The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-05-01
THE LAST OF MRS. LANGTRY

tour of the great cities of the United
States, Mrs. Lang,ry has got hack II
her starting point, New York. He
visit has had its sweets and its bitter
nesses. On the one hand a great dea
of delightful Aattery and compliment
have been showered upon her; on the
other, her artistic pretentiODs have
been the subject more Of merrimen
than of serious consideration, Will,
malicious and very correct person:
have made many unpleasant reiiee.
tons on certain peculiarities Of l.el
personal conduct. The mean resul,
Is probably satisfactory. She Ina:
gained the highest ambition of We
man ; to be universally envied " heI
own sex and universally admired 10y
the opposite one. If she is sensitive
to criticism, there is even a healing
balm to her wounded feelings she
has made a great financial success of
her visit.
Her final appearance. or what a
critic calls her remittance, in New
York is made the occasion OK renewed
criticism of her at by supposed dra.
matte experts. A. when she first APP
peared on the American stage, there is
a prevailing curiosity concerning her.
This curiosity takes, however, slight
y different form. Its object is to as
ertain whether her American engage
ment has been improving to her as an
artist. The critics are really interest
ed iu her, and 10th to dismiss her with
out if possible, giving her character.
Their curiosity. interest, and good
feeling seem to be we'll placed. They
rofess to find great improvement.
1t would be real disappointment to
the country if Mr.. William Winter,
the professional dramatic critic, of the
New York Tribune, neglected to say
au revoir to Mrs. Langtry as only he
can. All the world knows that, be-
sides Mr.. Gebhardt, there are two
great and devoted admirers of Mrs.
Langtry. One of these is Mr.. Oscar
Wilde. The other is Mr.. William
Winter. Mr.. Wilde admires her be-
cause there is something Greek in the
cast of her features and the mould of
her form. Mr.. Winter worships her
because she is ethereally beautiful and
radiant, or. as he expresses it, "made
for the companionship of the roseate
gods of mirth." Unfortunately for
the general enlightenment, Mr.. Wilde
his contented himself with one or two
illusions, for he is q poet,
and poets admire in silent contempla-
ton. Mr.. Winter, however, being a
critic, whose business it is to give ex.
preston to sentiments, as we'll as to
them, is more dif1use. He
mas written of Mrs. Langtry by -
sentence. paragraph, column, and
eaded and unleaded articles. On the
present occasion he has been good
enough to give us very remarkable
Dit of criticism. 1t should be read by
III who wish to know how
wonderfully Mrs. Langtry's genius has
,rown within her in few months.
The play was Pygmslion and Gal
ltae. Mrs. Langtry personated Gal
atea. Mr.. Winter occupied an aisle
eat" accompanied BY distinguished
who was often very en-.
husiastic in his applause. This is
information. Mr.. Winter
vas certainly at the play. He saw it
md criticised from knowledge. Thus
n illusion. which has existed 10 sever
quarters, that Mr.. Winter is like q
'reat many dramatic critics who write
ommendatory articles without seeing
he performances, is happily dispelled.
Mr., Winter finds q number of
'oints of Improvement in Mrs. Lang
~. Improvement No. l is, she has
greater mental repose at high
itch of excitement" improvement
10. 2: she can "measurably conceal
Inconsistencies. Improvement No.