Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-24
UNDERTONES.

capital by advertising for proposals and
samples, as they do for fuel, selling-wax,
ETC., is very forcibly illustrated by the recent
experience of the Boston committee charged
with the duty of erecting a memorial statue
OF the late Mr.. Sumner in that city. After
carefully examining and weighing the merit
OF all the models sent in. they finally rejected
the best three which had been accepted for
award of contract for one of them, in accord
ance with the terms of the competitive
arrangement, and decided TO give a commits
sion for the work to Thomas Bail, the ia
vorlte Boston sculptor, without any limita-
ton as TO conception, pose or arrangement,
mlttee. This leaves the artist free TO do his
best work, under the inspiration of his best
moods and conditions, without the embar
rassment OF trying to carry out the ideas of
other people, who, by the way, are quite
likely TO know nothing about art. In no
other way can first class pictures or sculp-
ture ever be obtained. Not oaly this. but as
a rule the best artists refuse 10 enter into
competitive exhibitions OF this kind, so that
the field OF selection is generally limited TO
the efforts of mere ty ros, or those who have
not yet obtained recognition and standing
as artists.
What does the high flying sublimated sort
of musical Criticism so often met with in
the big newspapers amount to, any way?
The readers don't understand il; the artists
are rarely satisfied with il; and, as a fact,
nobody believes IL. Aud little wonder, as to
the latter, particularly. 1t is claimed by
friends of the former musical critic, lately
deceased, of one OF the many ''leading Amer
lean newspapers" published in New York,
that he brought more than 100000 worth OF
advertisements OF musical Instruments, etc.
to its Columns,-''and this in addition TO the
ordinary standard announcements of that
class" AT this rate, musical critic is
truly valuable and prob ably necessary ad-
slpld1nQ npwSnQnar n
cuniary point of view; but the question
which will disturb the reader is whether the
terest of the public or OF the advertising col
umns Aforesaid. Either way, the revelation
is a sickening commentary upon the value
OF the Intelligent and independent criti-
cism" one reads so much about nowadays.
49,
goose died recently in the Garden of
Plants, at Paris, which was shown by I'M
questioned documentary evidence to have
been two hundred and three years old a. the
time OF her death. This seems at first read
ing TO be ripe old age, even for goose; but
in our city markets one may occasionally
buy ore,-and not infrequently pair OF
ducks'.iI toughness may be taken as evil
and resistance count for anything, a couple
Of centuries would not seem to be very
great age for chicken.
~.
lDc pau WHICH was suggested and
urged IN this column long time ago, of put
ting placard or time table on the letter
boxes throughout the city to show at what
hours the mail matter deposited therein will
be removed TO the post office for mailing, has
at last been 1opted by the powers that be.
But in part, only; for, while these useful
bulletins may be found on many of the
boxes In the business parts Of the city, they
are conspicuously absent from those located
in the moe remote portions of the tow,
where such Information is really more inn
portant, or rather more difficult to obtain,
than than In the central parts Of the city near the
lions are made Oftener. The devfce is so
useful, so simple, and costs so little, either
IN money or trouble, that there is really no
application universal. VIII not the proper
authorities therefore give the neccssary in
structions 70 .uIs end? Where SO much can
be accomplished with SO little, it seems In
excusable not to utilize that little to the
utmost.
"Judge not; the workings Of his brain
Ana OF his he lrt thou canst no. see;
Whist locks to thy dim eyes as stain,
In Gods pure light may only be
Where thou wouldst only faint and yield.
"The look, the air that frets thy sight
May be q token that below
The soul has elosed in deadly light
Whose sisles would scoreh ny smiling grace.
And cast thee shudderins on thy face"
NV
The efforts to convert the Centre Market
house into battlemented castle and the old
National Hotel into Venitian palace seem
TO be earnest enough, but there is danger
that they will hardly reach, so to speak, in
an architectural sense.
x*s
query propounded above as TO the
value OF musical criticism is by no means
limited in its application TO music alone. 1t
is, indeed, applicable with equal force to all
branches of rt,-to painting and sculpture,
as well as to music and the drama, and, in
fact, to everything in regard to which no
absolute and visible or tangible stand ard
can be set up, and where much must neceS-
sarily be left TO individual taste and judg-
baser elements Of pecuniary consideration
or personal favoritism or prejudice, which
too often enter into the case. The theat-
last Saturday evening affords most strik-
ing illustration on this point. The ver-
dict rendered on this interesting event by
the newspaper gentlemen OF that city who
assume 10 have all knowledge Of things per-
tanning TO dramatic art in their special keep
ing, is SO conflicting in character as to leave
the 1eadiNg RH6lis entirely at sea as to
success, only tolerably coed, or fat failure.
One OF the critics, for example, says he pre-
sented himself throughout simply as Oakley
lions OF the play ''did he for q moment sue
ceed in getting himself outside of his own
shell;' that Ibis visage is fixed, severe, and
inexpensive; his voice hafd and metallic,
bis action angular and wooden" Another
records it that the ex-Mayor "acts like one
born to the stage" and that "his success
was not only unequivocal, but as well de-
served as Ii was unequivocal." A third says
.Mr. Halls task, which was very difficult,
and which demanded the most delicate and
careful treatment, has been successfully car
lied out" while q fourth CURLY dismisses his
adoption OF new profession by saying that
"the plot of the piece Is weak, and the Ian
guage stilted," but nothing about the actor,
except that, with time he will, no doubt,
achieve what all his friends desire,-suc-
cess" More might be quoted from
other papers; but TO- what end? 1t would
only serve to show, as these extracts do, that
people who want to know the merits Of q
play, an actor, singer, q piece OF statuary,
or q picture, must needs 60 and see for
themselves, and decide for themSelves,-if
they can. If not, dismiss 1t from mind alto
gether, as q thing not worth bothering about.
But above all things, it will not do to rely
on what the critics say.
%%x
The book reviewer In HOrper's M1nthlv
ocoa for Rox, nr vacant ,xos,~..