The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-08

| MISS MAsILL's READING.-We cannot speak
Friday night last, by the finished elocutionist,
Miss Mary Tucker Magill. There were many
present, doubtless, who had heard her upon
| previous occasions, and for them it remains to
state whether or not her usual reputation was
sustained. To us, who for the first time had
the pleasure of listening to her Incompatible
rendering of difficult selections, it appeared
that she had reached the zenith of her profess
ion. Her renditions were mostly humorous
with now and then one eliminating in the pa
| thetic or tragic.
From one to the other she assembled or de-
scended, as the occasion demanded, with an
ease only mastered by long experience and
perfect attainment in the mysteries of elocu-
ton. For instance, in the rendition of MADE
moiselle de Follenville" she represented
with faultless execution the perplexities of
French demoiselle over the idiosyncracies OF
the English language; her indignation at be-
ing misunderstood when she said sheep" in
stead of ship; also, her misapprehendIng In
turn the mate, when he remarks There's
buoy overheard" and her vociferous alarm.
There's boy overheard )" her infinite dis
gust in being rudely repulsed for her i'll timed
though well meant sympathy and actually told
to "hush." In fact Mademoiselle's whole ex-
perience both in England and America, inter-
spersed with characteristic denunciation OF
English pronunciation in general, was related
a 10 hu Il oil.
herself, while the French idioms which she
could not refrain from introducing into her
excited narrative, glided forth with grace 80
facile as to strongly impress the listener with
the fact that Miss Magil's linguistic capacities
were as potent as those recitative. This sketch,
moreover, justified the conclusion that in the
field of gesticulation she is also superior. II
her face is so capable of interpreting such
varying emotions without any seeming effort,
and her gestures SO inimitable, her voice is
none the less perfectly under her control.
This assertion she substantiated in the superb
manner in which Moses Adams "How Rube
did it" was given us, passing from the finest
treble to the deepest growing bass of the
gampt in style which led her auditors to ap |
preciate this curious combination of humor
and pathos as many never did before. Her
entrance into the realms of darkey land and
her skillful management Of the patoss of the |
model black, was highly successful as rendered |
in "Wilypms Wattermilyun." The somnam-
bulistic scene from Aacbeth she produced with
fine effect. The instances quoted are only |
a few of the large number of selections, but |
they will serve as samples. Many others fig
ured in her programme, but of them it only |
sqfticeth TO add that in testimony of appreci-
alton Of each recitation, her responsive audi
ence arose, and were by Turns conyplsed with
laughter, awe stricken, or moved to tears and
tender reflections. The crowd, though not
large was pleasant and select, and made up in
what it lacked in numbers,
We tender Miss Magill many thanks for thus
pleasantly breaking ip upon the tedious mo-
pet0Ry Of 0lnF city, and would say to those Of
our citizens who failed to attend that thew
missed rare treat, and urge fuller turnout
should she ever again so favor us, which we
trust she may do at no late day