Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-23
The Latest S,,Ie Of Criticism.


"A revolution has broken out
cried a little gentleman in black,
rushing into the dramatic editors
room.
Take it to the political editor"
mo, | mean a revolution in jour
nalism, and in your particular line,
| believe you are the dramatic critic
of this paper" said the little gentle.
nan, Pumping into a chair aud draw
ing forth = manuscript.
Haven't time to look over any
new plays to day, said the dramatic
editor. Call again in about three
years or So
Don't want you to look over a play"
said the little gentleman. Something
far more important. A revolution has
taken place in dramatic criticism"
mo use for it." said the dramatic
editor.
But we have reached a stage in
the esthetical progress of the world
when the public demands a more"
Heard that by the yard before"
said the editor. Il tell you this is my
busy day
1T is your business to hear and
learn" said the ittlegentleman. Art,
in its passionate serenity, stands beck
oning you to a higher plain. Will
you 60 up to hal plain and become
one of the educators of your time, or
are you content to dwell upon the full
houses and drawing well level of crit.
cism?"
"Isay this is my busy day" shouted
the editor
But my business is of far more
importance than any you can have on
hand said the little gentleman. Il
come to you as a missionary of art to
lead you cut into the Jean Francois
Millet atmosphere of dramatic crit.
cism, where everything is purely
exqaisitely, augustly Greek. anG
where you will be taught to fall down
upon your knees before the Parthenon
and where the very air is permeated
with
IF you don't light out this moment
I'll have you bounced" cried the
editor.
Suppose you rel writing up the
appearance OF a new actress" con
inued the little gentleman, do not
dwell too long upon the unimportant
point Of her acting, but float away
into the artistic phases of the ques-
ton. Say, for instance, that the har
mony in blue and gold which she wore
in the first act was charming, but that
the right leg Of the table at the bach
was not so Grecian as it might have
been, and that tht ~candlestick useC
in the second act was all out of har.
mOny With the shutters. Then g
back into history a bit. Lug 10 some
thing about Reynolds, Claude OF
some other fellow, no matter
who, and never mind about il
having anything to do with thu
subject you are wiring on. Wander
away into Plorentine mysticism
and sling in a lot about tn,
romantic, the classic and the
plastic. Then pitch in and say that
the actress reminds you of the pure
Egyptian, Roman and Greek types o
beauty, dilate upon her ears, mouth
eyes, face, neck and say anything you
like, so long as you don't come GU
hatfootsd about her acting. Alwayl
keep that in the background. Say fol
instance, in the opening up, 1t il
strange what a charm hangs about the
ruins Of dead Troy, but then everything
that is beautiful In woman is coupled
with that city made a living real thinl
by the blind poet of Greece. Has an.
other Helen come among usg Their
you compare your actress with the old
Helen racket, and
Stop cried the editor.
Then you say that her laughter is
~ the laughing Of pleasant fountains
over"
But the little man suddenly dropped
under the table, and his remains were
duly deposited in a wagon and taker
to Rlatbgsh,