Reverend Makeshyfte belongs
to class of the clergy which utilize'
the poorer element of the congrega
tion as means of advancing the per
sonal riches of themselves. He is ac
tive in an organization which, b!
preaching, praying and crying "sacri
fice," hopes to extort large sums o
money for the benefit of the highe
clergy" He knows the advantages o