Puck — October 17, 1877 — page 11: what you’re looking at

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

PUCK. g DRAMATIC NOTES. Aywa Dickinson is—sh-h-h! “ Srruck Oi.” is not doing at oil-well. Lypia ‘THompPson has gone to Philadelphia. Philadelphia appears resigned. Kate Cxaxton is to shoot the “Two Or- phans,” and bloom out in a new play. Bootn and “ Our Boarding-House” are di- viding the attention of art-loving St. Louis. Later in the season at the Broadway, Mr. Duff will make a break for the “ Bottom of the Sea.” Ir is stated that Miss Bessie Darling created a furore in Richmond. Our columns are open to Richmond if it wants to exculpate itself. “THe Danites” have struck Boston, and Beans gets up on her critical ear, and prepares to give a lofty encouragement to the native drama. ‘Tue dramatic editor of the Chicago 7ribune says that Laura Don has “no sentiment in her composition.” She has been playing a month in Chicago.— Arcadian. Mr. STEPHEN Fiske opened his season at the Fifth Avenue on Monday. We shall watch the managerial career of this promising young man with the greatest interest. LANCASTER AND Macnus will soon produce a new play called “The Silent Partner” at the Chestnut St. Theatre, Philadelphia. The Amer- ican drama is booming right along. A STeLLar phenomenon of histrionic aspira- tions has arisen in Missouri. Her name is Margaret Blanche Folio. No doubt she is bound to succeed.—Harvier in Bulgarian Ex- change. BRANSCOMBE THE BEAauTiFUL is to star in a play written by Mr. Chas. F. Pidgin, of Boston, who is a very clever and cultured writer. ‘These qualifications, however, were not needed in this particular task. Arter Aimée’s engagement at the Broadway, Louis Vider's “*Gotham” will - probably be brought out. This is well. This is encourag- ing. Weare going to havean American drama, if it takesall the Frenchmen on earth to write it. Burrato Hitt, the dramatic Joaquin Miller, leaves the Eagle this week. ‘‘ Allatoona,” a military spectacle, is to succeed. The word “succeed " is used in a technical sense when speaking of the performances at Hart's The- atre, Messrs, SHOOK AND PALMER have purchased the Grand Central Theatre, Philadelphia. Messrs. Shook and Palmer have not purchased the Grand Central Theatre, Philadelphia. Puck WaALLack has under consideration Lord Lyt- ton’s posthumous play, “The House of Darn- ley.” It may be chosen to succeed “ Marriage.” There is one fatal objection to the piece, how- ever. Its author is not on hand to stir up the critics. Miss Mary ANDERSON made a success in Philadelphia this week, and is now making an- other in Boston. A strange and almost incred- ible, yet well-authenticated rumor comes to us that the young lady, although a phenomenon, and “ young, beautiful and accomplished” in- to the bargain, isa good actress. It is asserted, on good authority, that she knows how to act. This is the best report ever given of a phenom- enon, Back started that stern parent in terror and rise, and first did doubt, and then did rub, and then adjure his eyes. Then, when con- vinced that of error his vision had no taint, to himself he whispered softly, ‘ Bulldoze me, if it Aint!” Then he adjusted his glasses and peered with anxious phiz, and muttered with growing anger, “ Bulldoze me, but it Is!” Then again, he looked from the lattice, like the mother of Siserar, and said in indignation, “‘Bulldoze me, but they are!” On the pane than he rapped loudly, but of that they seemed not ‘ware, and he angrily cried, ‘ Bulldoze me, if they appear to care!"” He rose up in his anger, because of that } public kiss, and he said in*his passion, “ Bull- doze me, but I'll put a stop to this.” To the front door he hastened, with pious horror shocked, but he found the front door fastened, he found the front door locked. ‘ll execute a flank movement,” said he, with a bitter sneer, “outflank him all, and heavily fall on his un- guarded rear.” Then by the basement en- trance he sought the outer air, and halted in amazement—for nobody was there! Just then the front door opened, and his child appeared thereat, saying, “Why are you out, dear pa, without your boots, and coat, and hat?” He bounded up the doorsteps, wrathful was he I ween, and in passion cried, ‘ Maria, what’n thunder do you mean? With the weather as cold as Greenland, all in the public view, at that gate why stay with your fiancé to spoon, and Si, and coo?” O woman, at all hours with ease thine is the ift to lie! Nor shame nor terror