Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-03
LONDON SOCIETY.
How the AristOcracy Behave Them



1 sometimes fancy that Shakespeare art
which placed the treasure in the casket of lead
instead OF that of silver, might have been
caught from an observation OF the contrast be-
tween the dismal, sooty exterior OF great Lon
don houses and the luxurious beauty and rich
ness OF the interiors. | have often passed Crom-
well house, and il seemed nowse different from
the miles OF dull, leaden, block liks house.
which line the mile of Cromwell road; but
have just been there to witness some -tbe,ux
vivants, and gained fresh PERCEPTION of the
almost ia buous wealth which the higher clas~e,
OF London now possess, and of tho extent
To which they manage to surround thc,n,ely, Is
with splendor. Entering beneath a tenda
stepping upon purple carpet across the street
(for royalty was to be PRESENT. we pass along
large corridors and up a great Venetian stair
way, amid walls covered with superb pictures
amid statues reclining and statues standing-
along suite OF rooms each finished and tinted
like work OF art, until we cone upun a hal
cony. but one closed i'm from the open air by
great walls of French glass. There are indeed
two walls of crystal-onc ranged with every
variety of flower from every part of the world
while the other was ablaze with lights, and
through 1t was seen a hall adorned in che m ,st
beautiful style. In this hall there were seated
about three hundred persons. AT one eni was
an organ, at the other stage with dark green
curtain before il. The ceiling was covered
with allegOrical frescOes, the cornices were
net-wOrk-a lace, one might almost SAVIOR
white and gold. And beneath sat a company
containing the most aristocratic and wealthy
people OF the West end. One could have de-
tected this in various ways. Margaret Fuller
used to say to her friends that when in London
she could recognize the aristocratic ladie, nv
the elaboration with which their hair had been
dressed, which, indeed, is not a bad syn: but
they who look to fine jewels as a test will be
mistaken, as the middle-cl class Ladies wear the
biggest jewels
But the most unmistakable Indication of the
rank Of any company is always furnished when
prince, or other member OF the royai family
enters. All classes beneath the highest receive.
such with noisy snobOery; the aristocracy rise
quietly, and then sit down when the royal per-
sonage Is seated. Then, the aristocratic ladies
are much more gauzy, decollete, and a la Wat
teau in their dress, and are very apt to shock
the middle-class lady with whom thew happen
to come in contact, though the dress of the
latter Is more costly, rich and loud. There was
in the company at Cromwell house Uhe resi-
dence OF S. Il. Freake, esq.,) groupe of the
parvenu kind, who made themselves known.
One gentleman loudly protested thatit was high
time for the curtain to rise, and another re-
sponded to party who wished to get seats. that
he had .'found the most extreme difficulty in
getting the people to sit in each Others laps
They seemed to feel some objection to i'll
Such expressions brought hundreds of sur
prised and flashing eyes upon these utters who
quickly subsidized into silence.
The tabeaux was extremely beautiful They
were got up under the superintendent OF the
royal academician Mllais, who was assisted by
the artists Holmes and Lumley. Most of them
were famous pictures presented by fair ladies
and handsome men, and accompanied by ex-
qulsite vocal music. rendered by amateurs, and
suited to the tableaux. The first thing we saw
u
light ON the center of a green curtain; this
swelled larger and larger, until at last il be-
came large, moon-like circle, which framed
the picture. We had the " Field of Alma,
latter picture of the princess royaD repre-
scented by vivandere holding a cup to the lips
OF dying soldier; the " Ret reat from Moscow
of Nernet, by a wounded soldier protecting his
boy amid the snow with his cloak and one arm,
while with the other hand he grasps his pistol.
looking with hard scowl upon the gaiiopins
Cossacks. Then we had beautiful scene after
Vatican. Npnptiqnpps Ub N lad,
and youth in picturesque costumes were in the
act OF dancing on the sward, while Younger
:. Breaking the Spell awakened great en-
thusiasm-the lady caught sleeping by her
lover amid roses, lilies and pOmegranates.
being singularly beautiful. The same lady APP
peared as Julietta with her Romeo. Ehe
" Princess in the Tower was a capital repre-
sentatiOn of Paul DelarOche's masterpiece and
his {" Marie AntOinette Returning from Trial''
and sin Prison. were eXquiste-nOt the less be-
cause the lovely lady who stood for the chief
figure could not refrain from bushing. Millai's
IS Black Brunswicker"-a knight parting from
two pictures zone with children, and others,
were all given with consummate taste and skill
As an illustration Of the completeness with
which the affair was arranged. NAV mention
that just before the tabeau of Marie Antoi-
nette appeared, a small choir near the stage
began to sing the Miserere." Soon after they
out with the wild "Marseillaise, almost
drowning the softer chant in front. While the
revolutionary hymn was being sung the disk
expanded and revealed the hapless queen sur
rounded by the fierce red-capped populace and
soldiers. Meanwhile, in every inter val OF the
" Marseillase," the 50 Mserere' was still heard:
and, indeed, was artfully made into a refrain
OF the fierce strain behind the scene. II was If
the angels of pity and wrath were struggling
invisibly for the proud melancholy woman who
stood amid her enemies. The effect was ex-
which accompanied all the tableaux. The af-
fair was got up as only endless wealth, CO.
operating with the finest artistic skill i'm Eng
land, could get IL up. One lady who appeared
As Semiramis was estimated by diisttante
near me as wearing fl00 900 in the shape of
gems.-Aoacure Conway ia Cincinnati CONNER
ciDl.