Denman Thompson's "Old Homestead" was opened to the public at the St. James Theatre Monday night, and the veteran theatre-goers that were there for the treat got all the heart throbs and laughter that they received at the record breaking run in 1875.

It is to the credit of Mr. Godfrey that he did not fall into the evil ways of most antiquarians but kept the old masterpiece so free from all modern renovations that the young bloods who go to see it this week will understand why it played to record houses for 1400 consecutive nights, a run which far outstripped the present gold mine, "Abbie's Irish Rose".

Hall Performs Admirably

Mr. Thompson, himself, would have been delighted with Louis Leon Hall's interpretation of kindly old Uncle Josh. As Happy Jack, Mr. Nedell chalked up another hit; but he had to work at top pitch to keep up with Olive Blakeney, who, as Rickety Anne, kept things "movin'" on the farm. John Collier, an ex 47 Workshop man, starred as "my boy Reub". The whole company, indeed, from the Stage Manager and Master Mechanic to the Director, Sam Godfrey, himself, were on the boards and they made the audience "glad on it".

The characters were perfectly delineated. Their universality and individuality are brought out from Rickety Anne to Seth Perkins, the Hoboken Terror. Not a stroke was missed in the production, for the sets of the "Old Homestead", "The Street in front of Grace Church: N. Y." and "The Kitchen" were no less perfect than the Swanzey, New Hampshire, Annual Band Concert. Strange to say, even the old jokes which had been dusted off for the occasion were greeted with vociferous laughter and prolonged applause. Handkerchiefs which went up more than once to wipe away a tear were suddenly used to stifle laughter. The author has the heart-strings of the audience before him and he plays upon them at will. And his touch is elastic.

Perfect Picture of Rural Life

If you have never met a kindly old man, if you have never seen the village band in full regalia, with Fezes and substantial "cuds", if you've never heard a farm-hand quartet around the old oaken bucket, nor seen simple Uncle Josh cavorting in a palatial New York Mansion, if you don't believe that "ridin" over the New Hampshire Hills is better than a Turkish bath, or if you haven't stamped or clapped at a Virginia Reel in the kitchen of the farm, if you haven't seen and heard and done all the things that Dad and Mother used to sob and laugh over, just visit "The Old Homestead" this week.

The crowd will be "goin" like a mill dam"