Life — December 11, 1884 — page 16: what you’re looking at

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

- LIFE: OF MISTRESSE LUCE: HER EYES. looke at Mistresse Luce, her eyes, And doe admire them moste sincerelye ; Yette whenne she turnes those orbs on me I must confesse my hearte feeles queerlye. Y© skye atte nighte does not afforde Two stars of more entrancying twinkle, And whenne she laughes, arounde theyre sides Appeares a moste bewitchynge wrinkle. But whenne she weepes her teares obscure The love lighte softe withinne them glowynge ; And nowe, as we are soone to wedde, Withe kisses I doe stoppe theyre flowynge. A THEATRE PARTY AT THE STAR. IRVING AS HAMLET—TERRY AS OPHELIA—ASSORTED TALENT AS HORATIO, PoLonius, Etc. IN THE PARTY: DUDE AND DUDELETTE, ANGLO- MANIAC AND ANGLOPHOBIAC, SLEEPY FEMALE AND CYNICAL CRITIC. UDE ; That first act is fine, ain't it ? Dudelette; Awful. Sleepy Female; Wish | had a libretto. Anglomantac : Irving is simply superb, but then he can’t help it. He would be a success in anything. Anglophobiac : Except as a leader of the ballet. Cynical Critic ; Why does he say “ Frail-tea, thy name is woman ?” Ensemble ; Ellen Terry is charming. Dude; Ain't that second act immense ? Dudelette: Awful. Sleepy Female; Why do all these swell people come in late? I didn’t see the stage that act. Anglomaniac : Did you ever see anything to equal it ? Anglophobiac : What? Anglomaniac: That last scene, with the soliloquy, “ What 's Hecuba to him or he to Hecuba ?” Anglophobiac : | neither heard nor saw it. Anglomaniac : What! Anglophobiac: | did not see it because Irving got behind yon post ; and did not hear it because of the entrancing con- versation of yon lady, on her new Worth costume. Cynical Critic : 1 wish Irving would saw off his left leg! Ensemble ; How lovely Terry is ! Dude: Ain't that third act elegant ? marries Ophelia ? Wonder if Ham Dudelette: Then she'd be a Hamlette. Dude ; Te-hee. ” Anglophobiac : \ never saw Irving walk so gracefully. Anglomaniac: As when? Anglophobiac: As in the players’ scene when he walked across the stage on all-fours. Cynical Critic ; Methinks that howl of Hamlet's was very like a wail. Ensemble : Backed like a whee-stle. Dude; Didn't the King look funny in that red ulster? Dudelette: Awful. But I thought the King’s name was Claudius ? Dude : So itis. Dudelette: Then why did Hamlet say to him “ Now might I do it, Pat?” Dude; Te-hee. Anglomaniac: 1 have never seen anything to equal the power that Irving puts in that closet scene. Anglophobiac: \ have. Anglomaniac : Where? Anglophobiac : In the tongue of that woman in the box. Cynical Critic: That's an awful healthy ghost. Ensemble : Terry’s equal as Ophelia does not exist. Dude: (On the way out) How do you like Irving and Terry ? Dudelette: Awful nice. “But I don’t think Hamlet is as good a play as 7-20-8. Aglomaniac: Well, Phoby, what do you think of it? Anglophobiac : Well, Irving's Hamlet is great enough to be a Township, but $3.00 for a two hour tenure of an Qn- comfortable chair in a stuffy theatre is too much, I now think Irving is an actor, and not simply a professor of acting. His Hamlet is one of remarkable power, and shows that behind there is the mind of a scholar. Cynical Critic: I wish Irving would not hold the cup upside down and then drink from it. Sleepy Female; The feller that wrote that play was way behind the times. 1 ‘ve heard three-quarters of those remarks of Hamlet's before. Ensemble: A better performance one rarely sees. Good night. MERICAN prima donnas arecoming to the front. For years little Emma, who is honest but can’t sing, has worked patriotic sympathy. Now we have Nevada, double- laureled by both hemispheres, and a bright promise of great- ness from Alfa Norman, the young and lovely prima donna of the Carleton Opera Co. Of Miss Norman, the San Fran- cisco papers are most enthusiastic in praise. As they are naturally disposed to carp, this argues well. Miss Norman's voice is a pure soprano, charming for its youthful sweetness, its exquisite ¢mbre, its flexibility and rcundness. In most difficult passages she uses it without apparent effort. Unit- ing with this, grace and youth and beauty, together with a dramatic power far above her years and experience, she is fitted for the delight of the lovers of opera, and her metro- politan début, which will occur in the spring, will be an event of more than ordinary interest. comicbooks.colip