The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-10

After few trials the opera DfOke through
| the quIe of afternoons, boldly resumed the
evenino hours of representation. and these re-
NAMED in force until the end. The house
was lit entirely with candles, a soft and
pleasant light enough but one which helped
| but little TO chase away the graveyard chill of
all those bitter cubic inches. Every instru-
ment seemedto have q frozen echo, and
perfect cloud of steam issued from the
mouths of the chorus as they rose and CON-
menced to sing. do not know when L ever
saw so sad a spectacle as that vast house pre-
sented, packed to the roof with uniforms and
sable dresses, the only bits of color in the
mass being the galloons of the officers, their
caps and facings: on the stage a crowd of
ladies like a rustling band of crows; at either
end group of citizens "coupe-choux" on
thigh, the ensigns of war upon their breasts.
The ice being thus fairly broken, the
''Francais" took the bull by the horns, and
opened its doors with promise Of a regular
play. Beaumarchais' comedy of 'Figaro's
Marriage was accordingly given, with Got
the inimitable in his original character, sup
ported by Mesdames Brohan, Ponsin, and
Dubois. Fancy Cherubino, archest of pages,
played by demure young lady in black
silk gown!-fancy the trial scene of the third
act with puzzled bigwigs and grand seigneurs
all clad alike in the monotonous black and
red of the National Guard uniform-the
lively Barber in white gloves with blue great
coat, ill-ftting black trousers, and military
boots and spursl It was as though the gar
rison of q country town had Joined the
widows in general ''spree, and had under
taken to combine a funeral with private
theatricals. The incongruity was great for a
few moments after the rising of the curtain;
but short space of time sufficed to cause the
spectator to forget such details in admiration
of the marvellous power of concentration
which these artists possess. Afternoon per-
formances took place thenceforth with tolera-
BILE regularity every Thursday and Sunday.
Moliere and Marivaux prepared the way for
Scribe Tartuffe' and the 'Misanthrope'
gave way to Ladies Battles; but this was
too much for the outraged feelings of the
Brutuses, and Andromanche' was hastily
substituted. BY degrees, even they became
more tolerant, and allowed stsge-dresses
to be donned once more. The
bombardment commenced in course
of time-homes were shelled and children
slaughtered in the streets; still the curtain
rose to crowded houses, and people calmly
read their papers during the entrGcte to the
sullen booming of distant guns. On the day
of the final struggle of dying Paris, when her
sons went out and fought for the first and
only time-while mothers and wives and
sisters we're crowding anxiously about the
gates, waiting with sickening heart and pallid
lips for news of their dear ones who had gone
out that morning never to return, the "Fran-
Gals" played lie Medicin malgre Lui. Got
outshone himself; never was he more bril-
liant: the public was entranced, and recalled
him again and again. The dreary cannon
roared far away-too far away to be exciting,
and yet close by-but two miles off, under the
walls of the great city: presently there was
stir and whispering = commotion
in the corridor, as a 6rancdrd was carried by,
bearing shapeless mass covered with
bloody cloak it was all that remained of
poor Seveste, promising young actor at
tached to the theatre. He had played his
part in great tragedy, and had gone forth
that day to offer himself up for his country's
veal: the sacrifice had been accepted: he was
carried into the Foyer des Artistes with a
mortal wound, and disappeared in the shadow
of Talma's statue, behind the towering mar
BILE of the great Rachel. ''Poor Seveste SO
young-so full of promise All, well, it's
very sad !"-and the buzzing ceased, and
every man settled himself in his seat and
rubbed his glasses with his handkerchief, as
the prompter gave three raps and the curtain
rose for the last act.