The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-04
BOSTON. Feb. 2.


Last winter the expectation of the public ran
too high for her real merits. Curiosity and in-
terest OF very violent sort had been excited
by the extraoi dihary reputation for beauty and
grace, and the charm that had proved such
head turning thing with princes and Eugli h
lords of high degree. When, last winter, the
fashion of Boston paid its high price for seeing
this sensation of the honr, it came away with
a feeling that it had not had its moneys worth
1t acknowledged that it did not expect acting
of the first order, like Sara Bernhardt's, but it
did expect almost unprecedented beauty and
charm. "But bless you, we Can pick.out every
day, on Beacon or Boylston streets, or Com
monwealth avenue, many greater beauty
than this so-called Jersey lily" was the disap-
poiMted outcry, land as for acting, it was poor
amateur acting. Many Boston GIRL" etc, etc.
All this damped the ardor of the rest of the
people, and they held on to their money, and
congratulated themselves that they had not
been taken in at such prices, aud the result
was that the houses thiBned perceptibly, and
the Jersey lily went away from us with 10
hope or desire on our part that she should re-
turn. She had shown herself as beauty, and
co1ld have no second season. When we got
news that she was to come again, in spite of
all the adverse criticism, we wondered if she
thought Boston people were fools. "Why,
doesn't she know that she is played out?" was
the general remark. Then there arose the lit
tie suggestion that on this second season she
had excited the admiration of New York to
certain extent and that Boston people would
probably go to find out the secret Of that.
But all this general talk aud comment and
criticism was wide of the mark, it proved.
Mrs. Dfngtry and her managers knew what
they were about. She came pack here with
her new play, her new special scenery, her
own company, and her marvellous gowns, and
for one week she has had perfectly solid
house. The people who would not pay the
enormous prices of last year we're willing TO
pay a little above the usual price to crafty
their curiosity "for once" A good many OF
those who went last winter, and would not
care to see her again." their own wo rds,
did go to see her again, or to see what New
YORK had found to admire. IL is q very differ
ent matter to see actor or actress with all
our expeditions raised 10 the highest pitch by
she rosy heralding that has preceded them and
to look upon them with the barometer of our
feelings Ia reduced condition. Looking upon
Mrs. LaDgtry under these last conditions, to
some of us, violently prsjudiced, indeed, there
has come at length luster idea OF her, even
as beauty. We expected a sort of blaze of
beauty, a flushed, trained woman-of.the
world-lsh coquette in appe arance. Recovering
from that disappointment of our expect+-
tioDs, with our eyes CLEARED a little,
We begin to perceive tn t Mrs. Laugtry
has been not inaptly named, "The Jersey
Lily" AS looked at Der last night expecting
nothing, disposed to fad fault, it was gradual
ly borne in upon me that if Mrs. Ltngtry was
not What we had imagined she would be, she
was really very beautiful woman, though not
Of perfect beauty. Her flesh is exquisite, her
eyes lovely, her figure superb. Her mouth is
the worst point of her face being heavy and
unsensitive; but her teeth are milk white
and even, aud in spite of the heaviness of the
lips the smile is very innocent and sweet And
l saw as / looked. why it was that we hal
failed to do her face justice last year. 1t is
because it has no mobility, no brilLiGncy OF ex-
preston. The varying changes ase slow aud
simple-ful of innocence in fact. 1t has al
most a childlike look, and constantly CONVEYS
to the observer very different idea .of the
peIs nality. that We had been led to expect.
OF Mrs. LAngtrS's acting there is this to be
said. She has improved since last year 10 a
good many ways. She has learned to cobtrol
herself, and she shows some real feeling, where
there Is soI1e real strength, bot her voice is
yet rather fat and woolly and without reach
ing power. The Globe Is noe a large theatre,
but she is not heard we'll third of the az
back from the stage in the orchestra part of
the house. The play "a Wife s Peril" is an
adaptation of Sardou's "Nos Intimes.' WhaJ
the French dramatists own original play
may have been can't tell, bat this special
E0glish adaptation for Mrs. L.ngtry is im-
probable in its extravagance and vul2arity
There Is the. English baronet who is the host of.
houseful OF uDgratetul, quarrelsome guests
and the husband of the heroine-Lady Ormond
Mrs. Langtry-the usual captain in her
fnsjesty's service, that We always meet 10 Eng
lsh novels, and the family doctor, who rescues
the heroine from her own weakness and fool
ishness, and the love making of the infetuat
captain. The play is vulgar because the con-
versaton of the quarrelsome guests who bring
things to crisis is, though moh.entarily funn},
too openly and childishly squabbling to be
natural.
