THE MAGGIE MOORE SEASON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9205, 20 May 1893, Page 5

THE MAGGIE MOORE SEASON.

It is somewhat a pity that " '49," described as a mining drama, has been billed for only two nights of the Maggie Moore season at the Opera House. On its first production last evening it came as a surprise to those who had not seen it before, or who were unacquainted with its character. The general tenour of mining drama is a plentiful admixture of bowie knife and revolver. But " '49" is not of this alas a. It is as much above the ordiuary run as one of Bret Harte's charming mining stories is beyond the regulation " shocker." There is romance in the piece, but it never becomes gory. Arthur Dennison, a young lawyer, is commissioned to discover the missing heiress to a big pile of dollars left by her parents, who were— the mislaid one as an infantmurdered by a party of Danites in tho memorable Mountain Meadow massacre. Dennison gets out West on his long search, and eventually strikes Mississippi's Hotel, at Downoyville, a mining settlement in the Si'arras. There be comes across Carrots, a shock-headed, wild urchin, but with a heart of gold, which has endeared her closely to old " '49," an elderly digger, so called from the fact that it was in '49 that ho first struck the country. Tom Bradshaw, confidential clerk to Colonel James, the attorney who has commissioned Dennison to find the lost heiress, having overheard the Colonel's instructions to Deunison, resolves on finding prize first and scooping the plunder by making her his wife. Dennison immediately recognises Bradshaw as & first-class rogue, and promptly tells him so. Dennison falls deeply in love with Carrots, who turns out to be the heiress.and find out that old '49 is his long-lost parent. All these thrilling incidents are Drought about not without touching and pathetic scenes between the old man, his son, and the girl he had watched and protected. Bat as produced last evening there never was pathos without the ingenuous originality of Carrot*. Miss Maggie Moore was delightful in the part. She wouldn't bo forward in bringing Denison to the point, but she meant to make him say " Yes" or " No" before the evening closed. ■ Her songs and dances were encored again and again. Mr. Charles Hoiloway's 'Forty-nine was proved to be one of the best parts he has enacted. Mr. Henry Diver's Arthur Denisou was complete, while Mr. John Forde's General was really fine comedy. Mr. Stewart as Tom Bradshaw. and Mr. Oily Deering as Ned (a survivor of the massacre) were equally successful. Miss Linda Raymond had little to do but to look well ; this she did, and there was withal a finish in her acting. The piece is to bo repeated this evening.