The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-11-27
Rachel in Petersburg.

Our friend of the Petersburg Express hath more
than half a column of eyultaton over the extraor
binary fact that Petersburg is the only point in Vr
ginia at which Mademoiselle Ra-shell viii stop
BLESS u.s." he exclaims, what will big Richmond
saw" He represents the West end of our town as
in a state bordering distraction over this mystic
rious dispensation The young ladies, particularly,
are said to be nearly heartbroken over the lost Ia
Dor of their late readings of Racine and Corneille;
and the editors who we are told, have been brush
ing up their French lately, are in positive despair
Our contemporary is so kind, however as to invite
us all over there what says the editor of the
Dispatchl" he exclaims. Why we don't know what
to say. We are bewildered in maze of astonsh-
ment. We have absolutely forgotten our French
in the stunning effects of this great surprise If the
Petersburg Express, which appears to speak the
language of Rachel with the facility of its mother
tongue, will send us the French for "d-n it." we
will those words at once as expressing with
great precision our present sentiments.
We had hoped to see Rachel, with q hope the
most intense. We had been living ON that expec-
tation for six weeks 1t had been meat drink and
lodging to us during that period of time We had
seen Fanny kemble, and other eminent actresses
in our day; but they spoke own insipid tongue
and we could understand every word they said.
without the slightest difficulty. But Ra-shell the
sublime, mysterious, and incomprehensble that
was dramatic luxury as far above the inspiditv
of kemble's English, as the spangled sky above
the vulgar earth. The uneducated and unrefined
may pretend that it detracts from the effect of a
play when the audience can't understand a word
that's uttered; but this is pebeian error The less
You know about Rashell, the more likely Won arc
to admire heri The great poet of England has told
us that there are tongues in stones and brooks and
leaves OF trees, and they each and all speak with
eloquent language to the heart The thunder
storm docs not speak in our vernacular neyertbe
less It's cleaning light and majestic voice convoy .
sense OF power and sublmity, to which words could
add no force And so it is, no doubt with this
mighty French trdgedienne, whom we have bean
waiting to see tighten and thunder across our
stage; but presto, she has slipped through orr fin.
gers, given US French leave, and is HANGING in
dark cloud over Petersburg
AS for envyng Petersburg its good for,rra
heaven forbid 1t is noble, hospitable rofnod
Virginia town, and no sort of good luck can b,n
pen 10 H. that VIII not gladden. our hearts Az 70
accepting the invitation of the Express IN v;S, ~
tersourg upon this melancholy occasion w. ch.u
take ume to consider. If we ascertain thu, e.
selection OF Petersburg by Madame Rachel ,voo
not an intentional insult to big Richmond" (Which
Is certainly nearer the size of Paris than anv other
city In VirginiaD we shall undoubtedly attend -
we cannot promise, however, to bring orr .1,rro
"hite cambria handkerchief" having mt our
Whoie assortment hors dn combat, Gs that eo,r;ro
freheho since we heard that the pure and cb,sto
ehuigenee OF Rachel would not ilum;ro,o -
stage. we have, however, red band,u, ;e e..
VIII answer, wberewith we will proceed 70 De-
burg, assuming for the nonce the guise oe !, d.,
Republican, and call upon Rachel for ,bc A.
seltaise. MAJ
r. o.-since writing the above, we have como 70
'le conclusion that Rachel could not obtain su;,.
abe place Of exhibition in Riehmond-tho tbe,,ra
~na other places of amusement being all pre.oc,
49, we also hear that she is very in in pills.
ueiphla' and win not come South at an WIN ~.
sympathy Ise1 How the assurances of our profound
Alas, vain world ulah anticipationsl