1t is vulgar to and unnatural in the outright
ness OF the plain speaking at times concerning
the infatustion of the captain, and still more
SO in the brutality of the officers final attempt
to win the heroine. The audience feels a GER
tain thrill of real sympathy, as one might at
seeing any rufian repulsed, when Lady Or
mond at this crisis vehemently exclaims that
she loatbes him.
Mrs. Langtry's support has been sharply
criticised, bur it is above the average. think
it is the play-the text, that is fault, more
than the actors. The best actors could not
soften the violent squabbiug that makes half
the forming points OF the piece. The lover
Captain Bradford, is very fine looking speci
men of six feet high-the typical English
gaardsman, whose great fault is, voice that
it is almosI impossible to hear.
The scenery was simply superb. The grand
staircase that wound out from the breakfast
hall, with its shrubs aud pot-plants, twining in
and out of the columns, the exquisite draper
les, the chairs, the cushions, the divans, every
thing, was on a large plan of beauty and exact
ness which left nothing to be desired
And last, but by no meant least, let me speak
of those marvellous dresses which the play
bills told as were made by Madame Doucet,
Paris, Looking at these dresses one felt that
Worth has had his day do not propose to go
into elaborate description of this charming fin-
cry, but for wonderful effect must say that 1
never saw ANYTHING to equal two of tnese
gowns-not even Bernharot in all her glory
was arrayed like this
The first OF the two was an evening dress of
pale blue and whit, and carnations. The COR
sage was of the turtan fashion. 1t was very
decolliti, but in Mrs. LaDgtry's whole bearing
there is such absence of posing for effect, there
is such cool whiJe-marb.e fairness about her,
that the suggestion is of marble itself in beau
ty. The second dress was finer than this.
1t was union of soft, grey velvet with goll
eolored embroidery and white null. The soft
ly fitting waist OF velvet, open at the front and
filled in with full tunic OF white null which
descended all the way from the throat to tie
foot, the grey and gold of the side skirts or
piasrons, with the lighting of gold color, gave
wonderful softness and sweetness to Mrs
Langtry's beauty, and called forth from more
than the feminine portion of the audience a
murmur of admiration.
So, taking it altogether, the new play, the
scenery, the glory OF the gowns and the gradu-
al awakening to the beauty of the principal
figure, aud her Improvement in her interpreta-
tIOns, it must be said that the LaDgtry week,
a. il is called, has been a curious success. With
no excitement, no enthu usiastic applause,
at any point, the houses have yet been solidly
packed the whole week, and the whole thing
has been most singular anomoly in Boston
experience of theatricals.
Outside of all this amusement interest
suddenly rumor comes that pene-
trates every where, aud while the orchestra
was playing last night heard some one speak
OF it with emotion. This rumor is of the ILL
ness OF Wendell Phillips. He is very critical
ly i'll. A week ago we'll, in that serene pos.
session of what seemed blameless health, sud-
deuly all is changed, and though il is hopei
he may recover, IL is scarcely expected, for his
disease is OF the helrt--the ime disease a.
caused the death of his father and thrte
brothers. When L saw him and listened to
him montbssnr more ago at the unveiling of
the Harriet Martineau statue l felt change
could hardly express. He seemed in excellent
health, but the great voice had goue. noticed
itfor the first time when he sat on the plat
form with M stLhew Arnold, or when he rose
and spoke the few words of welcome and
thanks. The voice was clear and steady, but
that far-reschiDg roll that used to penetrate
everywhere without effort missed. Mr.. Pnil-
lips IS the last of our great figures that has
h..fN