New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-03-10
The Debuta,nss..

seribes her debut at the Park Thsatfe, New
York, in Pauline, in the g Lady Of Lyons.
After few whispered words Of encourage
ment, Mr. Mowatt lefs. me to witness the per.
sormance from the front of the house. Somebody
spread my Pauline scarf on the chair beside
me- Somebody else arranged che folds Of my
train symmstrisaHy. Somebody sfDgers gath
cred into their place few stray euris! The
| stage manager gaye the order Of CLEAR the
| STAGE ladies and gentlemen y and beard sound
| the little bell for the raising Of the curtain.
Until that niornenfI do not thfnk pulse in
my frame bad dquickenesi it's beating Isutthen
was seized with y sitting sensation, as though
1 yell cannotW
or course, there was general Confusion. Man
ayers, actors prompter, alITnshed 6nthe stage;
\ some offered water, some scentsbest some
famed me- Everybody seemed prepared to.
witness fainting fit, or an attack q. Mysteries
or something equally ridiculous. / was argu-
4 ing with myself against she absnrditY ~ this
HngoTernable euiesions this hamif1adhg exhi
bitlsn; and making . despera ate endeayar to re
gain my seif-possesseny when Mr. Skerret &
thrust his comic face ever somebody's sheulde
tie iooked at me VIII an expression Of qnzicaI
:. Didn't tell you 50 b Where's sill the eosar-
ages eh I" q,8 rs ,s;4l
/ The words recalled rny boast os the; ;merninp,
Or rather they recalled the rscoliections ubo1
4 which that boast was founded NY cornposure
returned as rapidly as il had departed.
4 laughed at my own weakness taS ~
:. Are you getting better" kindly inqufred
/ ssLet the curtain rise - was the satisfaetorv
/ arE5ver NJ 1ax t-= ss~s EfsTA
MIR: Barry elapped his hands signal for the
4 stage to be yacated--the crowd at once 4disaf-
. pearsd Madame Desahappelles and Pauline
say alone as before The tinkling bells Of warn
flng rang, and the curtains slowly assembled,
disclosing first the foot lights then the ocean of
Il heads beyond them in the pit, then the Brilliant
array OF IN the boxes tier after tier, and
tlnally the thronged galleries. / found those
= foot-lights an Invaluable aid to the necessary
illusion. They formed dazziing barrier. that
separated the spectator from the ideal world in
= | which the actor dvelt. Their glare prevented
theseye from being distracted BY objects with
| out the precincts of that luminous ssrai circle
They were a friendly protection, a warm com
, fort,ans idsalzing auxiliary. y -
81 The de5utante was greeted warmly This
Il was but o matter-of- course eomplimensspai by
New York audience to the daughter Of a well
, | known citizen. "a - s4
sBow! bow" whispered voice from Behind
she scenes and Eobediently bent my head
4 - Bowto your rightly ssid the voice betwean
i the intervals ofappiause. 4 bowed to the right
! Bow to the left Y ! bowed to the left.
/ :. Bow again Y bowed again and again
4 WHiie tll6' NpiSy welcome tasteu.
The play commenced, and with The. first words
| uttered, concentrated my thoughts and tried
4 to forget that had any existence save that Of
:. the scornful. Lady Of Lyons. When we arose
from our seats and,approached the foot lights,
al Mrs. Vernon gave highland reassuring pres.
8 sure. It was a kindness scarcelY needed
p had lost all sensation Of alarm. The play pro.
9 gressed as smoothly as it had co.arneneed In
the third act where Pauline first discovers the
: treachary of Claude, the powers of the actress
0 begin to be tested Every point told, and was
4 | rewarded with an inspiring burst of applause
!. The audience had determined 10 blow into .
if flame the faintest spark of merit.
= f. In the fourth act Ibeeame greatly exhauste a
| with, the unusual excitement. and EXERT an
There seemed a probability that i. would NOT
8 have physical strength enough to enable me ts
{ finish the performance Mrs Vernon has often
II laughingly reminded me how she shook and
T pinehed me when was dying, toail appearance
! tenderly clasped in her arms, She. maintains,
) that. BY these means, she constantly reused me
:, to consciousness. ! am her debtor for the
r friesdly pinches and opportuae shakes
"A In,the fifth act Pauline's emotions are.all Of
calm and abiect grief-<the faint hopeless strug
81 glings.of broken heart, My very sweariness
aided the personation The pallor+ Of excessive
fatigue, the worn-ott look, tottering walk and
= feeble voice, suited Pauline's deep despair The
y audience .attributedte to an'acter's cdnsummata
e skill that which was merely painful ana acc-
to dental reality ~ -
4 Thd play shded--the curtain fell. It W. would
be impossible to describe my sensation Of relief
y as watched that welcome screen Of coarse
+ green baze slowly unrollingitself and dropping
e between the audience and stage. Then came
N the call before the curtain--fhe crossing the
81 stage in front of the ot-ights, Mr. ro- led me
y out The whole house rose, even. the Iadies--a
n compliment seldom paid think 1T srained
2 / haRers, for bouquets, wreaths of silver sand
q wreaths of laurel fell in showers around lus
!. | Cheer followed cheer as they were gathered up
P and Land in my arps. The hats of the gentle
P men and handserchiefs of the ladies waved on
5, every side. l curtesied my thanks, and the
: welcome green, curtain once more shut out the
70 brilliant assamblage. Then came, the deeper
le truer sense of thankfulness. The trial was
Z; over; the debutante had stood the test she had
:. not mistaken the career which had been clearly
Is pointed out as the one for which she was des-
!, tined. =. zs-s 4rs
= THE OLDEST HorEL N frrHEi UNrrED STATES.
10 friend of ours from Old Virginia5y says the
e Galveston News, who not long since stopped at
: the Swan Tayerns in Yorktown, has handed Us
n the following card, which he discovered pasted
ol up in that house, and which he says Is strictly
= true in every particular. We understand that
s Mr.. Andersonis a descendant of the original
+ owner, who fourished as ssmine host in the
Il same old brick building 130 years ago, OF near
2oyears before It witnessed the capture Of; Lord
e CORVALLIS - - p n e ss7 81
y s.r s SWAN TAVERN. lr YORKTOWN Sstseh
This ancient building was opened sas a house
Of entertainment on the 18th of March, l7a2
u and is now in its 1S0th year, being. the senio,
I establishments Of the kind in the United States
!. 1t now receives and accommodates travellers on
the following termss n e. ~ ss#s4t.8 rs
= Visitors must state their names and iresiden-
: ees, and be prepared to pay their fare in specie
7 change, without regard to age, at the following
!, rates: breakfast, dinner and supper, each 80
: cents: lodging. IS cents; meals for servants,
y % cents; weekly board; 50 monthly board
y 81 per day; horses Is cents a night and single
feed 25 cents. Plain drinks at the bar, 64cents