New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-08

ISL, writes IN "1he New Statesman"
London weekly, of what he found most
interesting on the London stage this last
year of the war:
Sometimes, in this fourth year of the
war, some timid inquirer whispers ques-
ton as to where the English theatre has
gone to. He has been perhaps abroad for
year two, and on his return to London
has eagerly sought for the kind of play
that was interesting to him four years ago.
He has not found it, but has discovered
that 'Chu Chin Chow is in its third year
that The Bing Boys on Broadway is sold
out every night and that an entertainment
known Tails Up is delighting a full
house ten times a week For the serious
minded he has discovered that there is MI
Benefits jolly play, The Title; Miss Lohr
in q comedy entitled Nurse Benson and
Mr.. Esmond in sentimental play called
The Law Divine
There are, however, one or two jolly
people in che theatres at the moment, and
they are all of them, if 1 may be excused
an lrishism, in the music hall. The best
of them all, think, is Crock tie French
clown. do not know when it was that he
first appeared in England, but it is only Of
late that that final sign OF popularity, ap-
pause from the audience when his number
goes up, has been given to him. I remember
two years ago sitting in the Palladium and
hearing people around me as they read
their programmes ask who he was. Last
week in the Coliseum a lady behind me
said to her friend: oh, Crock. Don't
you know him? He's the greatest darling
I iko
prlsed at being liked
His turn is announced on the programme as
Crock and Partner, and Partner, who is a
young man dressed in rather more than the
latest fashion, shows in every movement
that, to vulgar phrase of the moment.
there are no flies on HIM He ig the regu-
lar young superior violnist of the music
hall, as mechanical and insincere and elab-
orately unreal as he can be; but his feeljne
toward Crock is, in spite of himself. pa
ternal His clothes, his hair, his smile. his
violin, are all shiny with an unnatural pol
ish He has lived in restaurants all his
days, and there is probably nothing about
life that he does not know His surprise
at Crooks behavior is not genuine surprise;
1t is as artificial as his coat and waistcoat:
but he does, nevertheless stand as SYM
Dol for the good world into whose wild
eddies Crock is flung twice day, to his
own naive pleasure and childish astonish-
ment.
"In appearance Crock IS an emiable baby.
clothed impossibly, but with so confding a
smile that there is grown-up member Of
the audience who does not wish to- protect
him from the superior patronage Of the
81 nd h,
been on the stage for few minutes, it is
obvious that he wants protection; the
young man laughs at his ridiculous clothes.
his toy fiddle, his bald head and his enor-
nous confdng smile. Crock is never de-
pressed by patronage; he is indeed en-
tirely unconscious of it He is absent from
the stage few moments and returns 40
garments even more absurd than the.fret
that he wore; but he is so sure that these
will do that even the shiny young man who
has in his time rebuked any number at
faded relations, cannot bear to dsappoint
his happiness. 1t is then apparent that
Crock has been burdened with multitude
of Inconvenience that would break the
heart of any one else. His legs and arms
are quite irresponsible, and much Of the
time that he would like to give TO his be
loved music is wasted By his efforts 70
control his enormous feet, TO bring his
hands into the right position and to keen
his bo0y lsasonably straight. All this time
he gazes at the audience with eyes that are
full of trust. You feel that he is convinced
that this time at least he is spending h.
evenings with really nice people who. if
they see anything odd in him. VIII know
better than to comment about il. who viii
moreover, share in his delight at surrount-
ing all his innumerable difficulties. His
brain, too, moves slowly. You can see him
comfortably adopting what seems TO ham
the only way to do things, and then, when
the Shiny One points out to him that there
axe other ways more expeditions and more
complete, he breaks into that delightful
chucklc of satisfaction and has whole face
is lighted with happiness. You feel that it
must be indeed worth living TO make so
many discoveries in so short time and TO
have no chagrin or sense of humiliation
because you had not discovered them your
self. When IL is suggested to him thar
he should play the piano, and the chair is
placed some way from that instruments hiss
mind being on the piano he thinks il natu-
raj that he should push II toward the chair
His Partner points out that it is a simpler
thing to push the chair toward the piano
"He is. in fact, more like the White
knight in Alice than any one has ever
been; he may, in fact, for all know. be
the White knight himself His business
just now is with violins and pianos and
concertinas and evening clothes; but it
may be when his performance is over he
hopes to find his horse. to collect his mouse
traps and armor and boxes with no tops to
them and so 90 riding into the forest, fear
less and pure-hearted and chivalrous. ready
70 meet am foe. German Or nthar.,.se 60.