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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (June 25, 1898)
TrlE GOUftlBR, 9 JjOllflon Lcltcr. My present news is mainly theatrical, having to deal with two "premieres'" of lirst-class importance. To begin with the- new Savoy opera, "Tho Beauty Ston?" the story is romantic, the music often lovely and the scenery, even for the Savoy; yet one is oppressed by a sense or 'puzz'odcm'' that interferes with complete rnjoyment. One sus pected Gilbertian 'quips and cranks," when none were intended. And Tho Devil was so disconcerting. Ho was not frankly funny; and yet ono saw that ho was meant to bo grotesque. Also the spoken dialogue interfered dreadfully with tho inufic;and the lyrics were very bad verse bathos, in fact. Hut let mo quit grumbling and tell you the story. An old weaver and his wife (Simon and Join), have a deformed daughter named Laine, who, however, is by no means woolly as regards her head (ex cuse the put.!) When the od pair have btinz a very quaint duet', "Click. Clack, the Shutter Flies.' we see the pwr girl bemoaning her lack of beauty. Her prayer, "Dear Mary Mother," in which 6h9 begs for death, is sweet and haunt ing, and was given by Mis3 Ruth Vin cent with charming expression. The Dev.l (Mr. Walter Passmore. disguised as a monk, comes to Laine and per suades her to accept and wear the Beauty Stone, when she is instantly transformed into the loveliert maiden ic Mirlemont. Now Philip. Lord or Mirle ruont, is a lively young noble who, haviDg been to the East, has brought home with him a certain lady, by name Saida, con cerning whose presenca tho author sen tentiously remarks that, the world was "no better in tho beginning of the (if teenth century than it is at the end of the nineteenth " But Philip, when ho sees tho improved condition of Laine, falls madly in lovo with her; whereupon Saida, not unnaturally, becomes jealous, and complications ensue. So disgusted is innocent Laine at tho methods of Philip in wooing, that she again ad dresses the ? adonna in dispraise of tho gift of beauty, and begs her to "lake this thing away, awaj!" (I told you that the lyrics were not iinmoital poe try.) And she throws away the fatal stone. Her father picks it up, becomes young and handsome and enamored of Saida, who leads him on for a while in order to get the stone, thinking thereby to win back Philip. When she gets it, Simon of course, bscomes old again. Saida awaits in triumph Philip's re turn from the war, whither he has been absent during this little ilirtation: but he comts back blind, and her charms are powerless. No sooner does he hear the voice of Laine now onco more a cripple than true love awakens within him; he sends for tho girl and makes her bis betrothed. The Devil resumes possession of tho stone. Among the worthy numbers, besides those mentioned, are Tho Devil's song, "Since it Dwelt in that Rock," which contains a curious imitation of a bell; Saida'ssong and dance, with a quaint eastern chorus; a love duet between Philip and Laine; and a duet, with a danre, between The Devil and Jacque line, a sort of familiar of his, played by Mis" Ermine Owen. Indeed, this latter number was so much like the old Savoy style cf thing, that when His Satanic Majesty and his asile little friend start, ed a "break-down" caper of the orthodox pattern the house burst into applause. This suggested that tho audience would have preferred more of that kind of thing! No doubt the piece will go much bet'er presently, when it has been compressed. As for the cast, it is ex cellent. Pauline Joram makes a splen did Saida, singing and acting like tho artist 6ho is. Walter Passmore is a dryly humorous Devil. Mr. Devoll, as Philip, and Mr. Isham. as Guntran, made successful dobuts. The former has a fine tenor voice, and both sing and act with great verve and effect. 1 think thoy will become favorites here; and I should like to see the last earned in a better part. Everybody was "called," and tho usual ilrst night enthusiasm prevailed; but -it is not safe to predict what the general public will say about Tho Beauty-Stone." A Savoy production being such an event, I hae been obliged to devote a good deai of space to it. therefore I shall deftr my account of "John Oliver Hobbe's" comedy, "The Ambassador," until I shall have seen it again. S brilliant is tho dialogue that a lirst hear ing does not enable ono to pick out all tho "plums" There will be controversy over 'The Amb.83adcr" 1 tied that those who don't like it are uncompromis ing in their hostility, while those who do and here I include our correspondent call it ono of the best bits of writing that the sta-e has tied for a long time. Well, we shall sea what the verdict of the box-oflice will Le. For