I
THE COURIER
COMING ATTRACTIONS.
f
i$Jk$i$ i mJziZZ 5rP-
The Pleasant Hour club will give its next dancing party Decem
ber 23. Tho club has engaged Irvino's orchestra.
Those interested in tho charity concort to bo given Tuesday even
ing at tho Lansing theatre aro determined that it shall bo a swell
society event, and they have labored to that end with good results.
In the parquet and dress circle the audience will bo in evening
dress, and tho ladies will appear without their bonnets.
Mr. Mehrenstecker returned from Quincy Saturday. Latest ad
vices from Quincy are to the effect that Miss Kespohl is improving.
The Cotillon club will give a dance during tho holidays.
The book club signalized the end of its first year by an auction at
the residence of Mrs. Rogers, the proceeds of the sale going to the
fund for the purchase of new books for this season. Some of tho
books brought almost the retail price.
At a meeting of the federated women's club in Omaha Tuesday,
Mrs. J. H. Canfield. of this city was elected president; Mrs. Ella W.
Peattie. of Omaha, vice-president; Mrs. S. C.Langworthy, secretary;
treasurer, Mrs. J. W. Dawes, of Crete; auditor, Mrs. L. M. Woodford,
of Weeping Water.
Lieut, and Mrs. Townloy will give a dancing party at the Lansing
hall Wednesday. November 19.
The annual gertuan of the Patriarchs will be given Now Year's
eve at the Lansing hall. Elaborate preparations are being made for
this event, and it promises to be even 'more of a success than tho one
given last year, which is so delightfully remembered.
The Marshall Robinson wedding, as previously announced, will
occur at high noon Wednesday in Holy Trinity church.
AFTER THE THEATRE.
Comedy, tragedy, all is over,
As the dying music now breathes is last.
Tho clown's dull jests, tho vows of the lover;
For another night into night has passed,
Out with the lights ! 'Tis finished the g'ory
Of painted gardens and tinsel halls.
Clap your hands ! "Tis the end of the story;
The play is over, the curtain falls.
Tragedy, comedy, still you have them
Here in the streets as vouloiter home;
Many a snatch, if you earjto save them,
Of life's rude farce to'your ears will come;
And the fitful music siill rings around you;
From palace windows and tavern walls.
Till all is forgotten, and sleep has found you;
The play is over, the curtain falls.
4
Comedy, tragedy, all the world over,
Day and night if you will but look,
Passionate pages of life discover,
Strange as are written in any book.
Love them, laugh at them, weep for them' sing for them,
Sooner or later the life shows palls;
Death makes an end of the joys they bring with them;
The play is ov ,t, the curtain falls.
"In Old Kentucky" will bo seen at tho Lansing theatre, December
10. Tho first act discloses Madge Brierly's cottage in the Kentucky
mountains. You see tho cottago among the trees in a wild-looking
part of the mountains, tho residence of Ma 'go, who secures her own
protection from the outer world by a drawbridgo over a yawning
chasm. It is here that the hero. Frank Lason, is nearly shot by a
jealous rival, here where the rivals for Madge's love endeavor to
throw each other over the precipice, and hero where an attempt is
mado to blow Frank up with dynamite Madgo saves him by fear
lessly swinging across tho gulf by means of a ropo when the draw
bridge fails her, and throwing tho bomb into tho chasm. There is a
thrilling spectacle as the explosion shatters the walls of tho gorge
and tears up tho ground. In tho third act there aro tlvo scenes, the
principal being tho interior and exterior of the paddock on Lexing
ton race course. Tho hero will bo ruined unless 'Queen Hess' wins
the Ashland Oaks, and, as tho jockey is drun", Madgo, a clever
horse woman, dons full jockey costume. She seems somewhat
ashamed to appear in boy's clothing, but to save her lover Bhe rides
tho maro to victory. This sceno is full of excitement, especially
when the thoroughbreds are observed in the race, and 'Queen Bess
carries tho plucky heroino first past tho post. The cheers of the
crowd aro emphasized by tho applauso of the audience. Tho sceno
is splendidly worked, and tho various incidents aro watched with
vivid interest. The play abounds in excellent comedy and is won
derfully brisk in action. Tho pickaninny band is retained as a
feature of "In Old Kentucky."
Until Oscar Wilde acheived fame and comparative fortune with
"Lady Windermere's Fan,'' tho wits of tho London press were quite
content to treat him with good-natured toleration. With his ad
vent as a questionable success, ho had to better tho shafts that may
always bo expected with success, Burnard, the editor of Punch
and an unsuccessful playwright, was among thoso who did not quito
enjoy Wilde's sudden rise to prosperity. Ho attended a dinner given
by Wilde's manager, in honor of the 100th night of "Lady Winder
mere's Fan." but his congratulations were too acid to be quite pleas
ant, and led to a delightful retort from Wilde. The convenmtion
was turned upon tho epigrams with which Mr. Wilde's play is so
thickly sprinkled. "After all,'" said Burnard, "there's nothing in
them, but they sound as if they meant a great deal. Every week I
get a score just as good as yours down at the office of Pnnch and
they all go in the waste basket. "Ah," drawled Wilde, "that ex
plains why Punch if so infinitely dull." "Lady Windermere's Fan"
was first written in shape of a novel. Oscar Wildo was so disheart
ened, however, with the small returns that the publishers made him
for his last story that he refused to let "The Fan'" appear in book
sliHpo bi-causo, ho said, "If 'Lady Windermere's Fan' fails as a novel
it will have no chance as a play, for no manager would try it." A
successful bok is sometimes dramatized with success but a poor
one never." Wilde's incentive to make a play of his manuscript was
the success of some pretty poor trath he happened ts see in ono of
the London play house '. "Lady Windermere's Fan" will be pre
sented at the Lansing, Monday, Dec. 17th.
THE COLONEL "IN OLD KENTUCKY.'