Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-18

THE MILLINERY NovELTIEs-rHsATER sPECULA-
TORS - THE CIRCUS SEASON THE LEGITIMATE
DRAhA-CHEAP oABs-rHs SPRING RACEs-THE
TROY TERRoR-MRs. WALLIS CASE. ETC.
Special Correspondence Of THE EVENING STAR.
NEW YORK, March 18th, 1882.
Lady Habberton's invention has been fairly
introduced to New York, but I'll wager thousand
to one that it will prove dead failure In spite of
It's ar1Stocratfc hacker. 1t Is q costume known as
the "divided skirt, which Is designed to present
the best qualities of both the trousers and gown,
but instead makes glaring their worst features.
1t Is dress or skirt divided down the middle so as
to be In measure like trousers but 1T is so fiend-
lshiy ugly that its adoption would drive all the
men to the north pole. Miss Kate Field gave the
first exhibition, but 1t didn't create much enthl-
siasm- Fit Is once introduced among women 1t
skirts on each side OF the dividing line to be made
smaller and smaller until trousers are reached
and knee breeches ultimately pronounced the pro-
per caper for all ladies who wish to be in the style
Ihls may be consumation devOutly to be wished
Tor by some men Of pronounced ideas, but for my
part don't relish the contemplation OF the day
ana the earth a br1Stling sea OF legs.
WHAT SHALL WE wEAR7
The subject that is perplexing the young lady OF
fashion just now is what she Is going to wear dur
Ing this season that has just been ushered In. She
has recovered sufficiently from the merry rounds
subject with a fair degree of freshness. In the
matter OF dress the hat and bonnet come first nat
uraIly, and women are logical in this respect at
least, In beginning with the head. Going down
the number of small bonnets worn. particularly
by women OF middle age. Although it Is too soon
for the more advanced Styles this may be taken as
an indication that bonnetS to be reduced to the
minimum. Some OF them now are so diminutive
that they make the basest pretense OF covering the
head-tO be more accurate. they leave the head
greeable spring blasts II they something to
be endured. Theater-goers would hail with de-
light similar tendency in hats At present the
spreading Gainsborough makes it necessary for
spectator to get front seat in the gallery If he
wants wants, to keep an eye on the stage. We are in
are to be worn. But fact not to be overlooked Is
that they are to have their brins bent somewhat
differently. One OF the leading features of the big
hats has been the feathers and tins that have nod
ded from the crown and curled around the edges.
Fashion now dictates that feathers and tips have
had their day-at least for the present They are
10 be replaced by flowers of the eSthetc varieties,
niies, sunfiowers, and the like, among others.
Perhaps am not warranted i'm including the gor-
geous SunfioWer; but as matter of fact saw
hat bobbing along the street to-day decorated with
one as large around almost as a saucer. 1t was
r1ch golden color, with dark brown center, SO
natural withal that Mr.. Wilde would have as
sumed worshipful attitude towards it at once.
Pretty young women, with fresh faces, will have
an opportunity to appear at a good advantage in
poke-shaped bonnets, as wreath Of flowers is to
be worn around the edge OF the rim, ON the out
such delicate frame, IT must be admitted, would be
rather trying on coarse features or q bad COM
pleXiOn.
THEATER-TICKET SPECTATORS
Many people express surprise at the opposition
shown In the legislature to the bill to prevent spec
ulating In tickets. They cannot understand where
such an apparently pOOr-looking set OF devils as
the ticket spectators get their influence FROM 1t
Is popular idea that managers dislike the specu-
lators and will be only too happy when their oper
ationS are pronounced miSdemeanOrS. This is the
result OF the constantly reiterated complaint OF the
manager-hOw he hates to see his patrons imposed
upon and hopes the dreadful sharps will be sup
pressed. But il you know the inside way at Al
bany what do you find? Why you find the man.
ager putting up his money to aid the ticket sharpS!
This is the reasons the sharps are in nearly every
| case employed by the manager. He takes one OF
them and gives him say $40 a week. The fellow
sells perhaps twenty seats night at fifty cents
advance over the box office gain. That puts ten
dollars night more into the managers pockets.
lt pays 1t Is an awful nuisance to the public,
to buy an orchestra chair for 81 so, but when you
get TO the doOryOu find that all the best seats in the
house are In the hands of some half dozen specr-
lators who caper about you like madmen and
shout like fog horns. You have lady with you
perhaps, and don't want to fight it out there, so
you meekly pay perhaps s. IS for the seats adver-
USED at $3.50, and hurry in to get away from the
loud-mouthed charlatans The thing is an out
rage.
THE NAY MUSICAL FESTIVAL
Is already becoming topic OF much interest In
musical circles. There are to be four evening and
three afternoon performances. The program for
the season Is varied. Much interest is also mani
tested In other cities In the success of the festival
Theodore Thomas, who Is to be the director has
been hard at work organizing twog great choruses-
tnat or The New York Chorus Society and that of
the philharmonic OF Brooklyn. AS MI. Thomas is
the Musical director OF these societies he has al
ready accomplished much in drilling them in
chorus music. Help Is to be furnished by the Ham
del and Haydn Society Of Boston, the OratOrfo So
clety OF Baltimore the Cecilian Society OF Phila-
trained voices In all: The list OF artists
viii include Madame Amalia Maturna, who is
described as the German interpreter OF Wagner.
lt IS said That Wagner has selected this artistic to
create the leading part In new work entitled
~Parsifal" Annie Louise Cary, Miss Emily Winant,
Myron w. Whitney, George Henschel and Franz
Remmertz have also been engaged. Dudley Buck
Is TO be the organist, and tie orchestra will be
composed OF three hundred musicians, from the
pest performers In this city, Boston, Philadelphia
Cincinnati and Chicago. Among the work to be
presented are the "1srael In Egypt" of Handel
By BeT and bseS r q
Madame Maturna, as Br,nnhilde will perform the
closing scenesor mountaineering. There are
great expectations Of this singer. She achieved
her greatest success at Beyreuth, where she
created the part of Bronnhilde. This was In 1876
she Will without doubt, prove the great attrac-
THE sAw-DUsr OPERA
The beginning OF the season In the circus world
VIII, OF course, have to be chrOnicled. Barnum's
show Is the most remarkable conglomeration OF
legs, beasts and curiOsties that Is possible to i'm
agine. When three rings are going all at once In
bewildering maze OF motion, chariots are racing
around them all, and twenty-five elephants are
Snorting In unison with gigantic band, the effect
IS startling at least These, OF course, are in add
ton TO no end OF wonders and curiOSities and
| bowling beasts OF every kind, and men and women
ilying through the air from guns, catapults and
spring boards. But the greatest sight OF all was
the veritable p 4. Barnum himself when he tod
died into the middle ring and delivered his little
speech. Then he went over and shook hands with
CEN Grant and provoked q by-stander into yell
Ing:
.Three cheers for the two great American insti-
tutions-Barnum and Grant,"
Mr.. Barnum takes great delight in his show and
Is constantly on hand. 1t Is ali well enough to
tax OF only his name being used, but when you
investigate you find that his head is always the
leading one In the firm. He is still robust and ac-
tive, though seventy-three years old. I'll never
forget what he said to me by the eleph ant ring
after the show Monday night.
This Is wonderful show, Mr. Barnum," said
YES said he, thOughtfully, "its wonderful
show. am amazed myself when look at it. Do
you know the standing wonder of my old age? It
is the extent to which the show business is car
ried. In the widest dreams OF my youth and
dreamed OF nothing else but shows, I never
thought 1t could reach this / am happy now be-
cause my dreams are more than realized The