William G. Van Tassel Sutphen.
Mr. Sutphen, who is now permanently engaged in journalism, is no less a successful dramatist and, from the first, has shown those most attractive and rare qualities which are essentially requisite to reach dramatic success. A list of his more important published works will show that he is no idler, and includes several bright clever farces contributed to Harper's Bazar, among them, "The Reporter"; "Hearing is Believing"; "Sharp Practice", and "A Soul Above Skittles". Not long ago appeared a romantic opera entitled "Mary Phillipse; An Historical and Musical Picture, in Four Scenes." This is founded on certain events in the history of the city of Yonkers, Westchester County, New York, between the years 1760 and 1776. It was set to music by George F. Le Jeune, and produced with marked success, June 30, 1892, at Yonkers and on succeeding dates. "Hearing is Believing" was performed twice in Morristown in the same winter.
Mr. Sutphen has only lately published in the July number of Scribner's Magazine (1892), a poem entitled "To Trojan Helen" and containing some fine verses. This is worthy of high place in Mr. Sutphen's intellectual work. Another poem of merit, "Insciens", appeared also in Scribner's Magazine. In addition to these, miscellaneous verses and sketches have been contributed to Puck, Life, Time and other periodicals, and in most cases, anonymously. For the past eight years, Mr. Sutphen has had charge of the weekly edition of The New York World. While at Princeton College he was one of the editors of the Nassau Literary Magazine, and one of the founders and first editor of the Princeton Tiger, an illustrated weekly, modeled on the Harvard Lampoon. "Condensed Dramas" and "Latterday Lyrics" should also be mentioned, a series of light sketches and verses contributed to Time during the existence of that periodical.
It is, however, by his dramatic talent, that we wish to represent Mr. Sutphen, and for this reason we expected and would be glad to give in full, were it possible, "The Guillotine; a Condensed Drama", which first appeared in The Argonaut, a San Francisco Journal. This is an extremely clever and witty comedy, perhaps the best of his dramatic writings, to which an extract will hardly do justice. We are thankful to Mr. Sutphen for contributing a little of the laughter element to the condensed mass, included in this volume, of theology, history, philosophy, poetry, romance, mathematics, medicine, art and science.
EXTRACT FROM "THE GUILLOTINE."
Scene: The Public Square in a French Town. In the centre of the square is seen a guillotine. Enter venerable gentleman of scientific aspect reading a newspaper.
(In the first scene the professor, finding himself alone with the guillotine and seeing a notice of an execution to take place three hours later, is impelled to examine the instrument. He adjusts the axe and works the spring until he masters the mechanism, and finds the spring on the right releases the knife, spring on the left, the head. Finally he decides to put his own head on the block to try the sensation. Horrible! he cannot remember which is his right hand and which his left. While in this position, a party of tourists come along, armed with Baedekers and accompanied by a guide.)
Guide (gesticulating)—Zare, ladies and gentlemans. Ze cathedral! Ah! ciel! Look at him. Magnifique! (Chorus of "ahs" from tourists and general opening of Baedekers.)
Guide—Ze clock-tower ees of a colossity excessive. It elevates himself three hundred and eighty-six feet. (Immense enthusiasm.) At ze terminality of ze wall statue ze great Charlemagne. Superbe! Chuck-a-block to him, Dagobert, Clovis and Voila! (Catching hold of elderly tourist.) Le bon Louis. (The tourists take notes with painful accuracy and minuteness.)
Elderly Tourist—Very interesting. Rose, my child, have you got all that down. How old is the cathedral, guide?
Guide—It has seven hundred and feefty-six years.
Spinster Aunt (Severely)—Baedeker says seven hundred and fifty-five.
Guide (politely)—It ees hees one mistake. (An exclamation from Rose. Everybody turns.)
Rose (pointing to guillotine)—Oh, do look there!
Spinster Aunt—It looks as though an execution were in progress. Baedeker says—
Elderly Tourist (eagerly)—Is it really so, guide?
Guide (indifferently)—Yes, but zare ees no fee and zarefore no objection in seeing it. It ees modern—vat you call him—cheap-John. We will now upon ze clock-tower upheave ourselves. Zare are two hundred and one steps.
Elderly Tourist—But we want to see the execution.
Guide—You enjoy ze ferocity? Bah! you shall have him. For one franc zare ees to see picture S. Sebastian—ver' fine, all shot full wiz burning arrows.
Elderly Tourist—Never mind, we will wait. Do you think, guide, I would have time to go back and get my wife? I am sure she would enjoy it!