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MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES
George P. Lathrop's drama of Elaine has
taken a little niche of its own in my mind
and memory. The play, which was in
blank verse, had real merit : its text was
always smooth, sweet, and graceful, and
was fine or fervid in a mode much like
that of Tennyson, the story of whose idyl
was strictly followed until the final pas-
sages, when grave liberties were taken with
Launcelot and Guinevere. The effect of
the work and its representation was to
transport the soul of the spectator out of
the dusty glare of common day into the
empurpled twilight of romance. Through
Miss Annie Russell the play was supplied
with an ideal Elaine. The actress had but
recently recovered from a severe illness,
and her fragile beauty and delicacy pa-
thetically befitted the lily maid of Astolat.
Her gentle speech had a thrilling quality
which seemed made to utter the heart of
Elaine. Few of those who saw the scene
will forget how, after love for Launcelot
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