unfruitful letter, without the glow and glory of the spirit, and which is woven into the very woof of our republic and by which American character is best judged and has been best represented. In the stress of affairs of state it is impossible to forget Plymouth and the beauty and strength of New England's example. The best thought of the country has sifted through the years from this font of our consecrated forefathers, and it is the dawn and birth of this very divine element in the young west that the world is watching and awaiting. It is just the spiritual touch that can give to Mrs. Atherton's pen an incredible power. Her book contains much important, fresh and interesting data pertaining to the personnel of Hamilton's family and his remote connections. To say that the author has not proven one of her points is no reflection upon the fact that in her effort to do so she has given the public the benefit of painstaking historical research of very decided interest and value, and in her now widely known and brilliant effectiveness. HENRIETTA H. WILLIAMS. author, like the good, oldfashioned authors of the May Agnes Fleming coterie, compels the most unexpected and impossible things to hap pen in order that the story may progress interestingly and the love affair of course, there is a love affair-come to a happy ending. But it is the atmosphere rather than the story that makes this book notable. The town in which the story is cast might be any of the little settlements along the line of the railroad where it traverses the Cali fornia desert. The author has caught the spirit of the desert and draws her pictures of it with a skill that is fascinating. An encouraging feature of Pauline Bradford Mackie's work is that each book is much better than its pre McClure, Phillips & Co., New York; price, $1.50. decessor. "A Voice in the Desert" is so far ahead of any of her other stories, both in plot and style, that one may reasonably expect a great story from her some day. An interesting book, soon to be issued. by the Educational Publishing Company, is "Habits of California Plants," by Katherine Chandler, with illustrations by B. F. White, of the University of California. Miss Chandler is one of the many devoted daughters of California and has spent much of her life in the country, which accounts for her intimate acquaintance with the flowers and shrubs that brighten the western slope of the Sierra. "THE SIEGE OF YOUTH" "The Siege of Youth," by Frances Charles of San Francisco, does not live up to the promise given by her first book, "In the Country God Forgot." It has many of the crudities that marred Miss Charles' initial effort and has neither the strength nor the perfect atmosphere that made her story of Arizona life so readable. The reason for this is easily found. The author has turned aside from the big freedom of the country God forgot and dabbled with the lives of people with whom she has only a front-parlor acquaintance-the lives of newspaper artists. The result is a coloring so false that it almost shrieks at one and ruins the entire exhibition so far as people who know are concerned. It is the art atmosphere that pink teas in "applied art" studies might give one. But in spite of this sin, "The Siege of Youth" has merit. Much of the descriptive work is strong and the philosophy of Jameson Sr., the father of the hero, is excellent at times. The plot hangs on two newspaper artists who love the same girl and the sacrifice of one of these who drops out of the race to allow his friend to win. And this after he had devoted his life to developing the artistic promise of his friend who, by the way, is the son of a man who had once befriended the hero and the hero's father. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, publishers. Plays and the Players Nance O'Neil's New Venture, Amelia Bingham in Cissie Loftus, leading lady with E. H. Lillian Coleman, who made her debut a few months ago at Fischer's Theater, San Francisco, and Anna Lichter, a singer popular with the patrons of San Francisco's Tivoli, are gathering laurels in the "Prince of Pilsen," Luder and Pixley's tuneful musical comedy, of the Alcazar Theater, San Francisco, This is the age of laughter. If one may believe all he reads every person worth while pos sesses that saving grace a sense of humor. The serious man is damned with the epithetsolemn ass and if one takes a misfortune or a grief to heart he must talk of seeing the funny side of it and save the tears that "unbidden rise" till he can let them fall behind the curtain of solitude. Ten years ago people talked of the tragedies in their lives. Five years ago there was a plethora of books written about the lives of animals, which proved that every animal's life was a tragedy. Today no thoroughly up-to-date man will admit that he enjoys a theatrical performance that deals with a serious subject-questions of ethics, problems of life or philosophy. He wants to laugh when he goes to a theater and hence comedy, melodrama, comic opera and all their variations have held the boards formerly sacred to what is termed the legitimate. Plays like "The Gentleman of France," show to poor houses, while which is crowding From a sketch by Henry Raleigh the Broadway The CISSIE LOFTUS ater, New York, just now. Maud Lillian Berri of Oakland has scored another big success as Henrietta Budd in George Ade's "Sultan of Sulu." The revival of "The Manxman," a dramatization of Hall Caine's story of the same name, has proved one of the season's successes in the east. James O'Neill of "Monte Cristo" fame, plays the title role and May Buckley, formerly PLAYS AND PLAYERS from that of either Bernhardt or Fanny ating bits of clever comedy. Davenport. There