, 1866-11-04

The Akecept1on-Pcrxonal Appearance
ofthc Actress-The Tragedy Of !Ucdca-
The Hub In rnEEonted Enthusiasm.
[from Our Own Correspondence
Bosrox, October 80, 1865
Boston Is exceedingly rain in regard to the
critical discrimination Of It's public, as well
In regard to the stage as to literature, music
and painting, and very anxious to hnye 1t
understood that the verdict Of New York has
no influence upon Its Judgments. Indeed,
like the proyerbial Irish martinez who stood
up 50 dtraight he leaned over backwards,
Boston il 20 determined not to be advised by
It's metropolitan neishhor to like anything,
that 1t Is often prcjudfced against an orator,
an artist or a book, merely because New
York has declared strongly ID hls Or its favor.
Thus the somewhat exaggerated enthusiasm
Of the newspapers in New York, all follow
ing according to the manner or each the
fnlsome LEAD Of the subsidized Uerdld, over
Madame Rlstori, tended to promote skcp-
tfciem here in regard to her, and an iuc1ina-
tion among thoee who aspire to lead the
solemnlJ, and say, Let Us be careful how we
commit ourselres; there Is a deal Of hum
bug in the world; we must wait and sce.''
Curiosity trumphed over prejudice, how
ever, 50 Tar that there Was very large and
brilliant audience to do honor to the dsst ap-,
day evening. The teceip9, at tho price Of
$..5o and S. for each. seat in the lower part Of
The house, aud 81 and hlty cents for admls-
sion to the pleblah upper tiers, must have
been greater Than those Of any evening ut
the little theatre at which Ristosl appeared
IN New York. Tile house was not full, some
three hundred Of the less eligible places in
the d1e.s circle, which here Is the
lover gallery, being amply, and the cheaper
portions being yczy shinly tenantcd; but
American stars, Can fill such yast expanse
at Ordinary prices, and neither Of them could
draw such m assembly at the advanced rates.
The audience Was brilliant In costume,
large majority of the ladies wearing rich
silks and delicate opera capes, and fully one-
pearing In the lnnumerAble modern eccen-
| tsicttles Of cofdure. II was brilliant. too, in
other respects thickly studded with utsrarJ,
| political and soclnl notabllitfes. and In
fused with an air Of refinement and
culture such as Boston claims can be found
found cnly at the Hub. It's intelligence,
| however, was not Of quite SO high stand
| ard rs to include knowledge Of the Ian
guage In which the play was to be given, for
| nearly every auditor Was armed with q
iibretto, IN spite Of the fact TINT the plot Of
| the tragedy selected Was tnmluar to every
i theat1e-guer.
The curtain rose upon = group Of the
| mjuor characters, and considerable portion
| Of the Asst act passed without the entrance
| Of the one whom all had come to sec. The
audience listened attent1vely, however, and
rewarded the displays Of talent Of the lesser
At last Mcdea appeared on the canyas
| rocks at the rear Of the etage, bearing and
leading her two children and then came au
outbufst of welcoming applause, to be re-
| newed still more generally aud heartily
| when she descended 10 the boards and came
| md IA fH Ef1nf AfJtftr mi
| sedately boTtng her response TO the greeting.
Madam Ristori Is large woman, OF i'm
| posing presence, although tho qualities OF
her figure wern only hintcd at In the costume
which ehe wore as Medea-a dress designed,
i Is eLd. by Ary schaasr for her use II the
robe Of red, dotted and trimmed with
black, gathered only at the wrist, and with
flowing sleeves, revealing occasionally the
arm her head covered with thick mass OF
a scarlet band and bow. The actress looks
her full age, not only In her face, whers no
attempt Is made to Disguise or concea1it, but
In her hands and arms, which while large
are By no means plump, Her face Is not
II 50 in her youth; but Ii Il full Of intellect,
and expressive In every feature. The nose
| Is Aqulline, the cheek-bonee prominent
the teeth good, the lips thin and mobile,
the complexion clear and transparent, the
brow broad, and the eyes dark, changeable
eye15 motion Is full Of grace, and cvery pose
might be study for sculptor. But her
vofce Is the finest Of Rtstori's natural gifts
sweet, musical, flexible, never inaudible and
never harsh, penetrating without an effort
to cTery part Of the immense theatre, and
expressing every phase Of passion With such
dciicAry or distinction that the attentive
listener, watching also the transitions Of her
countcnance and the admirable, yet SEEM
ingly unstudicd gestures, needs no ltbretto to
know what the foreign actress Is eayinG.
As Riktori always chooses "MedeaH for
her opening piece, It Is fair to infer that she
considers ii the best Of her repertoire for show.
ing the compass and character Of her powers
II Il stormy tragedy, similar In TONG and
sentiment to the opera Of Norma" and
giving scope for great acting II only .he cen;
WITH maternal love, E-as musicians ny
the "mottye" Of the whole. The rage d
the injured wife struggles with the tender
ness Of the deEoted mother, until at last II
gafus the mastery, aud Mcdea elay:
hands fa!thlessness. The most telling SINGLE
"point," IS Rstod plays it, Il In the tirst Ac'
| where the betrayed one, ksEod what she VII
do to the traitor who has deserted tef, c619
pares herself to q leopard and with maguid
| Of her revenge. a more. wumanly and rs
!ura1 stroke Of feeling Is in a later scene
xhcrc In The full torrent Of her lofty wrath
! | declaring her determination TO slay her rival
her children and herself to punish the csinat
Of her husband, touch Of the child's hani
transforms the Ayenger into the mother, ant
| calls forth an outbUFst Of wild, intense atfec
ton.
!. But YOU viii have discovered by this tim
that the first pause alter the witnessing 0
| such performance as that Of Ristori Is not
favorable moment for cool and candid critl
/ Rlr z%A T hall nS kar
' aimed in these rambling jott1ngs 10 Civ
ZONE flint Impres sion Of 4 scene metnor
: i able In the aunals OF our stage, scene mere
to Be forgotten By those who we're present
scene which you IN Chicago hay
peated visits have given foundation for
. more competent verdict. WHEN the produc
ton Of other PLAYS shall furnish tood for CON
Iarisou. and when the lspsc Of time sha!
allow the admiration {perhaps too euthusi
RistoH in Boston. but now can ouly chfou
. fcle the TACT thst cautions Boston forgive
. and Is neaIly ready to Initiate the fervi
. plaudits ofimprcssible New York.
Impeachment OF The President
t The following form Of petition TO Cor
gress, praying for the Impeachment OF th
apostate Andrew Johnson, Is being circulate
: In ohlo for signatures:
j TO hs Senate and House Of Representatives
RI Tho Tn'tea ss'tes Of America IN Congress .
The petition Of ihe undersigned dil1cns Of Il
Eta,1 Of ohio respectfully showeth that Andre
Z | johnson. President Of Che said Unlscd States.
cuilty Of airers and sundry high crimes 1nd nj
: dcmt1no1s, and Of lauguaEe and conduct ottcsa
{ unworthy Of his high Office, &nd calculated N
contempt: .has he has eros4ly abused the pa
dontnZ power; that without the authoritJ Of It
r Inv he h1s restored to traitors the property 70
= feited 10 and EWncd By the United States thst