Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-02-28

Va
will have no difficulty in finding the key.
Just then the Count enters like hurri-
cane. Nourvady has paid his wifes debts
of seventeen hundred thousand francs. He
believes, and almost any one would, that
his wife has been unfaithful to him, and he
abuses her in a fearful manner And Lion
nette becomes angry and indignant.
Against whom? Evidently against the in
famous Nourvady, who dishonors her
after having insulted her Not at all.
Against her poor husband, whom she chases
off and calls fool. And the next
day after night of reflection
she experiences an lmperlous need
of an explanation. With whom? Doubt
less with the unfortunate Count, whom
she so cruelty treated the evening before
Not in the least. With the miserable
creature with the forty millions and she
goes to him to demand this explanation
IN the famous hotel containing the Golfer
Nourvady coolly proves to the Countess
that he has dishonored her because ne
loves her, end that being dishonored she
has no other resource than to belong to
him. She answers him that she is a
kings daughter, and that she despises
him. But at this moment vigorous
knock is heard at the door; it is the
Commissaire de Police, brought by the
husband. Then she allows her hair to
fall upon her shoulders, partly undresses
herself, and opening wide the doors, pro-
claims before the Commissaire de Police
that she has sold herself. Ali these per-
sons, the husband, the wife and Nourvady,
are afterwards found as though nothing
had happened in the conjugal residence
the wife to get her personal goods, and
Nourvady to seek the wife, for it is decided
that they will start off on journey to-
gether. Thereupon the little boy enters,
sees his mother dressed for journey,
and asks to be taken promenading
with her. "No, let me go Off" she
says to him. The child insists, and
clings to his mothers dress. Nourvady
draws him away so roughly that he falls
upon the floor. " Miserable creature,
cries the mother. She grasps Nourvady
by the throat. He, who moment before
spoke of numbering everybody, is afraid of
being strangled to death and escapes.
TELL my husband to come here" she
says. The Count arrives she throws her.
self at his feet. q am innocent" she
exclaims. And the Count pardons her.
As may be seen the piece is full Of
IMPRoBABLITIEs,
And is unnatural from beginning to end.
1t may well be asked how mother who
has scarcely taken any notice of her child
in all its lifetime finds so much maternal
strength on slight provocation to the
child as to almost strangle man whose
forty millions she went to take peep at
l. La - ~
If it has been the authors intention to
treat of the bizarrerie of mothers affec-
ton, he should first prove its existence,
and not leave Nature to perform all the
task through tour dc force. 1t is more
Just to suppose that the author sought
to prove nothing at all, but that
having fed his audiences for years
past on improbabilities and unhealthful
food, he expected them TO be as greedy
for anything he might give them, however
distasteful it might be to their common
sense. | recently asked French critic,
while discussing the merits, or rather de-
merits of the play, where it was Alexander
Dumas, ills, found his strange characters,
with whom nobody else in the world
seemed to be acquainted. He does not find
them, l was answered he invents them
out of his sick Imagination, and how can
you expect him to see and feel as we do,
for he has never known what it is to have
family, and has never had any bringing
up-he has merely grown up behind the
scenes of theaters. Yet he possesses one
thing for which he will always be admired
and highly extolled by Parisiars-he has
esprit, an esprit fine, delicate and peculiar,
a sort of exotic plant which refuses to grow
anywhere else than on the very summit of
concentrated French civilization, and for
that reason the plays of Alexander Dumas,
fls, when carried beyond the walls of the
capital. lose their favor like good sauces,
and appear worthless and indigestible. 1t
is astonishing to perceive how much
ado the French make over esprit,
and in order to get sniff at it
are willing to wade through any quantity of
mire or be blinded by clouds Of dust. Yet
the esprit sprinkled throughout the
Princesse de Bagdad is not going to sui
fee for the partaking of the play by
the pablo, and as it has received its
death warrant on its first appearance it
will doubtless be heard of no more.
MANA DRAMATIzED.
Mr.. Busnach, well-known draulatist.
has dramatized Mana, which has lately
appeared at the Ambigu' Theater. This
author has entirely erased all the vulgar
expressions and indecent scenes which
seem to be the special prerogative of lola,
and the play so produced Is not more re-
voting or more immoral than thoseof gaod
many other authors. In tie last act Mana,
which role is played by very pretty and
Ii Ia &c on
in all the agonies of small p0X, and her
face is so glued over with black and red
patches as to appear fsarfully real and
inspire the audience with horror. For
this scene the pretty actress consulted a
number of persons and physicians as to
the effect produced by his disease, and
it was on the recommendation of the
physician of the theater that the present
plan was followed, and it is one of the
actors, we'll versed IN smallpox marks, who
paints her face each evening. Just as
when Croizette created the role of the
Sphynx, some years ago, and was anxious
to know now persons died from certain
poison. and for that purpose consulted all
the principal physicians of the city. The
circumstance was so much talked about
that it was stated science had revealed to
the actress the means Of turning from a
white color to yellow, and then to green,
and the majority who saw the play de-
clared that such phenomenon did take
place. although for my part, could per-
ceive nought but pretty woman suddenly
turn into CHASTITY pale, homely-looking
creature 1t seems the public are fond of
seeing people die-on the stage-and no
doubt they will rush to the Amhigu to see
the pretty Mile Massin die of the small
pox, just as they did to the Theatre Fran
Gals years ago to see the handsome Croi-
zette die of poison.
Many curious and interesting things are
to be seen in the streets of Paris,
and I confess that l never see crowd
without pushing my way through to see
what it is, if such can be done without too
much inconvenience. The qther day, while