The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-24
n u wy o n M 8 M 9.
From Our osSn Correspondent
NEW YORK, May "a, 1870.


their annual influx has arrived, and you cannot
walk very far in any principal street without
meeting q coal-scuttle bonnet or a long drab
coat 1t is a characteristic fact however, that
these quiet people love the quieter streets. Only
the gayest of the Hicksites prefer Broadway.
The steady, old conservative Friend of the
demure type sticks to the streets (when he can
find them) where the grass grows between the
stones and the moss accrues on the curb. They
come here accompanied, as they invariably are,
by wet weather, and rain has come down and
umbrellas have gone up every time they have
set foot out of doors. love the sight of these
gentle religious folk in loud New York. They
fall upon us like dew from heaven, or
drops from a watering-pot, and lay the
social dust for a little space. l take
a gray dress as evidence of goodwill, and
poke bonnet as the exponent of peace. l like
to be thee'd and thou'd and second-person'd
generally by a meek man in a broad-brim and a
long tail, and 1 don't trouble myself absut the
correctness of the syntax that is addressed to
me by feminine thumb-twirler in sad-colored
silk. prefer the nasal twang of Quaker
meeting to the tuneful intonations of st. Adams
Chapel, and l think the Spirit would be more
likely to move one among the solemn sameness
of gathering of Friends than amid the osten-
tatious reverence of ritualism. This dpr0poS
of the Quakers flooding the city. Their meet
ings hitherto have been largely attended and
afiuently sprinkled with religious people of
other denominations. This contribution from
outsiders has scarcely a religious purpose. The
same order of curiosity attaches to Quaker in
New York that fingers around the wearer of
knee-breeches and powdered wig. The un-
adulterated Friend is something of an exotic
here, and there is the same sort of satisfaction
in attending his religious councils that there is
in a womanly woman's going clandestiney to
semi-sufrage lecture addressed to "ladies only
Italian Opera.
Our week of Italian opera has been curious
and not wholly successful one. Its triumphs
are limited to Miss Kellogg, signor Brgnoli
and Madame Gazzaniga. The last-named lady
has behaved with dignity in not attempting to
appear in parts for which her age now renders
her notoriously unfit. But she is the best
''Azucena" for instance, that we have had for
many months. Miss Kellogg, though made of
hardly stern enough material for "Leonora" in
IL Troodtore, presented no point which caused
her friends to regret her appearance in that role.
The gold in Brignoli's voice, and the lead in his
acting, were just as perceptible as ever. The
entire curriculum of emotion is expressed by him
by putting his hand to his eyes. The ether
night Miss McCulloch appeared as Lucia" and
the press and the public have been ouarrelling
ever since as to which was most to blame-the
management for not making better arrange
ments, or the young lady for accepting role
which the disappointment caused by another
soprano seemed to render it obligatory upon
her to undertake That other soprano was
Canissa, who, to the surprise of every one, was
announced to appear as Lucia" She is good
and ambitious little singer, though constitu-
tionaly cold, and her being ousted out of the
part is probably due to professional envy. At
anv rate Miss McCulloch was certainly no better
than the little HOngrOiSe would have been, and
as for Signor Lefranc, he made his appearance
with his voice in such a condition that 1t was at
once evident he would have been better off at
home and in bed. This week will finish the
Italian opera with US, and serve it right if IL is
to be conducted no better
Tho Park on Sunday.
If you go to Central Park on Sunday you will
behold the industrious dromedary stalking over
the oases there with nest of children Oh his
humps, and the indefatigable goats dragging
carts filled with youngsters and pushed by negro
Youths in livery. You will see boats gliding
over the lakes, a good many carriages, few
horsemen, bevies of loiterers swallowing ice
cream and the ''gentle drinks" which Disraeli
praises as American in "Lothair." But you
will hear no music. The little golden
stand is closed whence the orchestra, on
Saturdays, launches a feet of inharmonious
sound upon ruffled lake of air. Beneath the
adjacent tent the usual crowd remains, but the
hum of voices and the stippety- of the
pedestrians are the only sounds which break the
monotony. People tired of walking lie in ambush,
and make a rush directly when the occupant of
any envied seat gets up, and then what quarrel
ensues on possession! As for the park carry
alls, at twenty-five cents ride, people pour
into them like coffee into MILL and the cabrio-
Ia-wagonettes are taken by force.
The Tournament.
Some of the good Brooklynites are amusing
themselves with what is called q tournament.
The name would naturally imply that knights
in armor charged each other, spear in hand,
aud that the good times of Ceur de Lion and
Brian de Bois Guilbert as pictured by romantic
Sir Walter Scott, were realized again But in
fact this tournament is very safe and simple
matter. There is no more chance of blood ol
scratches than there is in duel with foils with
bottoms ON, and masks. 1t consists in pokine
rings with a pole, every contestant being per
paitted three pokes. The amusement is apps
rently got up for the exclusive benefit of thos,
indulging in it, for the price of admission is ex
orbitant, not a solitary accommodation is mad'
for those bashful but indispensable people
newspaper reporters, and when programme il
yisible-which is but seldom-the chief state
ments it deals in are limited to advertisement
of the sale of horses. The costumes of tn
knights are more suggestive of circus and saw
dust than of medieval splendor. The armo
consists of flannel shirt with spangles, and
indicative of an amateur travelling show.
lF~.