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4172 THE SOLDIER'S RETURN
A bit of real life. There is no suggestion of acting in the picture, and the setting is perfectly natural. In four scenes. Scene one, shows a portion of a row of poor cottages — one occupied, another empty. Soldier walks in with his kit bag on his shoulder, tries the door, peeps in the window, looks up to the top window — the cottage is evidently deserted; a woman comes out of tinnext cottage and says something to him -no doubt with reference to the late occupant, which appears to upset the soldier a good deal; a blacksmith walks up, claims acquaintance, and is warmly greeted ; the soldier hands his bag to the woman next door to look after, and walks away.
Next scene shows the outside of workhouse; soldier enters, presents a paper to the gate porter, who looks at it and points out the direction in which he is to go.
The next scene shows the door of the women's ward ; soldier walks in knocks at the door, which is opened by a nurse who looks at his paper and goes in again, soldier waiting outside; after a short interval an old lady in workhouse garb appears, evidently the mother of the soldier, as they warmly embrace — a pathetic picture, true to life. The soldier indicates that he has come to fetch her home, and motions to her to go and change her clothes ; he helps her up the steps, and walks to and fro while the old lady is dressing. After a short time she conies out again dressed ill her own clothes — the soldier takes her arm and walks away with her ; they only get a few steps, however, before they are called back by the other old inmates, who have followed the old lady, to shake hands, congratulate her and wish her good-bye.
Another short scene shows them walking out of the gate. The last scene shows the outside of the cottages again — but what a change! The windows cleaned, clean curtains up, flowers in the window, a bird in a cage hanging up by the door; the old woman sitting by the door sewing, while her son in his shirt sleeves is planting some flowers in the little slip of garden in front — lie stops to light his pipe, and asks if that will do ; the old lady nods approval, and he resumes his work. He looks up again later and says something to her, then goes into the cottage and brings out a cup of tea and hands it to his mother : and the picture closes just as she is drinking the tea.
Length 185 feet.
4175 ... A WORKMAN'S PARADISE.
A puzzling picture. Scene: Buildings in course ot erection : workman slouces in and beckons the hod which glides in without his help ; he points out where it is to stop, calls the bricks, which are seen to sort themselves out, and jump up into the hod ; the workman walks off, the hod following; the scene then changes, and shows the bricklayer on the scaffold ; the labourer, by some mysterious agency, comes up head first and lands on the platform, the hod