Life — May 13, 1897 — page 12: what you’re looking at

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

400 HUMAN NATURE. HE man who loves my friend is not Particularly dear to me, My heart reserves its warmest spot For him, that hates mine enemy. P. Leonard, an PIKKRS THE ACTORS THAT BLOOM IN THE SPRING, HE _ natural horrors of early spring in New York are dire enough. A kalei- doscopic climate with rapid shifts from swelter- ing humidity to bone-freez- ing winds, from dust- stormstopitch- like mud, from grip to pneu- monia, is suffi- cient to rack the strongest constitution. To these must now be added the terrors of the barn-storming star with ambitions to try the piece on the metropolitan dog. Atthis time of year there are plenty of unoccupied theatres where this canine experiment can be made. New York has never accorded to Miss Fanny Rice that recognition as a star to which she evidently thinks she is en- tied. Nevertheless she keeps on de- manding it with a perseverance which must be almost as expensive as it is mis- directed. When she was at the Casino, in the palmy days of that theatre, she had a pretty voice and a plump figure. To-day the voice is not so pretty and the figure is more than plump. To these should be added a roguish eye or two, and a rippling, gurgling laugh, which ripples and gurgles constantly. Alto- gether these seem to make a very in- sufficient equipment fora star, but with them Miss Rice does not hesitate to make what looks very much like a bluff. > LIFE: The vehicle for her attractions is what the programme calls ‘A Musical Farci- cal Trifle,” than which no other descrip- tion could be more exact, if only the words “musical” and “farcical” were left out. It is called ‘‘ At the French Ball," and teaches the highly moral lesson that there is no place like home, by the exhibition of ladies in short skirts and long stockings. The intent of this method of teaching may be most praise- worthy, but experience has led sociolo- gists to believe that it is not always convincing. The piece is adapted from the German, and it is doubtless to this source that its one or two good features are due. Its characters are of home make and were evidently arranged to capture the interest of rural audiences, with whom the negro servant and whis- kered English duke are presumably always subjects of amusement. Spring has its terrors, but summer is not far off. * « * Lt trusts that the gentlewomen who have made it a rule to remove their headgear at the theatre during the past season will not be discouraged be- cause there yet remain others who do not give this evidence of good-breeding. It has certainly become a more general practice, and largely through force of example. At a recent performance at one of the Broadway theatres there were very few women in the entire house who kept their hats on. Just before it was time for the curtain to rise there entered two representatives of the more pro- nounced element. Above their very pink cheeks and very peroxide hair towered two enormous creations of plumes, rib- bons and rhine-stones. These confec- tions were evidently meant to be seen. The curtain was late in going up and their owners had time to look about the house. It is almost incredible, but the sight of all the other women hatless seemed to have a moral effect, and these two persons, who only a little while ago would have gloried in inconveniencing their neighbors, actually removed their hats. They came very near securing a round of applause. Metcalfe. A SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE. €€ DOOR Mrs. Jaysmith!” exclaim- ed Mrs. Gargoyle. ‘‘Her hus- band must treat her shamefully.” “What makes you say that?” asked Mrs. Gummey. ‘‘She never complains,” “T know it. me suspicious.” That is what makes EVER LAID UP.—The hen’s THE CONGO AMATEUR DRAMATIC CLUB. Ophelia: WERE'S ROSE MERRY FOR You.