The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-01-01
Maternal Spirit Pervades Com
forting Play at National
This Week.
she REScUES oUTCAST SON
Divine Faith, Coupled With De-
Iicious Jam, Works Won
ders on Convict.

There is a real, all-wool-and-a-yard-
in town this week, at the National
Theater.
Not thac there are not lots OF just
such mothers here in Washington,
but they haven't been made popular.
The real mother who has absolute
faith in her children, and who up
holds them through thick and thin,
and round and square, isn't exactly
the kind who likes to have her type
made into a public exhibition.
In fact, most producers and authors
along with most good mothers are
never able to see anything either in
teresting or unusual about the good
ness They are never chosen as types
for stage mothers.
wfnchell Smith, however, the au-
thor of 'sTurn to the Right" the
play at the National this week, saw
the adTs mage in portraying just such
a comforting, everyday guaranteed
type, so he put her into a play.
Turn to the Right" of course, isn't
entirely about q mother. there are
other characters-crooks.. to be ex-
plictt-but somehow the mother seems
to have the stage even when she
hasn't. Her spirit is there even when
her material body isn't. She DOM
mates this play.
A Regular oMther.
As was stated before, Mrs. Bascon
<that is her stage name) isn't a regu-
lar stage mother. She is just a reg
ular mother.
She IL mt fha ecba,,inr ,,o3ho- 80
the society play, the laundering
mother of the farce, the mother-with-
a-past of the tragic melodrama, but
the mother of clean heart, unbounded
seif-sacrifice, limitless faith in God,
and 1t is the influence of this mother
upon not only all the characters in
the play, but also upon the audience
that 10 the real secret Of its lasting
quality. For In q way the authors
have evolved IN the character of Mrs.
Bascom q sort Of superwoman, and it
II in the evolution of such character
within the limits of an evenings en-
tertainment that Winchell Smiths
genius for stage craft makes itself
manifest, for Mr.. Hazard, who con-
ceived the central comedy idea of the
play, has generously given credit to
his collaboration for the remarkable
development into the success it is.
The Story.
In the prologue Joe Bascom is seen
just after his discharge from year
In prison (for a crime, that It devel-
ops later, he never committed), and is
met by Gilly, young burglar, and
Mugs pickpocket, former prison
pals They cannot understand his re-
fusal to join them in a raid on an
easy crib" and when he tells them
Of some one" who Is waiting for him
they CONTEMPORARY remark, "oh,
-'dame!" Penniless, Joe returns to the
home he had left ten years before.
We Meet Mother.
The white-haired mother, who had
. not heard from him during his year in
prison is saying her nightly prayer
for him Homecoming, while the sis
ter, who scarcely remembers her
brother, is setting in the window the
lamp that has burned there all these
years as a beacon for him. 1t is
probably their last night in the little
farmhouse with its famous peach
orchard, for a skinfiinr neighbor is
about to take It for trifing debt
There Is q wonderful tear-compeI-
ling welcome for Joe, and then, while
mother and sister are preparing sup
per for him, there is a knock at the
door and Joe opens it to admit his
two prison pals.
Lured By JanI
His establishment is only equaIed
by theirs, for they had been thrown
from q train Tor lack of fare and wan
dered to this inviting little farm
house, lured by the tantalizing smell
of delicious peach jam-the jam for
which Mrs. Bascom was almost as
noted as for her saintIiness And
when the dame" for whom Joe had
deserted them turns out 10 be a white
haired, sweet-faced old mother their
establishment Is turned to awe. The
guileless old lady welcomes the boys,
who are introduced as business
friends" gives them the first home
meal they had eaten since childhood,
takes them off to church and fairly
dazes them. by their first taste Of
motherlinesS
The Plot Thickens.
When the village skinfiint, seeking
full by Joe, the dear old mother
never dreams that GiIly has secured
the money by robbing the old Shy
locks safe and then returning the
money to the safe in order to escape de-
lection after Mugs had picked the
bills from the old mans pocket; nor
does she question their purchase of
the peach croH from her, for the boys
ultimately find a ready purchaser for
Sne entire output of the famous Bas-
com peach jam and make a fortune
for her and for themselves. The de-
velopment of these boys under her
influence IL one OF the most remark
able bits of dramatic writing enjoyed
in many years. Her first influence is
shown by their desire to wash their
hands.
And SAH Il Well"
Cleanliness is; indeed, next to God
illness, and the influence for good is
at work at once When Gilly falls
and sprains his back the old lady's
gentle uministrations are like the
''Iaying on of hands," of which he
heard for the first time at the church
meeting. At mothers approach quar-
reIs cease. Mothers divine faith &C
cepts all the wonderful happenings
that follow without question, and
these happenings, in turn, become not
wonderful. but natural. Cupic ap-
pears early on the scene and through
all his busy workings mother moves