"ENGAGED."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1055, 22 April 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

"ENGAGED."

"Engaged" is .'a repulsive, vulgar, andvextrciely;a)nußing play.' It shows'us eight personages all actuated by "tKe'ni'oat unblush-' iugly 'mercenary 'motives'/whrj cohfess these motives' in the' most : unblushing "way; and with the ,air ,; of"ut|e'rlii| r tbe , 'rioble'sysenti-. ijaents.'^ih'e' 1 intHgue : 'is, really'ingehibn sin its' absurdity'.' 'Turning upon a Septcli marriage'jitlnvolve's the 1 'dramatis personra in an amatory irrihro'glid oiunparallfeledoornplexity; Chevmt'lill-inimitably, 'played by the lateMr:' G'£orge"H6ney-is ; an'Je'x'tremely parsimonious and'extMely' erratio , ' : ybuhg'.man. the triiin'in which' be is'travelling" is thrown; off tie line, virtlio'us' ScVtch.'peasa'nt,' AhgiisMacalister, who makes his living by wrecking-train's.' Emerging from! the wreck' ''a■ ijfioral jjult; a'mash/'a poultice,"'as he himself 1 "describes" Hi's ''condition;' Cheviot meets' Maggie MacfarlaneJ'the, sweetheart of the virtutius'Angus. 'He forgets that' lie' is' engaged to Minnie Sympersoh,"ahd' , at'''6"nce proposes to her, when the following scene ensues :

Mag.-Ahj kind shyl'm. sairly,grieved to wound sae true and : tender a, loye asVypursjbut ye'er ower late; my.love is nae myain to give ye; It's given ower to! the best land bravest lad in a' the bonnie'Borderland I

Ch,—Give me'his address, thatl may;go and curse him I "■'.-. ■••>

. Mag, (kneels to Cheviot).—Ah, yo mitst; not curse him;' Oh, spare him; 'spare him,' for ho is gobdand'brave,'and' he' loves me—oh, Bae dearly!"and'il l6yo"him'i 'oh'; sae dearly, too! Oil,'sir, kind : sir, have mercy

on him, and do not—do iiot ;purso him, ,brl, shall die I '[Throwing hoYaelf atrhis feet,]' Ch.—Will you, or will you not, oblige me by telling wh'eTo he is, that I may at onoVgO' and curse him? ....... . , „

""Aug. (comingforward),"—He is here, sir: but'dinna 1 Wastelyour curses/on 1 & s&ggie,) my bairn (raising her),. I heard the answer ye gave to this man,'ray true andgentie ; lassie l' ! Ye spoke well and bravely, Meg—well and bravoly I Dinna heed the water in hiy e'e—it's ,a tear of joy and gratitudo I : Ohi. (touched)— Poor fellow! I.will not burse him I (Aloud;)' Young man, I resect your honest emotion, I doirt'want' to distress you, but I .cannot help loying-.thjs most charming girl.. Come, is'it reasonable to quarrel with a-man because he's of'-tHe same way of thinking as yourself? ' .' .[ j, Ang.-ljfay, sir, I'm nae fasht, but it just seoms.to drive a' the blood back into'my hairt when I think that my Meg'is loved. by an : ' ither 1. ..Oh, sir,' she's' a r fair.'. and ( " winsomo'i larafe, aridtinichtasjusjjly.beangry m'- ye for lpying tnelilue heavens'!' She's''juat' 'as far above us as they are I—(wiping his eyes tod kissing,her.): "''' ' . "',',. ." ; ''OhV .'(with decision)— Pardon me, I ,can ; not allow that. '■' '".,''.''"'■' • "' ;';Ang.-Eh?' ~.,., ; .'."Oli. —I love that girl madly—passionately -and I cannot possibly allbw.you to do that -not'before'my eyes,. I'beg.', 'fYoujiniply. torture me. : . " '• '' ' "."'■ :'