one thing, the feminine world will go once, at least, to see the frccks. They are simply wonderful; and there are fifteen actress es in the cast. Fay Datis has made p great hit as the heroine. The Hon. Margaret Hennikee, who has just made her debut as a profession al singer, is tho eldest daughter of Lord Henniker, Governor of the Isle of Man. She is a nice girl, with a pure, sweet mezzo-soprano voice, which ha been very well trained. She is, I believe, the first English titled lady to adopt tho musical profession, but she says she only means to sing at private houses, at least for the present. Aer elder brother is the Prince of Wale's godson; and her mother was the sister of the Earl of Desart (the one who was compelled to divorce his wife and afterward married Mr. Bischoffsheim's daughter.) Her aunts are the Hon. Mary Henniker,, of Primrose League fame, and the Hon. Mrs. Henniker, (Lord Crewe's sister), whose clever stories are so well known. There is a good deal of talent in the family. Everyone is sorry for Lady London derry in her anxiety about her younger son, Lord "Reggie," who full name is Charles Stewart Reginald Vano Temp est Stewart, and who is threatened with consumption. He is a nice, bright boy of nineteen. A voyage to tho Cape and a long stay at Cecil Rhode's hill Sani. torium was pronouned the only thing for him; certainly consumptives far ad vanced in the disease have been cured there, so the redoubtable Cecil has taken liiru over and means to look after him. Lady Londonde;ry does not mean her worry to prevent her from doing her social duty, so she will, if she keeps well, give a ball after Ascot, as both her only daughter and joung Viscount Cas tlereagh (who come of age next year) are devoted to dancing. Poor Eric Mackay's death was very sudden. No one knew that he was ill when the news came that he had suc cumbed to acute pneumonia. Marie Corelli is plunged in grief, of course, for tho two were mutually devoted. Eric was forty-set en but looked much younger. He will be best remembered by his " Love Letters of a Violinist", of which 4O.C0O copies have been sold. He thought out all the "Love Letters'" while wa king in tho country lanes. 4 4 4 i i i The CouniKnforsaleatall newsstands ?SOk "1 Mim .Vrarae Rlvett v : ; J-lairdressing, Shampooing, ; : and JlScalD Treatment. 51 Burr Blk !..:,...... Cn,.,.,,..,.,,,! To Close at Once. Fifty Per Gent Off On COST PRICE 0r All Qoods ir Store. k It is to be hoped the club women as sembled in Denver will take spir ited action in regard to rochristening the Spanish tlounce. Remarkable PiR. When the pig is not only a domestic animal, but a family friend, as he ap pears to be in the Marquesas islands, he develops unsuspected cleverness. "In the South Seas," one of Robert Louis Stevenson's last books, give3 many Instances by way of proof. "Many Islanders live with their pigs as we do with our dogs," Mr. Stevenson ob served; "both crowd around the hearth with equal freedom, and the island pig Is a fellow of activity, enterprise and sense. He husks his own cocoanuts and I am told rolls them into the sun to burst; he is the terror of the shepherd. Mro. Stevenson, senior, has seen a pig fleeing to the woods with a lamb in his mouth; and I saw another come rapid lyand erroneously to the conclusion that the Casco was going down, and wim through the fluyh water to the rail in search of an escape. It wa3 told us in childhood that pigs cannot swim; I have known one to leap overboard, swim five hundred yards to shore, and return to the house of his original own ir. I was once, at Tautira. a nlemas- ter on a considerate scale. At first, in my pen. the utmost good feeling pre vailed. A little sow with a bellyache came and appealed to us for help in tho manner of a child; and there was one shapely black boar, whom we called Catholicu.3, for he was a particular present from the Catholics of the vil lage, and who early displayed the marks of courage and friendliness. No other animal, whether dog or pig, was suffered to approach him at his food, and for human beings he showed a full measure of that toa.-'ying fondness, so common In the lower animals, and pos sibly their chief title to the name. One day, on visiting my piggery. I wa3 amazed to see Catholicus draw back from my approach with cries of terror; and if I was amazed at the change. I was truly embarrassed when I learned Its reason. One of the pigs had that morning been killed; Catholicus had seen the murder, he had discovered he was dwelling in the shambles, and from that time his confidence and his delight In life were ended. We still reservec bim a long while, but he could not en sure the sight of any two-legged crea ture, nor could we. under the circuit; -Itance3. encounter his eye without confusion."