New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-12-30
MRS. LANGTRY.
HER FIRST APPEARANCE ON THE STAGE.

month Of December witness such an audience as
that which assembled yesterday afternoon in the
Haymarkct. December is one of those months
when Mountaineering Mayfair and Bclglvia-is
most empty. Country houses full, there is still
plenty Of shooting. the hunting season Is at its
height. the Christmas holidays are near. Nobody
is in town. and vet everybody was at Tho Hay
market yesterday afternoon. As you looked about
you might have supposed yourself present on FIRST
night of PATHS temperance nj COyent Garden IN
April, or of Mile. Sarah Bcrnha-dts aJ the uaicty
in June. The Prince and Princess of Wales with
their suite-the Princess looking more IiAo seven
teen than thirty Soycn-Occuped the royal box.
The Countess of Lonsdale sat- radiant in Ire centre
stall Of tho front row. Lord LondeshorCugh had
the box over the Princes, and Baron lerdinand de
Rothschild the one opposite; another RotEschiid,
Baron Nathaniel of Vienna. contcnt!nc himself
with stall below. The Earl Of Fife and Colonel
FarCuhars0n, Sir Algcrnon Borthwick and Colonel
Finch aud scores of social celebrities. were to be-
seen in stalls OF dress circle even in the gallery
above, for this was case where people took such
seats as they could get Pretty and fashionable
women everywhere; some whose names are IN
eyerybody's month and in every society journal;
some Of equal prctcnsous happily less known t.
fame Of that sort; one at least whose lovencsS IS
the ornament OF the most brilliant society, of whom
the general public has hardly heard the name. The
worlds of art aud letters and journalism sent some
OF their most distinguished representatives.
The hills announced fer performance GoldsmIth's
comedy " She Stoops t. Conquer" for the benefit Of
the Royal and Gonrrdl Theatrical Fund. The
comedy is "a popular comedy and fhe Theatrical
Fund n charity deserving of support; bul neither
one nor the othcr was the real attraction OF the
Il, .I,tt
pany together was the appearance Of NiIs. Langty.
l suppose there was hardly anybody i" the house
who had not often met the famous beauty in
private. few had her in the private tneatrl-
Gals al Twickeuham the other day. But the GER
taintv that sic was TO appear on public a,lg"
excited the kcCnost curiosity-thc more 80 n II
known that success or failure would settle the
question whether she should attempt the Stage as
profession This it was that broke up parties in
the country and brought people from Buci,in .hdu.-
shire and Yorkshire and even from Scotland to
witness her debut. believe mentioned the other
day that stalls were quoted at 500 For me 81"
two that had been returned there are Away
one OF two--bcught originally NJ 80 rs much n, $50
was paid at the last moment before the curtain
went up This WAS ali very latorinx to Mrs.
Laugtry, but if II added to the prestige OF her
debut il added immensely also 10 the difficulties of
II. Au audience composed OF personal acquamt-
auccs, of public that has paid enormous prices
for entry, and Of all the most critical people ~
London, might daunt veteran.
1t did not seem to disturb Mrs Lanstry's compo-
sure for a moment Perhaps she found 1t no more
trying to walk the IIaymarket stage from the
front wings than to walk into the drawingroom al
Marlborough House. ere was not sign OF emo
ton on her peach-coortd check winch IL may be
sad in passing, bore trace Of having been male
up0 int which by and by flushed and palcd with
element as it used to in private life. She wore
brocadc o pink and pale yellow low III the neck
but covering the shoulders, and amber satin
pc.tIcOat aud ! know not what other elaborate
magnfceuces of costume; the whole fitting per
ftctly and suting we. the delicate ripe pcndor Of
the wearpr's beauty. 1t always a question
whether Mrs Langtry's lovencss would endure the
glare Of the footlights She certainly gains nothing
from it. As IA she Is handsOmer in "A ball
room or in the Park, but for all that no actress has
been seen on the stage IN modern days who could
stand a comparison in looks with Mrs. Laug'ry.
The purity of her complexion has not been matched
anywhere, perhaps the soft iuincsS OF her violet
eyes which can only be described by the cTithet
which Homer bestowed on the Queen Of the Gods
ox-eyed which is voted TOO hOLrly in our days.
The setting of the eve and the moulding Of the
temples over which the dark brown hair falls far,
pure Greek, passing INTO moIo modern type
below The profile is a little, very iittlo, irTegu
lar, the mouth and jaw strongly shaped, the teeth
perfect, the head elegantly sci on the shoulders,
which are possibly high but rounded and full, as j,
the bust aud the whole figure. In the upward Aama
OF the gas the ustrc Of the skin j, DAZZLING and the
wnsomeIc,s OF the hali-appealing expression ha,
the same charm which London long since pIo
nounccd irresistible. Even those " no came only
to look" remarks predetermined Brton tls
morning, viii admit that they had their money
worth"
The audience gave this sDoiicd favortc Of three
seasOns "A ci vii greeting, civil and nothing more.
house of tins sort N seldom demonstratIyc. and
donbt whether desire TO be critical did not pre-
vail with the majority over whatever enthusiasm
OF friendship there may have been. They were not
gong 10 be conquered over again by mere beauty |
long since familiar to them. even by The self
possession and grace of movement; which also was
no novelty. The first surprise came when Mrs !
LangIry's voice was heard 1t is here that almost
every novice breaks down. Mrs. Lan@try was
heard in every part of the house From the second
row of the stalls where sat- often difficult to hear
from because the stage, every tone was
audible and people in IemotC pats said the same |
ching The voice was full, musical varied, and so
distinct was Mrs. Langtry's eOcutiOn that no word
was lost Now good elOcutOn Is the very TarcoJ |
accomplishment on The English stage. Mrs. Lang
try cannot have been taught-thero has been no
time for more than few rehearsals-but the finish
and deberateness OF her utterance and the skill |
with which she managed her voice would have done |
credit to pupil OF the Paris Conservative. The |
one marked blemish in her pronunciation is the
thing she must have been taught, the COckney |
pronunciation of such words as how" and
about; which she has not been known TO use in
private
Miss Hardcastle has not much to do in the first
scene but when tie curtain FELL Mrs. Langtry had