The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-10-08
Chests OH the Stage.

Chests on the stage.
Among the recent novelties in producing efiec-
tive situations on the Partisan stage, is the
placing of a gtUst. OF what appears To be Il
phantom IN all tire characteristics attributed IL
such supernatural matters. This has recently
been introduced L, the New York public at Wal
lacks Theatre, iH a play called True 10 the
Last 10y Mr.. and Mrs. III. Watkins, American
actors r. Gently from London. The New York
World of August eth, devotes a column to his
ghusIship. from winch we extract tile following
The play If itself il Of Il very interesting and
intense character. The synoIais of the first and
second acts abIunds in exclamation points. There
are fatal prDpIesies and terrible predictions by
an astrpIoger. Honora Paul (Mrs. Watkins)
and IA young student by the sonOrous name of
Godfrey FarguIrer Dulanie (Mr. WatkinS) love
each other The student is TrOr but has a mi
serlv uncle named Hugh F%arghirer (Ar. L. j.
Hiud) An a>tTDloger makes fur predictions in
reference To Godfrey that NE shall experience a
great Iuss; that he shall obtain immense wealth
that he shall marry that the scaf'ld shall seIa-
rate him afH his wife ON their wedding day.
The miser becomes estrangrd from Godfrey in
favor of IL young doctor by the euphOnious name
of Henry Eaws Mr.. III. F. paly). Thus the
fret prediction il fulfilled. TE. doctor murders
the mi~cr, thinking that his witl ~ made, but no
will being found Godfrey become the possessor
OF his fortune. The second Isediction lie thus
realized. Godfrey is then maeried to the girl
he loves. fulfilling the third Prediction and in
the evening II arrested at the Instance ut the doc
tor, ON the charge of numbering his uncle. He
is convicted of murder, and the curtain falls on
an affecting scene between him and his wife.
The lights in the theatre are turned of. There
is u long interval filled with music, to give the
ghost time To get himself up in good shape The
people whisper, He's coming now" The
curtain rises In the third act ON the study of the
guilty doctor. He has been trying to sleep, and
is sUIiluquizing in n dismal manner, as murderers
do. The study is toIerably well lighted lie
sits down In an arm chair, and suddenly close
beside him there flashes before him the white,
gIunt form Of q skeleton. liz IL very plain 10 see.
10 holds an arrow III is hand and moves 1t. 1t
is not very formidable Or awful, however, and
not calculated utterly 10
"Harrow up the soui, freeze the blood,
Make our two eyes Lac stars start hom their spheFss'
And each particular hair stand on end:
Like quilts uion the fr-tfll poreupine-"
The doctor sees il and starts back appalled,,
when it disappears. The next ghost appears in
u different place, and is larger and better defined.
1t might be Il white statue, II IS SD a lpable. 1t
represents 4 young woman, who by the doctors
influence, testified 80 as 10 convict Godfrey. The
guilty man rushes headlong at this phantom to
convince nj. self that it is real, but PASSES through
IL as il were and disappears. lie tas>es on to sit
In the chair, when u his horror the form OF the
murdered man appears in 1t. He tries to put his
hand upon the spectre, whGn, behold II isn't
there. Next the young woman appears. Now
she walks and speaks as she walks. moving her
lips. The voice seems To come3 directly from her.
The man raves, and catching eis sword plungcs
IL viinly at the whit. S~hadDwS lie Is only rs a
part of the air. He >eizts a ;sstol and fires it at
tue head. The face IL as calm md placid as ever
the dOct,r falls with II shrek. the floor, and
the curtain drops.
The New York Ereaing fJst explains this
novelty Us being Effected iy Ineans of brilliant
red -ctiunS from the persons OF concealed actors
ami invisible chairs and pitfalls, 80 as To produce
efferts little short of marvellous.
To show that - such things can be and U'ercome
u.s." we may mention that among the curiusities
exhibited in the Paris exhibition was u huge
cUncave mirror, she instrument of n startling
species of optical magic. On standing close TO
the mirror and hooking into it, ii presents moth
ing hut II masnitcsntiy mOnstrous dissection of
our own physipgn"my. On retiring Il little, say
= couple of feet, Ii gives your own face and figure
In the true proportion. but reversed, the head
downward. Most of the spectators, Ignorant of
anything else, ubserve these two effects and pass
on. But retire still further, standing at the
distance of FIVE OF six feet from the mirror, and
behold, Won are your>elf-nOt Il refectlOn-Is
does not strike YOU Us q redectiUn-but your
verirable self, standing in the middle part be-
tween you and the mirror.
The effect Is almost appalling from the idea II
suggests OF something supernatural 50 startling,
In fact, that men vi the strongest nerve will
shrink invOluutarily at the first view. If you
raise your cane To- thrust at your other self. YOU
will gee IL pass clean through the body and up
pear on che other side, the figure thrusting at
yUu the same instant. The arti-t who first sue
ceeded in finishing a mirror of this description
brought it u one Of the French skings-if we
recUllect Alright, IL was Louis &E-placed His
Majesty on the right spot, and babe him draw
his swOrd and thrus, at the figure he saw. The
king did 60 but seeing the point OF g sword
directed To his own breast, threw down the wea-
pom and ran away The practical joke cost the
inventor the kings patronage and favor, dis
Msjesty being aiterward 30 ashamed Of bis own