Life — May 28, 1891 — page 15: what you’re looking at

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

IN A BIRD STORE. Prospective Purchaser: MAT A THOUGHTFUL LOOKING PARROT! POLLY WANT A CRACKER ? The Parrot (late of Boston): 1 AM AWARE, MY DEAR MADAM, THAT THERE EXISTS AN ALMOST UNIVERSAL BUT ERRONEOUS BELIEF THAT ALL PARROTS MANIFEST A PREDILECTION FOR CRACKERS. THIS HYPOTHESIS WOULD BE AMUSING WERE IT NOT FOR THE INTIMA- TION IT AFFORDS OF THE PATHETIC PAUCITY OF DIETETIC KNOWLEDGE UPON THE PART OF THE MASSES. MAY [ AWSK IF YOU ARE AWARE THAT THERE IS MORE NUTRIMENT AND INSPIRATION IN A SINGLE PLATE OF BEANS THAN IN THREE SCORE AND TEN CRACKERS? A THOROUGH APPRECIATION OF BROWNING WILL NEVER FOLLOW A REGIMEN OF CRACKERS, BUT WHAT IS THE MATTER, MAY [ AWSK? YOU MANIFEST CONSIDERABLE PERTURBATION, illogical, mercurial young person, who, if he wins women at all, must do it by virtue of his very babyishness or through some mystic personal magnetism which is care- fully concealed from the audience. The impersonation entirely lacks the virility we are apt to connect with a gentleman of Mr. Juan’s reputation. So much for Mr, Mansfield’s conception of the part. The play he has built about it is a peculiar mix-up of middle-age romance and modern sentiments which in spots “THE LIGHT THAT FAILED.” seem most incongruous. Some of the lines are witty, some are in bad taste— particularly those that voice Mr. Mans- field's personal opinions on the contem- porary drama—and the situations are, many of them, at variance with possi- bility. But the whole performance carrie: with it the interest that attaches to originality. It is out of the ruts and shows educated thought, two things to be desired as matters dramatic going nowadays. The mounting is excellent and the support good. Mr. Furguson’s Leper- ello, Don Juan's amusing body servant, is very well done, and Miss Cameron supplies to the character of Lucia quite enough purity and sweetness to contrast Don Juan's deviltry. Metcalfe. are “T° HERE seems to be a question, but only in political circles, as to whether New York streets are clean. Those whose duty it is to clean them seem to feel that perfection is now attained in that particular. Pedestrians, however, who splatter about on their surface, hold a different opinion. But why should a New Yorker com- plain ? When a man is born weaved and brought up in filth it scems very much like putting on airs for him to com- plain because his surroundings are not clean. NSTEAD of catching the Itata, the Charleston caught a“ Ta ta! comicbooks.com