can be no question as to Miss O'Neil's claim to greatness. Opinions differ as to her training, but there is no quarrel over her talent. She possesses She possesses the divine spark of genius. The women of the world who have possessed this rare gift are few. She makes you feel. Emotions which, in the conventional life, would remain dormant, are quickened. Such plays develop the heart and the mind. Miss O'Neil's second production at the California, beginning on Monday night, June 29th, will be Sardou's modern drama, "Fedora," which should offer her many additional opportunities to shine. "The Scarlet Letter," a dramatization of Hawthorne's famous book, will follow. This play was written by a young Australian for Miss O'Neil, and has never been seen in the west and promises to be of her most ambitious efforts. In London and other great art centers she has been hailed as the rival and ultimate successor of Bernhardt and La Duse. Not only has she improved in methods during this period, but she has ripened physically and broadened intellectually, until now her impersonations throb with the vividness and force of living reality. Above all is her magnificent voice, a full, rich, speaking contralto, which runs the full gamut of emotional expression, from joy to sorrow, laughter to pain, tenderness to rage and yet leaves the impression of many a note still unsounded. During the month Miss Amelia Bingham will produce "The Climbers," a new and original comedy by Clyde Fitch, at the Columbia Theater, San Francisco. The play was a great success in New York, where it ran for two hundred nights. The story of the play is one of sorrow, devotion and temptation. Mrs. Sterling, the heroine, learns at the time of her father's death that her husband has been dishonest in money matters. She makes heroic efforts to save him and is assisted by her husband's friend, Mr. Warden. They fall in love with each other, but the passion is 289 How ever, it owes its success to the perfection of its production, to its brilliant interpreters and to the careful attention to detail by the actress-manager. The dressing of the women throughout the play is notable. The scenic equipment gives the proper idea of luxurious good taste. The cast includes Wilton Lackaye, W. L. Abingdon, Ferdinand Gottschalk, James Carew, Alfred Fisher, Madge Carr Cook, Bijou Fernandez, Frances Ring and Lillian Wright. Other plays to be presented at the Columbia are "A Modern Magdalen" and "The Frisky Mrs. Johnson." mastered. Though the theme is seri- From a photograph by Schloss. ous, the play contains many illumin AMELIA BINGHAM Miss Mabel McKinley, who appears at the Orpheum, San Francisco, during July, is said to be one of the highest salaried vaudeville stars of the day. She has a sweet soprano voice and a remarkable accompanist, but owes her popularity, and incidentally her large salary, to the fact that she was the favorite niece of the late President, William McKinley. "Monbars," the new play adapted from the French, which is now being presented by the stock company at the Alcazar Theater, San Francisco, with White Whittlesey in the title role, is a drama well worth the while. The story is the old one of the poor boy who becomes rich and powerful by his own exertions. But the setting is entirely new. Monbars, a child of the people, shut off by birth from opportunities on land to rise to Photo by Hall the estate for which he feels himself worthy, finds his chance upon the ocean. France is engaged in a war against England and with the aid of friends he fits out a sloop, becomes a privateer, captures a stout British ship and proceeds to wrest fortune from the enemies of his country. He becomes a veritable king at St. Malo, falls in love with the daughter of a Marquis, who owes him more money than he can pay, and has a great many opportunities to do brave and noble deeds. Monbars is called by his enemies a pirate, which is sufficient in itself to make the plot interesting. The cast is excellent and scenic effects beautiful. cently returned to her home in San Jose. For three years she has been studying in Boston under Miss Elsie Lincoln and Villa Whitney White, pupils of Joachim, Dell Sadie, William La Grange of Paris and George Henshell. Her clear, high soprano notes, which have been heard both in church and in the social world of Boston, were heard on our shores in June at commencement week of the University of the Pacific, where she sang for the Sophocletian Society at their anniversary evening. Miss Mabury is not only possessed of a splendid physique and an attractive voice, but she is a young MABEL M'KINLEY Sweet and gifted Miss Eugenia Beatrice Mabury, a representative type of the flower of California womanhood, has re woman of intellectual tastes and rare spirituality. She is the daughter of a prominent San Jose family and a sister of bright Miss Eloise Mabury, who graduated from Smith College last June. Miss Maude Fav, well known to Californians, is at present in Europe doing famously with her music. She has just sung with eclat at the salon of one of the great Parisian countesses. They are singing "Madelaine or the Magic Kiss" at the Tivoli Opera House, San Francisco, with great success. This opera is one of Stanger and Edward's best efforts. The book and the music are both good. Edwin Stevens as the Baron Grimm is in fine fettle. During the play he changes his costume and make-up four times, an almost unprecedented feat. Ferris Hartman, who is at present the stage director, continues to hold his own. For ten years he has been able to make the same audience laugh. The orchestra and chorus are both excellent. Grand opera has been postponed till after moving into the new theater. |