Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-07-08


is the seventeenth time the grand p1ir has
were entered. In the sixteen years the
French horses carried off the prize nine
times, and the English seven this last race
makes that of the English horses eight
one less victory than those gained by the
French horses. The favorite horse this
year was Beauminet, but he came in only
fourth, while Robert the Devil, belonging
to Charles Brewer of London, easily won
the race. 1t poured down rain the whole
day long, yet in spite of that an i'm
mense crowd was present, in the
tribunes and in carriages, the only ones
missing this year being the ten thousand
people who formerly covered the grounds
and knobs around. A great number of
pretty ladies were to be seen in the Presi-
dents tribune. Among the number of dis
tinguished persons present were Mr.. and
Mrs. Jules Ferry, Minister of Public In
struction Mr.. Turquet, Sous Secretaire
aux Beaux-Arts, and his daughter; Mr..
and Mrs. Cookery, Minister of the Inte-
rior; Mr. Andreux, Project de Police
Mr.. Lepere, Count Rampon and others.
At half past two Mr.. Grevy, the President,
and his daughter drove up in landau
drawn by two superb sorrel horses. He en-
tertained the King of Greece IN his private
box. As usual, on this occasion there were
some beautiful tolettes, but they were but
butterflies of day, for after such storm
they could never have the courage to APP
pear il sunlight.
A PARTISAN FASHION.
1t has for some time past been the fash
ion of Paris to read poems aud dramatic
works in salons before presenting them to
the publisher or theatrical manager. Re.
Gently Mounet Sully, the first tragedian of
the Theatre Francois, read in the salon of
Madame Edmond Adam dramatic poem
called "Galathee," adapted by Juliette
Lambert from the work of a young Greek
poet, Zasiliardis, who unfortunately died
in the flower of his age and talent Every
body knows the famous legend Of Pygma-
lion, sculptor and King of Chypre, who
bewailing the deprivation of the inhabitants
of his island, resolved to live away from
them. He employed his leisure time in
making statue of ivory representing the
companion of his dreams, the wife
of his desire, the ideal of modesty
in the ideal of beauty. He sue.
ceeded to his entire satisfaction.
"Venus p he then cried, give me wife
as pure and as accomplished as this statue I"
Venus answered his prayer by animating
the statue and Pygmalion married his liv-
ing work, Galathee. They had son named
Paphus, who founded the famous city of
Paphos and renewed the worship of Venus,
until then grossly adored under the form
of black aerolith. The drama scarcely
borrowed from the primitive legend other
than the idea of the animated statue, and
for the ivory marble was substituted. The
sculptor, very much in love with his work,
duplicates the gods to give it a soul and
life should she even remain Indifferent to
his admiration. The gods, in order to
avenge his rash demand, animated Gala
thee. She opens her eyes, her heat beats,
she breathes, she lives, she loves. But
not for Pygmalion, it is for the young
brother of this chimerical creature that she
palpitates with love. The personages thus
conceived, the action follows its fatal
course and uprolls with
POWERFUL SIMPLICITY.
Two scenes dominate the poem one
wherein Pygmalion disarms his brother
through his cordial generosity the other
wherein the cruel selfshness of Galathee
throws her into such fury that it causes
her to return to the nothingness of her in
animate nature. In these two scenes, par
ticularly in the heroic dialogue of the low
ing brothers, which is the eliminating poin-
of the piece, there are fine impulses, past
sionate and human cries, the spreading of
wings in full and warm light towards the
ideal. Mr.. Mounet Sully exercised the
full extent of his talent in rendering all
the beauties of the piece. Those present
were at the same time in the most grace
full of Partisan salons and in the most
purely majestic of Greek temples. Juliette
Lambert is Madame Adam herself, who
still retains her maiden name for her lit
erary works. she has made a special
study of Greek, and through her knowl-
edge of both the ancient and modern Gus
toms of that country has earned name in
literature.
There is another lady at Paris who is
even more remarkable in that she has de-
voted herself to Chinese literature and the
translation of Chinese romances, dramas
and comedies. Madame Judith Gautier is
the daughter of Theophile Gautier, the
charming French writer, who was young
man when Victor Hugo was young man !;
he was the most valiant soldier in the
ranks of the Romantists at the time of the
battle with the classics when Hermann
first made its appearance. A Chinaman
having left his country on account of do
nestle difficulties, Theophile Gautier came
across him and took him home with him
pretty much as he did the cats of which he
had fine and numerous collection.
THE CHINAMAN,
In order to manifest his gratitude for the
kindness and friendship extended to him,
taught the children, two of them then
quite young, the Chinese language, by
constantly speaking to them in Chinese,
and teaching them to read and write, for
he was a learned doctor in his own coun-
try. Judith was the only one who pro-
flied by the lessons, and she learned to
speak Chinese fuently without knowing
how. She began her TRANSACTIONS at the
age of fifteen, and has since continued, to
the delight of all those who take an inter
est in Chinese literature. a little comedy,
adapted from a Chinese comedy by her,
was played the other evening in the salon
of Madame la Baronne de Polly, by the
artists of the Theatre Francais l shall
give an account of it in my next letter.
One of the daily paper now prints drama
translated from the Chinese by Judith
Gautier, called "The Courtcsan" Mr..
Coquelin dine has returned to the Theatre
Francois, much to the satisfaction of
the Partisan public. He had made an
engagement with the manager of one of
the London theaters to play there this
summer; he was engaged to play with
Sarah Bernhardt. As the company is now
in litigation with that actress it was
deemed by all parties as improper to pub.
licly take part against the Theatre Fran
Gals, of which she was member. Now
that he has concluded to wait until Sarah
Bernhardt's engagement expires at London
before going there, leave of absence has
been granted him and like stray sheep he
returns to the fold
The law case of the Theatre Francois
versus Sarah Bernhardt is to come off this
week. She is really to 60 to America next
October, when she is to receive wouldn't
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