wring her row as she calmly makes reply: ‘O father, of your daughter do you thus unjustly think? Can you think that I—O, father, why dear pa, why will you drink ? Eugene is in far Poughkeepsie; I've been asleep up-stairs, and we sent the gate to the tinsmith’s this morning for repairs.” He gazed upon her daugiter, all radiant in her youth, and felt that on her broad fair brow was set the seal of truth. Like one in a dream that walketh, to the gateway did he fare; he felt about the gateposts, but no gate was hanging there. Nor gate, nor girl, nor lover found he upon the spot, and asin a dream he murmured, “Bulldoze me, but I thought--!"" Then into the house returned he, in wonder and in doubt. “Is it an édola spectrum, such as Bacon speaksabout? Was it all fancy that billing and cooing I see again? that gate of the mind, proceeding from the rum-oppressed brain?” Then he called aloud, ‘‘ Maria, unto thy father come, and see him swear (like Hannibal) eter- nal hate to rum, to brandy, gin, wine, whiskey, to weiss and lager beers;” and she fell on his neck, exclaiming, “Excuse these happy tears!” And the prodigal father softly to himself he whispered then: “ Bulldoze me, but I thought I —I thought I had 'em again.” Meanwhile around the corner, like Samson, bearing a gate, to a dubious patrolman the lover attempts to demonstrate that for a high moral purpose he took that gate away, and not in the way of larceny, nor a practical joke to lay.” Ee G. T. L. THE Union Square will scarcely be able to bring out “ Mother and Child” on the 22d, the date fixed; but preparations are being pushed forward vigorously, The cast, as far as determined at present, is, (with the new names): Séraphine Yvonne, (El Agathe, (Diane)... ‘The Baron, (Marquis) Montignac, (Lepont). Robert, (Florian) Chapelard, (Gourmet Plantrose, (Dumont) Sulpice, (Abelard)... Mmes. Wells, Sylvester and Norwood, and Messrs. Daly and Wilder are also to be in the part. Miss Rogers's Seraphine will probably make the hit of the piece, but it will be an Yvonne chance between her and her daughter. FILIAL DEVOTION AND D. T. MERRIE LAY OF HOW A FAIR DAUGHTER RECLAIMED HER INEBRIATE PA. (Boucicaulted from the N.Y. World.) *RTAWAS the father of a lovely and an ac- complished daughter, whom he loved <* better than his life, much better than cold water. His solitary failing was brimming of the cup, crooking the little finger, turning the elbow up. And his accomplished daughter, early she wept and late, to see him drink of the cup which blears and doth inebriate. So at last, with her lover’s counsel, she hath hit upon a plan to dash the cup—or, as he said, put up a job on the old man. It fell about the lovely close of a cool October day, that the father in the parlor was sitting en negligé. He did not drink from a bottle as Arthur's heroes have done, though he’d reached the hopeless period and preferred to drink alone. Like serpents in a museum preserved in alcohol, the snakes in his gray brain matter they ’gan to wake and crawl; then with earth- quakes in their pockets pursued pink Dead Sea apes, and sky-blue_boa-constrictors writhed in fantastic shapes. Thus doubtful, thus suspi- cious, on the threshold of d. t., he looked from the parlor-window and saw—what did he see? Now his accomplished daughter was modest as a saint, as a violet 'neath a mossy stone, or as most women aint. When she entertained her lover, that angel, unawares of courtship’s ways, turned no gas down, they occupied two chairs. And as for osculation — of such a thing to speak, as Podsnap says, it brought a blush to that young person’s cheek. Conceive the stupe- faction of the sire inebriate when he saw his modest daughter and her lover at the gate; aye, they were billing and cooing, as loving as a group of turtles I ween, of the kind, I mean, you don’t make into soup. Aye, they were billing and cooing, as he never thought she is going to get this thing right, one way or an- other. would, in the wan day’s eye—for sunset was nigh—and that of the neighborhood. “ BrinG on your witnesses,” said the judge in a Western murder trial. Clerk (looking up and whispering to judge): ‘‘There is a little game of pedro going on in the other room,” “Sancho or plain?” Clerk: “Sancho.” ge: “This court is adjourned for an hour.” Inidentified Exchange. In the opinion of the Graphic most women who read “ Daniel Deronda” reserve their ad- miration for it till they can settle in their minds whether or not George Eliot is legally married.