' '.Mag,''', (to AngusJ-Leaive off, dear,.till the poor gentleman's gone, and. then ye 'can b,egiriagain. ■■■ ' f ■'■ ' ' '■,. ( ' Ch. -Angus, listen to, me. You love this girl I ''■".•.' i Ahg.—l loyeher,,sir, ; a'mpst.as.weel asl" love mysei' 1 .'.'"' '"■"■'' '"" ''.'"' "]" '_ ', •' Ch.-Then reflect.how'you are standing in .the way of her.prosperity. I am'a,rich man,! I have money, position and education!" lam' 'a'much more intellectual and generally agreeable companion for ; 'her than yoii'.can,, ever' jhope to be.',l am full of anecdote, and'allmy. 'anecdotes are in the : best taste.' I. will tell yoii some of them, some of these. 'days, aud you ban judge for yourself.. Mag-' gie, if she married me,; would'live in a nice. Ihouseina.good square. ,She would ..have wine-occasionally. She would ;be kopt clean. Now, if you really .love' this girl almost as well as.'you love yourself, a're'you doing wisely or 1 kindly in standing in the way.of. her getting all these'gooa 'things?, ',As tocompensation—whyl I've had iheavy expenses of late—but if-yes,'if thirty 'shillings'— '- ''" 1 Of course the bargain is struck, butcomes to 'nothing, as Cheviot forthwith falls in love witli'ianother!youug lady.' The second act .takes place.'on. the day, appointed for'the, marriage of Cheviot'and Minnie Sympprson, and here is part of a love sceno between, the bride: and bridegroom:—,.'' '''Cn.-Dear me. ,To think that. in. half an hour this magnificent'dress will be, ihy.,'pro-. pei-ty. "'"'' ' "' '•"' Min.—Yes. Dear papa said that as you had offered to give the breakfast at your house, ho would give me the best dress that money could procure. - Oh.—Yes,-1 did offer to provide the breakfast in a reckless moment; that's so like me. It was a rash offer, but I've made it, and I've stuck to it, Oh, then, there's the cake, Min,—Oh, tell meall,about r the cake, sofa.) Ch. cake is oaten at a we'dj^ng'^r'e^lwp^Bpjl've ordered,'ghat's known quarter.arfcicle. '* "' , '' ! \ Min.—l see; three quarters cake, wdjhe reg'twood., "" J "\

•Chi—No; three-quarters wood and;jibe rest cake, Be sure, my dear, you don't "cut into the wood, for jt.Jias, tq ; be. reljurhedVio tho' pastry-cook to berfi\le^ttpl { .f6r atfdther occasion'.': I but';o'rijfa|t;married;every day—it'sohfy ouce ; ;a|ea'rrslimf an it's only now and .then, the^expeuso; let's do.; so its.a three-quarters.'.' '"'"•-' \^' Min',pHow good you are. to> ma-L-We;shall be shaJMofldtf ' : f'' "''■

how shallwp.spen|.our.-even-ings? * '"•"' : '" : Ch. games, Aro "you.;fond of.fireaide.jgamea f Min.-rOh, they'i^gre?tvi«inV"H' : '•''■ Gh.—Then we'll play at'tailoring. Min,—Tailoring, J know that game." ~-,.,- .. Ch.—lt's a very good game, ; .You shall be the clever little jobbing; tailor, and. : lli;be, the particular. customer -> ; h o: brings ,Kiß',6wn materials to be made up, YotCjEall takej'my measure, out out the cloth (real cloth,: you know), stitch it together,• and;try T it on; 'and then I'll find fault, pe a real custojiner, and you shall alter it until it fits, and: when it fits beautifully that counts ione to yoii. Miu.—Delightful 1 Ch,—Then there's another little fireside game which is great fun, We each take a bit of paper and a pencil and try who can jot down the nicest, dinner for ninepence, and tho next day we have it.' Min,—Oh, Cheviot, what a paradise you 'open to me.' '"' I need go. no further. These quotations sufficiently indicate the tone of the play, and the style of its.humour. ;That it is extvemoly funny cannot be denied, especially when it is played with the business-like earnestness which Mr. Gilbert manages to impart to his interpreters,; But it leaves a bitter taste.in the mouth. It.is as unpleasant and degrading as "Gulliver's Travels," .without their, deep human" truth!' It's cynicism; ;is as. irrelevant as it is. exaggerated,— St, jantes's Magazine,' ~'■', .".'.