New-York tribune., 1868-04-18
THE WHITE EAWE.
As SEEN BIZ A COUNTRY MERCHANT

i
since It is generally cheaper to buy In o'. Hvos or
Chicago particulary in these fuctuang days. "nen we
arc Obliged to watch prices and We Keep our e'o s
by giving orders to commercial oon' " o
stores But as had raised fair crop Oh "heas =" -,
\ own land and having bought several thousano ouon
for goods got the whole milled, making tne hno'
ty of St. LOUIS four and shipping IL here came o my
self TO be sure OF getting the highest price Eastern ner
chants are not accustomed such outside business pus
| II we would keep customers We must ueai III o''
thing the people have to spare, even fur, pouliy, M
paper rags. When commenced trading looked Oh 'n
kind of traffic with disgust for having been brought up
I'm New gland with what advantages culture DrnRSi
was quite fasdIous Ibut after having gone through
almost every variety Of life In country ana ha'ins
been as good broke" several times, have come 70
consider the common honorable because 1t Is the OASIS
| Of whatever is high and difficult TO attain
| Now having visited the spectacle OF the White Fawn
in your city and willing to give you my views nave
written the above TO show you that these views como
from stand point, in comparison with those pre-
sented by your dramatic critic far as have seen ana
they will expressive Of what most OF the people OF he
country would think did they visit the White Fawn 40
not say that tho sight new to me- for Witnessed
similar exhibitions nearly 20 years ago. but had never
seen anything such grand scale, or where any sim
lar performance had settled down such permanent
basis az TO furnish from to the leading
attraction TO strangers Now am by means straight
laced STILL must say that have greater interest
Than in the preseryation OF the liberties OF country
and believe that this cannot be done except In the prac
| tce of as much virtue human nature will permit
The White Fawn, as / saw 1t, Is called a burlesque;
but 1t Is without coherency The comic scenes are rev
and DOOR except that representing water animals,
and as TO the Fawn itself II Is nothing but name iorlt
appeared only once. and then as figure not as living
being far tho play goes tho plot and story are Oh
no interest and there is not ideo good or Dad In the
whole OF It. and thus the art lies In dividing the play into
1 fVfaF niaafnn
witnessed as relief the ether part OF the exhibi-
tion which, though pretending 10 be Incidental tho
main feature without IL the rest would sink with the
weight Of ITS own worthlessness Connected with this
hypocrtcal and pretended play are gaudy scenes some
having little merit others 10 the contrary crowds OF
Oriental and Nuban soldiers in tin helmets poor clowns
and poorer kings, and a company OF hafdressed, full
padded young women all In apparel that glitters with
silk spangles and glass beads and said TO cost In the
outfit 500 OOO which TO dearbOught goods or
course there are the usual trapdoOs, sham cottages,
paste board statues, painted fountains and unsteady
structures TO the stage, which, beng connected
with the play make series OF scenes hs heavy as ead
But when without the least call connection, necessity,
play broken by the appearance OF the dancing
cmen singy In pairs or in groups numbering In ell as
many as thirty the real object Of the performance begins
10 be manifest The curtain at and dropped at IL
o'clock and for three long hours large and apparently
respectable audience witnessed the that were pre-
sented with profound attention was surprised to note
so little applause for though the spectacle sconessedy
popular and had already been presented over sixty
nights only few manifested outward pleasure ana the
people after hour perfectly quiet gazing at those
dancers and seeming either fascinated or amazed
remember very well that long ago, when la Bsyadere
was played In ST. Louis the applause n such IL could be
called was more astonishing than anything had ever
heard To great extent the audience was composed OF
merchants barkeepers, and ryer-men, with far pro
portion OF ladies' when the female dancers began to ex
pose their persons the applause consisted OF storms OF
elnps and sampngs but when the exposure increased
and reached It's full extent though not to AZ great de
gree n In White Fawn series of screams and yels
arose 80 loud 20 terrific and unearhy that they seemed
20 come from nfurated creatures not from human DO
ings can explain the difference In no other way than
by supposng the NewYork audience 80 refined ana per
haps so religious to permit itself 10 be carried
| away.
| These dancing women. as may be supposed. are rs
| goodlooking as can be obtained They arc gen.
orally young and II old such arts as are known TO make
look young used Their dress can De described
in few words II fastened 20 the lower point or the
shoulder by band IL crosses behind along the
middle Of the shoulder blades u front across the middle
Of the breast extends nearly 70 inches below the hip
| jo,nts and the arms are bare The lower limbs seem
tightly covered with thin eshcoored fabric aud this
is met at the OF the body by garment of some kind
of Illusion goods, similar 20 what we used to sell FOR
Grccian lace lying in layers puds and totally con-
and lightly clad. The dancing Is mostly confined to
making display OF the lower limbs and a common and
often repeated posture Is 60 stand on one limb aud To raise
the other 40 ar 10 form OF the two right angle Tho
latest improvement IN this school Of nrt and high culture
requires male assistant who receives the dancer in the
midst Of her dancing upon some part OF his person. No
that head and shoulders viii be downward and front
ing OF sideways the audience, while her feet are In
such a position that tho Illusion goods are displayed
great feat TO have two at one time hang over his
shoulders he. and several other dancers, combine To
obtain positions that will give variety to the display II
this description is imperfect ON certain that many OF
/! your readers Will be able TO correct me.
The next most important object is tho audience.
friend had furnished glass for the occasion, which,
though much dssimar 10 those IN fashionable hands.
was made another purpose OF great power and
could see which Of the dancers powdered, which
had painted carmine lips and which were padded. IL
was so powerful that what 90 most others appeared
charming faces showed anxious and dstressful
and for the second time In my life learned that woman
may have the enchanting smile on herlps while her
heart il sinking with despair As the hours passed one
exposure was followed by another. and II possible. by
new one The gaze OF tho spectator became rigid. each
aat like statue and tired nature found relief In long
drawn futtering sighs IL about hour before tho
continued repetition began 10 have much effect, which
was marked by each ceaSlng TO whisper or 10 smile Ev
IDENTIFY there determination 10 show no emotion.
and to the last 20 gaze unmoyed. But con
stuted that whatever may be their culture and refine
ment they do not have this power for these nsensby re
lax each new exhibition assault upon an ex-
posed and crumbling fortress and, such applause
as arose at 81. Louis was suppressed the nerves
alone could give expression Every man who goes to
such place at looks TO tho ladies In the audience
for nc wonders what IL s that be attractive TO their
eyes To every the first sight s repusye and 1t
be no less to a The change In the mind seems
10 gradually and by process similar 20 acquiring
hiking for unnatural, even disgusting smulants We