New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-23

FRANCE has her old mass book. But It's in Latin.
| and what can she make Of i'll An English woman
of hor class has the Bible which has lie mriit OF
being rendered strong. simple and elevated IAN
euare Every Eng lish family Mt all we'll oil mas
its library and subscrIbes to circulating one LOT
the small sum of gninea year Inc penn. pa bst
IL for all classes and vastly Superior TO tho Fet,i
Journal which suffces for the wants OF the srnaii
burgenis. John Bull Is fond OF pictures ana q
good Judge of them He ba. reason to be promo Oh
She essentially English Hogarth. Reynolds, Turner,
Landseer. Leighton. Millals and a legion OF otner
artists The picture galleries are deiightiul plates
in which to spend an idle hour, and tuey are NUM-
erous.
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
Every household setting up to be at all re-
spectacle has a piano. If Loudorers dwelt IN
fats Colney-Hatch aud Bedlam would not sufiice
to hold all those whom the sound of piaso-strumm-
ing would drive crazy. 1t is indeed to find
any lady or young girl who can play well enough
to give pleasure to serious amateur. The style Is
expressIonless. Singing is no better. One some
times hears sweet voice but il conveys no feeling'
IL only makes tuneful noise. Chamber music IS
SO appreciated that 10 drawng-room VINE"
ANY one sits dawn to the piano every one else
begins to talk At a concert. silence is kept:
John Bull pays his guinea to hear the great
foreign musicians aud ,ocalists. and wanting 10
have his moneys worth: Ia ids his tongue. WHAT
he delights in is the Bible set to maslc at the ora
toro One would think to see him there that ne
was at church ana having . forefaste OF an9.ner
an n better world Biblical performance OF In i
sort with chorus of 500 voices is Just what suits
him Italians are no good as chorisfers bnglisn
alone will do. Inc oratOros have grandoi SO pass
ages. The greater part OF them were written ~
England by q, rfnans who were probably rendered
splrnetc by the climate. An oratorIo is Thames log
SGT 10 music
Concerning the British theatre Max ORell"
pronounces 10 to be fallen so low that IL ean get 10
worse It's decay is partly due to the COLI staring
look of the audience. who think 1t bad form to ex-
press pleasure or dspeasure. The spirits of actors
are not raised by applause john Bull III his heart
OF hearts despses any who seeks TO amuse bin.
He does not enter into the spirit Il the action DC
canse he knows that everything on the stage is false
The actor who appears to feel his part strikes MN
as absurd and contemplate. The lower orders 40
nor 90 To the theatre You never hear Enlish
workman whistle an operatic tune and talk oil DIS
fayoritc PLAYERS He works hard, spends his money
10 gin and becr and dies in the hospital or work
houss without ever having enjoyed the slightest
glimpse of a tne art The middle classes have, ac-
eordInp TO Max ORell," taste for the drama,
and tho srstocracy 90 TO the play 20 Kill time ana
yawn. In sonc Of the best theatres one or two
parts are well played. The rest Is unendurapie'
Irving has talent aud studies carefully. reason
why the ST age IL low that the play wrghts OF the
seventeenth century were so dl'solute. Ihey
turned all the good people against the stage ana
literary talent nOWcQ into OlneE chdhuc~ III
tween Shakespeare aud Sheridan very few well
written dramas came out that can be PLAYED
before decent men and women NJ. OReh
doubts whether the French representations at the
Gazette are unders TODD. Society hiss agreed to pat
rouize them and that is euougb. Polka and qnai-
rifle playing brtween the act, is beautifully ing
lsh IIut these intervals short ard the play ~
generally over at O'Clock. FOR this small mercy
"A treachman used to the laie hours of the faris
| theatres which are caused by the long entf acis
| should feel thankful. .
For nv part 1 have heard broader and hearter
| laughter in English than IA French theatres. " ~
Max O'Rell" appraru tO iguore the Top gallery ,n
which there is q good sprinkling OF mechanics. IL
is trus however that the Partisan blouse delights
| in the play and enjoys immensely melodrana IN
| which Nemesis ove-takes the evildoors. lie pre-
| fer a theatrical performance Of this kind To the
indrcet cnmcalItIes of tire PALMS Royal or To the
| nlays In which the actresses' tOettos are made a
| great feature The foreigners VINO pest observe
England nre lapart from Amrricans Italian artlhts
NIttis's insight ~ astounding. Ito sees well every
surface and understands what N beneath IT. iench-
| men have too many obstinate preferences aun
preudices, apd are too much crystalllzed IN rnai
| habits to be good observers when they travel
| ANYTHING reminding them that they arc 10
| stranCo land makes them uncomfortable. 1hey
| have not the calm fecepiyty which enables tue
| English mind 90 stole up clear impressions.
| mirror should 10 smooth. The intellectual mirror
of a French tourist II like pond exposed 10 cross
| ca rents of air. winch IN creating chOpping wave
lets disiort all the objects reflected IN the water
|