The Portland daily press., 1875-10-22
A CHARMING ENTERTAINMENT
The Ars Studies and Pantomimes,

tlemen of this CITY, made certainly Que of tht
most delightful entertainments ever given il
Portland. Mr.. Bartlett has been long and fa
voraoly known in connection with society
amusements, and his books are familiar to
every church society and the promoters o.
benevolent objects throughout the land His
power of pleasing children has been shown in
the pages of ''St. Nicholas" almost ever since
that magazine was started. That he is quite as
successful in catering TO the tastes of older peo
pie was clearly demonstrated last evening. A
fertile invention, quick eye for artistic and
scenic effects, and an Astounding sense OF humol
are reinforced by familiarity with legend and
story and poem and striking hstt rical events
His subjects are taken from many sources
from classic myth, from medieval ballad, from
nursery rhyme, from the lines of the poets
and the pages of the historians. Ia this city he
is fortunate in, to use professional term, his
support" His characters were taken by the
brightest and most charming of women who
were familiar with the legends which he pic
tured, and brought to the accessories of cos
tune and manner familiar knowledge and ex-
quisite taste
In all matters of detail, in finish of treat.
ment and in general effect the entertainment
absolutely left nothing to be desired. The cos
tunes were rich, varied and appropriately Sc
lected. The most careful attention was paid to
chronological requirements. This, of course,
was to be expected; for one cannot imagine
solecisms in taste or anachronisms IN dress on
the part Of the bright girls and educated gen.
tlemen who undertook to represent the far
away times. If the scene was laid in Venice
the spectator saw the rich brocades ard splen-
of the Sea in the days of her prosperity; if a
Roman shrine was pictured it was dressed
according to historic requirements, and the
maidens kneeling about it wore the picturesque
costume of Roman girls; if scene from the
French revolution was brought up, the extrava-
giant attire of tho old monarchy and the pseu-
do'classicism of the new republic were repre-
sented; in scenes from old-world history we
saw the classic gown and girdle; in the won
derful tales of Mother Goose the costumes
which the engraver has made familiar and
probable to US were given; and even in that in
determnate time and place which we call ga
long time ago and great way off, fancy and
taste combined to make the illusion perfect.
The pantomimes, merry and mrth-provokiag
as they should be, were acted with wit, grace
and dramatic vividness. The art studies,
which were shown in pure white light, were
given in manner that produced the Stat"
effect of pictures. The statuary stood out as
though chiseled from marble. The music, con-
sisting of selections appropriate to the sub
jects, was furnished by Chambers Band, and
was, of course, finished and pleasing. That
goes without telling. There was too a notable
and commendable absence of the "waits,"
which, especially in performances by amateurs,
too often yex the audience. The delays between
the scenes did not average more than two
minutes in length.
Preliminary to the performance on the sta ye
the band gave many choice selections much to
the delight of the audience. 1t should be men,
toned that Messrs. Chandler and Cole volun-
teered the music for the two evenings, express
ing their warm interest," in the success of the
entertainments and the prosperity of the nsti-
tuition in aid of which they are given.
At eight o'clock the curtain was rung up and
ga Dream of the Orient" broke upon the view
of the audience A boat of antique shape was
seen floating upon river, presumably the sa-
cred Nile, and within it was group of dark
eyed Egyptian girls some of them habited as
odalisques, some dressed in the richer though not
more picturesque robes of rank. Full checked
Fame with trumpet in hand stood in the PROV,
while young Cupid (perhaps he should be call
ed Horus in this scene) Strung his bow and
peered maliciously into the faces of the au-
dience. The picture was an exquisite one and
called forth the warmest plaudits of the spec
tators AS the curtain fell Master Cupid % ade
his appearance in one of the private boxes, and
doubtless amused himself the rest of the even
ing by shooting arrows at the audience Close
observers said that many of his shots hit
Right upon this scene came a monumental
group OF statuary, representing the virtues.
Faith clung to her cross, Charity bent over
sinking form, and Hope pointed heavenward.
The group was nobly conceived and admirably
presented. One was almost led to believe that
statues chiseled out of the marble stood before
him. SO perfect was the illusion. The statuary
representations indeed were the browning sue
cess of the entertainment.
The second picture presented to the now
thoroughly delighted audience represented the
wedding of the Adriatic, the scene so famliar
in the annals of the city of ST. Mark. The
venerable Doge of Venice, clad in the flowing
robes of state, stood in gondola (Which was
not, however, draped in the historic black
dropping the jewelled ring into the blue waters
of the gulf. A child lay at his feet, while a
group of Venetian women, attired in the splen-
did costumes of the time, were gathered about
him. On his left stately dame, Duchess. per-
haps, lent an added grace to the ceremony.
Following this scene came another group of
representing Norma with the fatal dag
germ her hand, her victim at her feet, and a
group of weeping women about her. Two falls
OF the curtain and slight changes of position,
suficed to tell the tragic story.
Comedy followed fast upon the heels of
tragedy, and ''Too Late for the Stage" was the
next picture presented. The scene was at the
time when the stage coach was the only public
conveyance from place to place. The lumber.
ing vehicle had evidently just passed out of
sight, and a crowd of country people, on city
visiting BENT and wearing the antiquated cos
tunes of thirty years ago or more, were bewail-
ing its departure.
The Bridal Toilet" one Of the most charm
ing pictures given during the evening, came
next. A young girl, beautiful as the brides of
fiction and of dreams ever are, apparen tly
stood out on the canvass encompassed by the
conventional gilt frame, the orange blossoms in
her hair, the long veil sweeping down about
her. 10 her left another woman, beautiful
enough to be bride, but presumably only a
bridesmaid, stood and looked upon her with
admiring eyes.
The Song of Miriam" represented the He
brew prophecies with rapt countenance raised
to heaven, holding the timbrel in her hands
while about her were clustered the dark-eyed
Hebrew maideps uniting with their inspired
leader in her song of praise.
Ignorance is Bliss was a comicality, pict.
uring the unsuspecting mother asleep in her
chair while the young people were making
furious love to each other IN the corner The
mother Of course got her eyes open at last
somehow mothers always do.-and the bl ssfu
moments came to an abrupt and ludicrous end.
The next picture was that of Hagar with her
child in the Will ierness, when the celestial
conception was a tender one and finely carried
ont
-"Hermione" was the Hermione of thu