Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-17
OLIVE LOGAN'S LETTER.

Artistic Entertainments in London
That the. artistic receptions of London
are vastly more entertaining than those
which take place in the most aristocratic
circles is a well-known, an undisputed
fact. There is limit to the purses of
even the richest, and if at reception a
lady of title can offer her guests the en-
tertainment afforded by the singing or
playing Of one or two good artists she not
unjustifably considers that she has done
much to repay the gay crowd for coming.
The demands of society have now grown
so great, that it no longer sufficcs to have
fine house, fine pictures aud statuary, or
even fine grounds in which ones guests
may loiter as they will. Something de-
finite and excellent must be provided in
the artistic way, and singers and en-
tertainers in London usually expect to
make more money out of their engage
ments during the three months of
the fashionable season than during all
the rest of the year on the pro-
| fessional boards. 1t is true that GER
tain class of artists consider these society
engagements degrading to their dignity
and therefore decline to accept any such.
Mr. Henry Irving has no terms upon
which Lady Gay Flouncey can parade
him before the slippers of her five o'clock
| tea, and if he be occasionally heard in one
of his fine poetic declamations away from
the footlights of the Lyceum Theatre, it
| is for the entertainment Of brother artists
and is spontaneously offered for love, net
money. When Adelina Patti was living
with her husband, she was received quite
as a friend by the highest aristocracy,
even royalty itself At Marlborough
House she and the Princess of Wales
were wont to alternate i'll the musical
performances for the delectation OF the
assembled company. Alexandra is a
superb musician and plays not one, but
many instruments. Her desire-a truly
AleXandrian One-tO conquer all fields in
this delightful pursuit has led her to at
tain perfection i'll her performance on the
either, and has moderniZed and made
fashionable that modest voiced and long
neglected little instrument. But her in
timacy with La Patti can be resumed no
more forever, and nowadays Adelina is
heard in no drawing-roomS. Her posi-
ton there would be at present too anon
alous. To have been friend and then
sink to the level OF a paid performer, So
she takes refuge behind the theory of
Irving-that great artists should not be
seen in houses which only admit them as
salarled servants. Sara Bernhardt last
season had no such scruples, and many
handsome hundred guineas which figured
in her bank account got carried there by
her apres-midis in the mansions of the
great.
Mr.. and Mrs Florence sail for home
the 23d July, in order to be quite ready
for their fall season. They have had a
splendid time'' for year past, having
made also successful appearance in
London at the Gaiety Theatre, where
Mr.. Florence's portrait as Bardwell Slote
still hangs in the vestibule and attracts
the attention of the crowds who are flock
| ing to see Sarah Bernhard in the roles
which made her fortune in America. The
Florences take back several new pieces,
but rely on one of them to make so great
hit as shall render the production of
the others unnecessary for some time
This is comedy from Mr.. Sims, whose
capital piece, 'sThe Member from Slo-
cum" is an uncontrovertible hit at the
Royalty. The play he has written for
the Florences is take-off upon the as-
thetic craze, and Mrs. Florence gave me
privately some amusing specimens of the
manner in which she will show our
audiences how excruciatingly "lntense'
and ''utterly UTTER" she can be. She is
having robe embroidered with sun
flowers, the pet device of the aesthetics,
even outranking peacock feathers and
pond lilies in their alteration of sublime
symbols in art and nature