188

National Theatre.

Somebody has said that if Cooper had
stuck to his Leather Stockings tales he
would never have incurred what he could
so illy bear--the pity of the world. The
play of "Life on the Border" is one in
which there is no departure from the plot.
It is a straightforward narrative, actively
illustrated as it runs, and contains what
would make a volume. It consists in a
series of culminations, each one highly
sensational and vividly presented. In the
part assigned him Buffalo Bill is not required
to step outside of the path with
which he is perfectly familiar and in which
he acts naturally. It would require of an
actor of genius and ability years of study
to understand and enact the part
as successfully as it was played
last evening. The same may be
said of the part taken by Captain
Jack. The men act naturally, and hence
successfully. Another good character was
that of Old Slote, by A.D. Bradley. The
welcome accorded to A.D. Billings was
most cordial. Everybody knows that in
his line BIllings has few superiors. He
was at home last evening as General Duncan,
and played with his usual success.
Miss A. A. Adams has improved very
much since her last appearance before a
Virginia audience, and plays the part of
the heroine very well. The other characters
were well sustained, and the play
moved smoothly from beginning to end.
The usual scenery of the hall has been
augmented by much of that used in San
Francisco, and the stage effects are better
than we expected. Of the kind the play is
as good as can well be made, and the large
audience last evening were certainly well
pleased with it. There is a great deal of
fun in it, and taken as a whole it gives a
good evening's entertainment. It will be
repeated this evening.