Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-01-09
Effects Of the Hiss of Actors.

High and low, from Garrick TO the
"super," it is probably the actors doom
for more or less reasons, at some time OF
another, TO be hissed. He is, as member,
of parliament are fond Of saying, ain the
hands of the house, and may be i'll con.
sidered by 1t, Any one can hiss and ne
goose makes many. Lamb relates how
he on}e saw Elliston, sitting in state III the
furnished green-room of the Olympic
Theatre, while before him was brought
for Judgment, on complaint of prompter,
" one Of those tawdry things that firt at
the tails of choruses--the pertest little
drab--a dirty fringe and appendage Of
the lamps smoke-who it seems, on some
disapprobation expressed by highly
respectable audience, had precipitstely
quilted her station on the board, and with
drawn her small talents in disgust. sand
how dare YOU" said the manager, "how
dare you, madam, without a notice, with.
draw yourself from theatrical duties 81
was Kissed, sill" "And you have the per-
sumption to decide upon the taste of the
town ~ Il don't know that sir, but | will
not stand to be Kissed" was the reioindcr of
Dung Confidence. Then, gathering up
his features into one significant mass OF
wonder, pity, and expostulatory indigna-
tion--in lesson never to have been lost
upon creature less forward than she who
stood before him--his words were these
" They have Kissed me !" It's understood
that this argument failed in ils effect, for,
after all "a hiss is not to be in such wise
excused or explained away its appli.
cation is far too direct and personal.
Z" Ladies and gentlemen, it was not
that shot the arrow" said Braham
to his audience, when some bungf
William Tell" and the famous apple
remained uniniured upon the head
of the hero's son. If cerision was moved
by this bungling, still more did the sing
er's address and confe sion excite the
mirth of the spectators. To another
singer, failure, Or the dread of failure, was
fraught with more tragic consequence.
For some sixteen years Adolphe Nourri'
had been the chief tenor of the Paris
Opera house. He had created the lead
ing characters in Robert" "Les Hugue
nots,n "Lu Juive," "Gustave" and Mas
eniella" He resigned his position prscip.
itstely upon the advent of Duprez. The
younger afflicted the elder with a
kind OF panic. The news that Duprez was
among his audience was sufficient to par.
alyse his powers, to extinguish his voice
He left France for Italy His success:
was unquestionable, but he had lost conf,
dence in hims slf a deep detection settled
upon him, his apprehension Of failure APP
preached delirium. At last ne persuaded
himself that the applause he won from
Neapolitan audience was purely ironi
cal, was but scofhng ill-disguised. AT five
o'clock in the morning, on the Sth OF
March, 1899, he flung himself from the
window of an upper floor, and was picked
up in the street quite dead. Poor Nourt
he was man of genius i'll his way, but
for him there would have been no grand
duet in tho fourth act Of" Les Huguenots."
no cavatina for Eleazor in ola Juivs," and
to his invs- 'iveness If to be ascribed the
ballet of" la Sylphids,' which Tagloni
made SIS famous-AH the Year Round.