The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-19

eacn OF tnem IN position more CONDUCIVE 10
solid and enduring happiness. Let us now
leave the proprietors, manager and performers,
and retire for few moments to
SEAT IN THE DRESS CIRCLE
near the stage, or TO one In the circle of the
parquet from each of which we can hear ard
see sufficiently well. The first thing that strikes
the eve is the immodest dress of the girls; the
short skirt and undergarments of thin gauZe-
like material, allowing the form OF the figure to
be discernible through 1t in some instances; the
flcsh-colored tights, initiating nature 80 well
that the illusion is complete; with the exceed
ingly short drawers, almost tight fitting, extend
ing very little below the nip, also OF thin mate
rial; arms and neck apparently BARE and bodice
so cut and fitted as TO show off every inch and
outline of the body above the waist
The attitudes we're exceedingly indelcate-
ladies dancing 80 as to make their undergar
menis spring up, exposing the figure beneath
from the waist to the toe, except for such cover
ing as we have described; stretching out foot
so as to place the limb in a horizontal line
drawn from the hip, and turning the foot thus
held out towards the audience; sometimes in
addition to the elevation of the stage floor
standing on pedestal about two feet, more or
less, in height At other times, when ddnseuse
is assisted by a ddRseIn, the attitudes assumed
by both in conjunction suggest to the imagina.
tion scenes which one may read of IN descrip.
tons of the ancient heathen orgies.
Even in parts of the pantomimic representa-
tons the dress and attitudes are indeliCate and
voluptuous. Objectionable, however, as all that
may be, there are portions OF the drama'ical
performance which, to say the least, are not less
Objectionable as for example the dialogue be.
tween the madam and her suitor, where he re.
quests her to retire with him to q room which
he has provided in CASTLE and she accompany
ing her answer with sly, sidelong glances, says,
Dare trust myself with your We women are
such weak, silly creatures! you men are such
naughty, naughty creatures! ~ Then follows
SCENE
which for indecency beggars description, in
which she falls into his arms, he makes an lm
hnr nln a,,1 NhAn r;4h i
arm around her, retires from the stage like one
who had Capuvated a price, as ii to said room
provided. Later in the evening the same pair
appear again upon the stage, still unmarried,
enacting another vulgar scene. Towards the
end they appear again, the performance having
so far left marriage between them to be in-
terred, ii you please, yet they discourse TO each
other with a familiarity and Coar-eness that
would be unbecOmlng to a married couple.
Then, in a dialogue about snoring, bedclothes,
self-deiense, nightmare, separate apartments,
sleeping alone IN future, etc, he addresses her
in double eatendye, which Is so doubly refined
in u subterrenean crucibe that respect for the
polite ears of my audience utterly forbids me to
quote the language. Double e,tendre is double
such that it ought to be Stunned as one would
shun the most delicate yet deadly poison
Any person VINO has witnessed the
thing Ing,,, may comprehend the matter by
commencing, "1on are an underlayer
of mustard Is not that exhibition, my hearers,
appropriately styled 1.-THE naked truth ~ Truth
is good thing and it may be even true that
nature unadorned is adorned the most: but the
legal profession have maxim winch, II ever
true at all with regard TO the subjects IN those
scenes, that "the truth is not 10 he told at all
times" public theatre, with promiscuous
crowd, is surely not place to display the
naked truth of person, limb, and voluptuous
dialogue. Can any terms be employed too strong,
in which TO denounce such performances
Model artists they are, poor things; and
pity tits It's true Bat the internal tend HIM
sell is the greatest model artist OF all creatures,
and it is not by any means out of keeping
with this performance that his representative
figures and plays every part. 1t may be said
Is it not splendid? Is not the last scene glo
TiOus? Granted; what then! Is 1T not so
much the worse? The greater the ability the
greater the responsibility. Satan himself APP
pears as an angel of light. Is he the less vile
The greater his power, by so much the III ore is
his potency for evil great. The scene in itself is
splendid nothing. 1t initiates no reality in heaven,
earth, or hell 1t merely exhibits 1.-The naked
truth" of poor, silly humanity in It's most yolup-
tuous appearances and attitudes, made to look
the more attractive. Is poison i'll its primitive
state 10 be summed? Is it TO be eschewed any
less when il IS coated with sugar, or wrapped in
leaf OF silver or gold No, sir; the very attrac
tiveness of its decorated exterior makes it only
the more dangerous. Adorned, 1t may be mis-
taken for nutritious aliment-tor silver, or even
for gOld-and only when too late may the poor
dupe whom il has deceived find out that he is
undone.
| likely to destroy himself therebYr And so the
most barefaced and avowedly obscene exhibit
! tions in the lowest dens of intamy are exceeded
! in enormity by this splendid farce upon human
/ nature. How does it stand in the light of the
! principle presented in the text? Can any one
! who goes there for pleasure say that he finds
such pleasure as he may enjoy within the limits
! OF Christian liberty, without stretching that
! liberty into icentiousness, like web of elastic,
! till torn into shreds its Christianity is destroyed
| and nothing Is left but the rags OF ill-used yir,
tue? There was nothing to commend IL from
! beginning to end To say the least, 'it is a
! queer thing"
Not only an iniquity but uniquty with no
plot, no good moral mphed-no-no-no any
| thing that is good-a naughty, naughty, naughty
| thing throughout II Is very sacrifice to the
devil. Let 1t be denounced in press, pulpit,
| parlor, and boudoir, until those who are re-
! sponsibe for it shall be constrained by a refined
public sentiment TO substitute for it something
| that will improve rather than injure the public
| morals of this splendid metropolis (applause),
| something that will not stoop TO enter into COM
petition with the lowest Purlieus in order to
satisfy the lascivious eye with sights OF beauty.
It speaks well for our nation, for the native
modesty of American ladies, and the instructive
Virtuous tastes of American artists, that The
proprietors and managers OF this concern could
find none upon this continent sunk so low in
se-respect as to put in jeopardy their all Of
character and veal; aud, therefore, to procure
their ballet troupe, found II necessary to bring
them from beyond the seas (applause), as In
former times the Africans were imported, and
then made to sing their own shame.
/ am happy to learn that my lectures are
beginning to produce their desired effect. Did
won ever see lightning that was not followed
the flash Sooner or later you hear the report
and the rumbling, running, roaring OF Hea
yen's artillery. How the clouds pour down
water How the earth trembles and shake,
| foot ~ mis- 10