The New York herald., 1922-09-03

hccpo ou tuiuAlHS Ln3J the next time
Il will turn out all right. But there
Is still some in the bottle OF real pre-
Volstead distillation. So he shares
this with the well meaning if ANA
teur distiller and the hired girl has
the privilege of sip.
The harmless little orgy progresses
through the historic stages. Exhilara-
tion Is followed by a gentle melan-
choly, and then there is some CLOSE
harmony to end the session. Rock
OF Ages" serving to inspire the revel-
ers with serious and contemplative
JOY. 1t is deliciously humorous in its
execution and as irresistibly natural
as any of the little episodes that make
up the play.
OF course. there may be theater-
goers who are not going TO care for
protagonist who goes through three
acts always in a state OF mid or may
be only potential intoxication. 1t will
never be possible. however, to deny
that Mr.. Beresford suggests with
amazing truth to life yet without Of
fensiveness physical or otherwise a
man always more or less exalted. He
Is forever seeing life through a rosy
haze
Every cloud has a silver lining
With this state of contentment. how
ever, there Is the mood of apology, the
sense OF inferiority that such habit
engenders Complete satisfaction with
himself is possible only when he is In
the society Of those who admit their
dbif$t to be Just as strong as his. He
may stand with his foot on the fender
as IL It were the rail in front of the
bar and he may sing close harmony
with the hired girl and the retired
barkeeper. Yet he feels the inferiority
which this weakness creates In him.
Jfe goes contentedly down. therefore,
TO mingle with that society which his
wife finds such a reprehensible feature
of Smiths Hotel.
The old soak knows his inferiority
TO most OF the other men who do not
take such pleasure out OF their liquor.
He attempts to meet this with the
fictitious invention which shifts dur.
ing the play from an appliance that
fits a submarine to one that will be
useful In helping to move heavy
trunks. Tt Is this invention, so useful
in the last act. which IL his apologies
a pro vita sua. N is his protest
against the inferiority which he
knows to exist. This mood Mr.. Beres-
ford most graphically indicates.
The LcvabIe sinner.
More than once the writer wondered
~ the first performance II there
might not be in the minds OF some
spectators q special affection for the
lovable sinner II he made at least
one gesture in the direction OF re-
!. form. What would have been the
lwesult IL he had once stiffened his
H,pn column and said Quit?
would there have been a wider SYM
pathy for him1 Would there have
been deeper interest In his welfare? t?
We wonder.
Stage drunkards have always been
nsoro or less dangerous. II is quite
fair to answer that this chap II not
. stage drunkard at ALL lie is the
irvent,cn OF a humcrist who never
writes A line without impressing the
reader that here is really one who
loves his Fellow man.
X n the striking characteristic OF
Mr.. Msrpufs that he writes as one
who loved the world He writes as II his
iatpirntion cnn,e out OF large heart
that embraces MI kinda OF his fellow
mtn without this quality no play
wright could have interested his audi
ence for three acts In drunkard. ~
~ because he IN such q lovable human
ana good-hesrted drunkard that the