Life — September 27, 1883 — page 14: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

156 this comedy was n't brought out fifty years ago.” Asa matter of fact, the spectator ‘‘ would rather walk home than not” after the first act of M. Quad’s play. These plays are the most remarkable productions of the pre- liminary season, though a modest word of praise might fairly be ritten for Mr. Boker’s tragic drama “ Francesca da Rimini,” in which Mr. Barrett howls vigorously at the Star Theatre. Our ancient goddess of kicks and winks, Marie Aimée is trying hard-to sing in “La Princesse des Canaries "" at the Fifth Avenue Theatre. There is a vast amount of humor in one of Aimée’s winks, thought that lively French woman was classed some years ago with the pyramids and the Shapira manuscripts. It is useful, nevertheless, to have a reputation behind one. “* La Princesse des Canaries” is a respectable opéra-bouffe, and it is also said to be inoffensive. ‘The virgin innocence of it is revealed in the opening scene where Pédrille sings : “Ici, plus d’une grande dame Donne ses rendezvous d'amour, Et vient y couronner la flamme De quelque galant de la coeur.” By and by, Mademoiselle Pepita comes on and declares in choice Parisienne : ++ Clest pas que j' fuis d’la pose, Mais maman me I'a dit : Il faut garder qué’qu’ chose Pour son futur mari.” What could be more chastely innocent than that? But is not this bad teaching in an opéra-bouffe? The libretto of ‘* La Princesse des Canaries” is rather slow and obscure, and would, perhaps, be more spirited if it were less moral. Mademoiselle Angéle, who has returned to us with Aimée, has a handsome form, a not very pretty face, and a voice which one can hear without strain. She is a much cleverer woman than she was four years ago. But her physiognomy is distressing when she opens her mouth to sing. Aimée shines, as it were, in the portly shadow of Angéle. Miss Morris has been writhing in ‘*Camille” at the Third Avenue Theatre, Yet it is worth one's while to weep over Miss Morris, who happens to be a woman of genius. But ‘* Camille”! -—save us from this scourge. Let us rather turn to the frisky Wyndham Company and ‘* Pink Dominos,” at the Union Square Theatre, ‘* The Merry Duchess,” at theStandard Theatre, is full of John Bull—yet a tolerably good comic opera. We are wai ing now to see Miss Davenport in ‘* Fedora” and Henry Irving in “ The Bells.” Miss Davenport will be a wholesome Fidora. Mr. Irving has been introduced to you. He is a famous actor who makes strange grimaces, utters green English, and is called “ genius” by some and ‘charlatan” by others. Of course, we shall know all about it. Meanwhile, we have Mr. Barrett, and we have, too, the iHustrious Tom Keene, and we have Harrigan and the Mulligan Guards, Then thereis ‘* Prince Mathusalem ” at the Casino, and the delicious wit of its choice song : ** Of all the silly rotlet In this or time gone by, The dudelet is the dotlet, The dotlet on the i. VIXEN. “A sTUCK-UP cuss "—the man in the moon. “ Bur yet a woman "—Dr. Mary Walker. “ § COMMON cross "—his X mark. ‘THe worse for ware—a careless servant. Our of sight, out of “mind a disobedient child. -LIFE- RENDER VNTO SCISSORS THOSE THIHGS WHICH ARE SCISSORS - SUMP Te THE TOMANS TY 0.44, TO A COW. HY, cow, how canst thou be so satisfied ! So well content with all things here below, So unobtrusive and so sleepy-eyed, So meck, so lazy, and so awful slow ! Dost thou not know that everything is mixed— That naught is as it should be on this earth, That grievously the world needs to be fixed— That nothing we can give has any worth, That times are hard, that life is full of care, Of sin and troubles and untowardness, That love is folly, friendship but a snare? Prit ! cow, this is no time for laziness ! The cud thou chewest is not what it seems ! Get up and moo ! Tear round and quit thy dreams ! Exhumed from the Sun of 1871. Youn ladies should not forget that Goliath died from the effects of a bang on his forehead.—New York Commercial Advertiser. “1 'm disgusted with everything and everybody,” exclaimed Brown, peevishly, Wherever I go there is fraud."—Boston Transcript. So many young woman are being abducted from St. Louis and other Southern towns that a tide of female emigration to those parts is antici- pated.—Oi! City Blizzard, “Why don't i, ask a blessing ?" said the boarding house keeper to the boarder. He looked all over the table, and gloomily answered : “1 'd like to know what for ?""—AMerchant Traveler, “Tam speaking,” said a long-winded orator, ‘‘for the benefit of rity.” ** Yes,” said one of his hearers, and if you keep on much longer your audience will be here."—Congressionat Record. Ox July 13th the school teachers of the state had a picnic at Glen Qnoko. if while there they learned that Mauch Chunk is pronounced “Mock Chunk” and not “Much Chunk,” the picnic has not been in vain.—Philadelphia News. ‘THE New York Sun's boom for Holman seems to have died a-bornin’. Holman gets smaller and smaller the more we look at him. There isn't enough of him to put away in alcohol to keep through the heat of a presidential campaign. —S¢, Paul Dispatch. A Humorist was once Called into the Presence of the Managing Editor and Solemnly Reproved for the Dullness of his Wit. ‘* Your jokes,” quoth the Editor, ‘* are so Bad that 1 am Daily Compelled to Print them in that Nondescript department entitled ‘ Pearls of ‘Thought.'"—Denver Tribune, “No, Joseph, the Steam Heating Company was not formed for the purpose of heating steam, Steam is heated before it is made—that is to say, when you heat the. steam—no, when you make the steam—no —well, confound you, don't you know that steam is hot, anyway, and does n't have to be heated by a company ?"—Scientific American. Tue Princess Louise has given a picture of her own painting to the Dominion National Gallery as a memento of her residence in Canada. On account of the high social position occupied by the lady, the man- agement of the gallery has concluded not to ask her whether the picture is intended to represent the ‘* Death of Cromwell ” or ** Sunset at Sea.” ‘They will call it ** A Study,” and let it go at that.—Norristown Herald. “AH! good morning. Going to church to morrow?” ‘Church ! Oh, yes; 1 guess so. Who holds forth?” ‘Oh, let's see. Miss Crescendo is to sing an aria, Miss Pianissimo will warble a bit, Bravura he is to hum on the tenor side and old Andante will come in somewhere on the chorus. It will be way up.” ‘But who preaches?” “That makes no difference. Some fellow who will touch up our transgressions mighty light."—Not from the New York Observer.