The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-08-06
THE TRAMP ABROAD.
Selections from Mark TWain's Story of
His European Trip.

| have found ont that there is nothing
the Germans like SO much us the opera.
They like If, not i'll mild and moderate
way, Tut with their whole hearts. This
u " legitimate result of habit aud cduca-
non. Our nation will like the opera, too
ny and by, no doubt One i'll fifty of
Hose who attend our operas likes it
already, perhaps, but | think good
many of the other forty-ninc go i'll order
10 learn 10 like il, and the rest III order
t" he able to talk knowingly about it.
The latter usually hum the airs while
they are being sung, So that their neigh
huTs may perceive that they have been to
operas before. The funerals Of these do
not occur often enough.
In Germany they always hear one
thing at an opera which has never vet
been heard iii America, perhaps-l mean
the closing strain of fine solo or duet.
W" Away, smash into il with an earth
quake Of Of applause. The result is
that We rob ourselves of the sweetest part
of the treat; We get the whisky, but we
..ou't get the sugar III the bottom Of the
glass.
a!n told that i'll German concert or
opera they hardly ever encore song;
that though they may bc dying Ia hear
It again, thrir good breeding usually pre-
serves them against requiring the repcti-
tom
Kings may encore; that il quite an
other matter; it delights everybody to
see that the King is pleased; and ns to
the actor encored, his pride and gratit-
cation are simply boundlcss.
O. -. ,
u poets ccccntricities-with the ad-
vantage over all other poets of being
able 10 crafty them, no matter what
form they may take. He il fond of the
opera, but not fond of sitting in the
presence Of an audience, therefore, il has
sometimes occurred, in Munich, that
when an opera has been concluded and
the players were getting of their paint
and tincry, command has come 10 them
10 get their paint and finery on again.
Presently the king would arrive, solitary
and alone, and the PLAYER would begin
ut the beginning and do the entire opcln
over again, with only that one individual
in the vast solemn theatre for audience.
Once he took an odd freak into his head.
High up and ont Of sight, over the pro-
dIgiOus stage of the court theatre is
maze of lntcrlacnG water pipes, 40
pierced that III c;isc of fire innumerablc
little thrcHilikc streams of water can be
caused to deccnd; and in case Of need,
this discharge can he augmented to Il
pouringtl food. American managers might
make note of that. The king was sole
audience. The opera proceedcd; il was
Il piece with storm in it; the mimic
90 4
began to wall and sOugh, and the mimic
rain to patter. The kings interest rose
higher and higher; it developed into
enthusiasm. He cried out:
at is good, very good, indeed! But
will have real rain Turn on the water y
The manager pleaded for reversal of
the command; said it would ruin the
costly scenery and the splendid costumes,
but the king cried:
"NO matter, no matter. | will have
real rain Turn on the watcr!"
So the real rain was turned on and be-
gan TO descend in gOssaIner lances to
the mimic flower beds and gravel walks
Of the stage. The richly-dresscd act
resscs and actors trippcd about singing
bravely and pretending not {" mind 1t.
The king was delighted-hise enthusiasm
grew higher He cried out:
Bravo, Bravo! More thunder |!
more lightning! turn on more rain -
The thunder doomed, the lightning
glared, the storm winds ragged, the delugc
poured down. The mimic royalty on
the stage, with their soaked satins cling
ing TO their bodies, stopped around
amklc-deep i'll water warbling their best
and sweetest; the fiddlcrs under the
caves of the stage sawed away for dear
life, with the cold overflow spouting
down the backs Of their necks, and the
dry and happy king sat in his lofty box
and wore his gloves to ribbons applaud
ing.
more yeti" cried the king; "morc
yet; let loose all the thunder, turn on al
the water! ] will hang the man that
raises an umbrella"
When this most tremendous and efiec'
tive storm that Ind ever been produced
in any theatre was at last over, the kings
appreciation was neasureless. He cried
" Magnificent, magnificent! Encore!
DO it again!"
But the manager succeeded III per-
suading the king TO recall the encore,
and sad that the company would feel
sufficiently rewarded and complimented
IN the mere fact that the encore was de-
e!red 10y hiS majesty without fatiguing
him with n repetition to crafty their own
vanity.
During the remainder of the aci
the lucky performers were those
Whose parts required change of dress;
the oGIers were soaked, bedraggled,
but ia the last degree picturesque. The
Stage scenery was ruined, the trap-doors
were 80 swollen that they wouldn't work