For one of its tender age and inexperience, "The Brat" is remarkably surefooted and bright. Heralded by no great blare of publicity and sneaking into town under cover of a blizzard came this little comedy, chuck full of laughter and flesh and blood humor. It came as manna in our wilderness of "shows." The play for some moments seems about to trail off into the ordinary ruck of "he be-friends, she loves, they marry" playlets, but the characters meant more to the author than did gentle stage tradition, so she let them work out their salvation. The result was a sincere little play which escaped the obvious by being true.

"The Brat" is a waif--you never know her name, she herself has probably forgotten it--is picked hungry from the gutter to serve as model for a writer of best-sellers. He is hailed as a genius by his family, sought by all the females within sight and preaches ever and anon to his younger brother of the evils of his drinking ways. Mother and "Uncle John," the bishop, also do their best to impress on the same brother that he is sullying the family name and proving himself irretrievably the black-sheep of the family. "The Brat" is the only one in the household that sympathizes, and "Steve" falls truly in love with her honest, cheerful, little, untaught human being. But she has fallen under the idolizing spell of the author-brother and thinks she cares for him. Only when "Steve," hopeless, leaves for the West does "The Brat" know that she cared for him all along. In the last act the affairs of "Steve" and "The Brat" are cleared up, but the author in all his glory is left lovelessly and hopelessly engaged.

The play was exceptionally well acted in every detail. Miss Fulton, the author, lived the title role. Never once did she lose her grasp on character or audience. Her slang was never forced, her humor was always delicate and unflagging, and she extracted every particle of sympathetic enjoyment from a splendid characterization. The supporting company was a wonderful relief from those we usually see here in "the provinces." Mr. Stone as the genius played a none too clearly written role with fine care and insight, while the young brother was kept simple and unaffectedly sincere by Mr. Lowe. Miss Ives played her bit exceedingly well, as did Mr. Kingdon, the bishop. And it was a joy to see once again the ever delightful Mr. Findley as Timson.