New-York tribune., 1876-03-25

arm OF the Duchess's lover Ia lover who Is yet,
hasten to add sincerely platonic) Abruptly the
Duchess is approached by servant with card
which she reads in deep agitation She writes few
words another card and gives it to the footman;
he goes of with it, and then she reads aoud to the
company the contents ofthe first missve. Mrs Clark
son requests permission to be admitted to the salon
in which tie DutChess sits apart with her intimaes
there TO receive from The Duchesss own hands cup
Of tea In compensation. she offers pay for her cup
of tea the Of 25, 600 francs which the Duchess
viii make to the charity for which the ball has
been given. at the revelation Of this audacty the
little circle is aghas aud demands with single voice
what the Duchess has answered. The Duchess has
answered that Mrs ClaIkson may be admitted if one
of the gentlemen actually about the hostess will go
out, offer his arm and conduct her into the ducal
presence. There is apaTticular silence-hal dozen
gentlemen are present, but not one of them
moves. Finally the shaky, unclean little Duke HIM
self admirably played by Cogucn stands forth
and declares that he will play The gallant part. The
announcement makes great sensation, for 1t is his
presumed mistress that he proposes to introduce to
his wife. lie departs and shortly aierward returns
bearing Mrs. Clalkson on his arm. all the effect
Ncne,s of the strange phySomOmy ard the fam
tastic toilet ofycllow and black which Niue. Sarah
Bernhardt has conferred upon her. a cup!'
and nothing but her bargain. must not relate
what follows. The real heroine Of the play is Mlle
Crozctte. who played the Duchess with great deal
OF skill and with all that strangely meretIicious
charm for which she is renowned. She has one really
magnificent sceuc-a III which the ill-uSed
(but on her own SIDE by no melnsunpoccant heroine
the cup of whose disgust at her husbands turpitude
is full, pours it all forth in rage and scorn
upon his ignOble head. This is nature caught in the
act-Mlc. Croizettes cries aud gestures the passion
ate reality of her imprecatiOns clcctrify the honsc
The author makes his duchess say things which have
before been said the stage, int the artistic
good faith of the actress carries them off.
fshould mention that there is also Mr. CarksOn
in the playa gentleman engaged in cold-washing
in Utah, while his wife drinks tea at five Thousand
dollars the spoonful i'll Paris. Half the merit OF this
figure is with Fcbure who represents IT, and WHO, in
particular, has dressed his Yankee with great
fecity--qute in the occidental taste. and yet with
ont the least eXaggrrato1. On the whole, - have
said "LEtmng're" has been a disappointment, and
it is uuqucstiOuabiy very unsatisfactory piece OF
work for so clever a man as Dumas. IL hangs very
loosely together, and the story is both extremely I'M
pr,bablcaud profoundly disagccabe. Disagreeablc
above ALL for there is not person in the play who
is not, in one way another, msbchaying grossly
Every one is in the wrong, and the author most OF
all. Ana thCn ms drama IN StltUIdttl Win lDdt
aroma of bad company and loose living which is The
distinctive sign of VI. Dunas's muse. This lady Is
afflicted with a congcuital want Of perception Of GER
tain rudlment%ry differences between the possible
for decent people and the impossible. She has also
on this occasion abused her Characteristic pnyes"
of indu!giug in pretenti,us tiradcs of the would-be
phiosophc orler-eXplaininc that loyc is physics
and marriage is chemistry, &c
1t appears that for number Of weeks past we
have been in Carnival. | confess that never sts-
pected il, and by way of making UP my arrears of
perception of the subject, Went last night 10 the
masked ball of the Opera. This was the only bali
that the Opera in its present gorgeous domcile has
offered. Half dozen used to be given annually III
tic old operahoUae, but the present establishment
considers this vulgar profusiou beneath its dignity
Ii seems TO me quite right, fJr without making too
much of the merits of the present structure, one
may affirm that they al least Of a higher order
than the laborous gamhois of the rabble to show,
last night the privilege Of dancing was by common
consent surrendered. The crowd of spectators wa
enormous but the masscrs and dancers were wo-
fully scedy and shabby. The boasr J0Ts of masked
reyclry in Paris evidently over. Peace 10 ther
ashes! The new opera. arranged for the purpo.e as
the French know how 20 arrange such things, mad"
a superb ballroom, aud Strauss orchestra, on III
immense platform, thundersd away with an i'm
pressiveness which might have made the antics OF
dancers "a trile less dingy seem heroic. Benin tie
open stage the foyer de Ia daise was exhibited III
very effective manner. 1t il kind of huge rocco
Loudoir, ornunented with mcaallions bearing por-
traits Of all the great IStgesss of the pTouette,
from the Cam:rao to Carlott1 Gris IL was filled
with plants and grassy banks, among wnlch you
might fancy the ghosts Of these departed sylph'
coming down in their short-skrted sirouds to exc
cute spectral ballet and at its back was "A great
wall of platc-g!ass, which reflected the Whole hall
and doubled its extent. This was a good deal more
than enough, however, for masked ball at a the
ater begets, as Hamlet says, pestilent c"ngre-
CATION Of vapors. As came away bctnes, ahd "a"
the great mounted cuirassiers stationed in the dark
ness along the approaches they seemed III their M
mobility to have something refrcshinply seT're and
monumental HESEY JAMES JR.
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.