Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-11-02


debut, as there was on the first night of Mr.
Miller's new play. Men and women well
known in literary and professional circles
were there, all anxious TO Judge for themselves
Of the merits of play which had been both
praised and condemned by the critics of the
leading papers in New York, and which had
drawn crowded houses nightly for seven
weeks. Longfellow occupied box with Mr.
| Miller; Holmes was there, and others equally
celebrated in the world of letters. There was
a visible GOODNESS ON the part of the audience
when the play commenced and during the
first act but after that they increased in the
warmth of their demonstrations until at the
end of the third act Mr.. Miller was loudly
called for and twice bowed his thanks from
the box He flushed like a girl as he faced
the brilliant audience, and the gladness would
shine out from his eyes in spite of himself.
" 1t was my greatest triumph" he said.
when speaking of it afterwards. Dear old
Boston, the place in America love the best
of all it's u paradise of bricks and mortar.
Its people are so kind to me; / was prepared
to be entirely torn TO pieces, but You see the
treatment they give me and my play. I know
|
why I've lived that wild mining life myself,
and the characters are all drawn from life. l
knew Timber Tim, and The Parson,' and
The Judge. and I've seen hundreds of such
scenes in The Howling Wilderness AZ have
depicted in my play. have had critics OBJ
iect to the play on account Of its unnatural
ness its exaggerated representations and the
absurdity of the miners language. Why,
bless my heart it's an absolute copy of what
| have seen and heard hundreds of times
When you come to think of it, it is rather
absurd, that men who were brought up in the
East, never seeing anything of the rough life
Of the plains and the miners, should assert so
very cmphatically that such scenes are unreal,
because they have not happened TO witness
them. Still that is the human nature of it,
we are apt to believe only what we ourselves
know Individual worlds are always circun-
scribed
The present theatrical excitement is the
benefit to Edwin Adams which is to take place
Mt the Boston Theatre on Wednesday morning
at ten o'clock. when Mr.. Sothern will appear
as " The Crushed Tragcdian,' supported by
the New York Park Theatre Company They
will play in their own theatre Tuesday night,
leaving New York directly after the perform
ance and arriving here early on Wednesday
morning. They will take breakfast with the
Macaroni Cuba dramatic club which in
cludos among its members the oldest and best
Boston actors-and will leave Boston ON the
one o'clock train, arriving in New York in
season to appear at their own theatre in the
evening Mr.. Sothern pays the expenses of
the trip: Mes'rs. Thompkins and Hill give the
use of the theatre and Mr.. Abbey of the Parl,
Theatre gives the services Of the company.
There is II Tremendous rush for tickets, both
on account of Adams, who was great favor
tie here. and because it will be the only OPP
portunity of seeing Mr.. Sothern this season in
this character.
The ridiculous suit of Count johannes
against Mr.. Sothern has only made every one
here more anxious TO see the play, for We all
know The Count of old, and his occentricities
have long since ceased TO be a source of amuse-
mrnt; but this last escapade is funny even for
him. l don't believe when he commenced it,
that he dreamed of the good it would do Mr..
Sothen
In view of the present interest in art mat
2 tiers, and thu sudden revival of art interests,
Mcssrs. Osgood & Co. have commenced the
publication of Artist Biographies, which
will give short but comprehensive accounts OF
thr lives Of prominent painters. The series
opens with biography Of Titan, and is TO be
5 followed by Raphael, Michael Angelo, Leon
ardo DE Ninci, and all the most famous artists
since their time. The volumes are small, cost
) only fifty cents, and yet contain all the i'm
pOftant events of their lives In addition to
3 this there is at the end of the volume list OF
all their works known to be in existence, to.
g,ther with their present location. These
, books will meet a want which is sadly felt
there are hundreds of people who desire TO be
g better informed on art, and who do not have
the time TO read the more ambitious biogra.
phes for this class OF persons these books
are specially adapted, and will be gladly re
, ceived by them.
z Miss Elizabeth Stuart Phelps's STORY OF
Avis" just Published by Osgood is one of the
authors characteristic works. Avis is young
artist who hesitates about marrying u younl
college tutor, because She is so devoted to arr
that she believes she has no right to sacrifice
it for domestic life He, with the romance Of
, a lover assures her that he will prove no riva
= to her art, and that he is not marrying her fol
q housekeeper The husband. however de
mands the comforts which the lover treated 81
lightly, and unhappiness enSues. 1t ends Al
: last by loss of both husband and art Their,
@ is something unutteRbly sad all through tn,
book, and one finishes it with feeling fully a.
. unsatsfed rs Aviss own. Unlike most book
that traot nf domestic inf. Griti.s IL * thor
: oughly sweet and clean, a; il must be wheI
: one considers the author, for Miss Phelps car
4 do nothing but purify any subject which sh,
touches. Avis is a peculiar and-happiy TO
a the average domestic peace of mind-an un
a common character, but by no means an un
= natural one. She is just the sort of woman
: who shouldn't marry; one who can read tn
/ riddle of the Sphinx and paint the ideal Solu
ton, but can never comprehend the enigma o
c successful housekeeping, and whose children
It bore her, although she loves them in far
@ away fashion, when they don't interfere witt
IS her arrangements Still. if Avis hadn't mar
p ried. we shouldn't have had her story, and s.
e have been deprived of a pleasure, sad although
it is.
II Roberts Bros. have just published Miss Har
= riet w. Preston's translation of the Life O
: Alfred De Musset." by his brother, Paul d
, Musset charming book but as Miss Presto
e says of it in the preface, 1T is an ardent ant
II, fearful defense, IA eulogy a threnody, pic
e turesque and brightly idealized sketch rathe
u than sober piece of portraiture." Still, VIII
would not prefer it, warmed and flushed b.
IL the brotherly love which inspired it, to tn
n cold, critical and analytical estimate of on
q who esteemed him less.
Hurd & HCuphton are lust issuing n ney