The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-16
NEW YORK CRAYONS.
Sullivan, the Smasher-COmic Opera Sans
C~Omedy-Art Humbug-Wicked Tid-Bits.


Correspondence of the indianapolis journal.
New York, Nov. 13. There was nothing in
the fight between the pugilists Sullivan and
Latin which seemed to me more intensely inter
esting than the smile on Lafiin's face, right after
Sullivan had hit the countenance %squarely in
the middle. Latin is a coarse and bury, yet
good-looking man, without the mug of a prize
fighter, and from the beginning of the encounter
there had been an air of lofty condescension on
his part, rs if to say: 81 am letting myself down
to this fellows level for this occasion only"
You have already seen accounts of the match,
probably. This particular blow was struck
straight from the shoulder, with all
Of Sullivan's might; and it was easy
to imagine that the gloved fist sunk
so far into the face that the nose was fattened
against the the inner rear of the skull. How
ever, the visage rebounded into place, like a hol-
low rubber ball when you stop squeezing it.
But it was left for an appreciable moment in a
terribly distorted condition, then shaping itself
into the sickliest smile that human features ever
conformed to. The grin of the ballet girl whose
toes are excruciating gives a very faint idea of
it. 1t may be that the beatifc expression in the
wrenched face of some fa1ne-licked Christian
martyr was as pathetic. but permit me to doubt
ii. Latin had evidently made up his mind to
come up smiling every time, and he did so.
"Do you ~recollect how you feltF' l asked of
him, afterward.
sLet me think" he replied, meditatively.
"Well, ] guess that if you were to stand still
and stick out your face to stop the earth as it
came revolving round, you'd get just about
the sensation that a Sullivan blow imparts."
"NELI GwYNNE."
Speaking of smiles, New York now has a
comic opera with only two minutes of laugh
making material in it. Nell Gwynne" is the
piece. and no handsomer production as to cos
TUNES ever failed fatty to please. The brief
exceptional passage embodies a new idea. and
the audience, having been grim for the previous
hour or so, rises from the deep depression to a
tremendous altitude of delight. There is a
pompous and preposterous beadle, and
In one of the scenes this character is
duplicated by one of the plotters Of
the piece, so that two figures alike are intro
duced. They are ~prowling at night in a dimly
lighted room. and the imitation beadle seems
likely to confront the real one. The latter is
drunk when his eyes fall on the former, who
just then happens to stand in an open doorway.
"Ahl here's a mirror" says the Beadle, mis-
taking the other man for his own reflection.
The pretender takes the cue, assumes the attl-
tudes and makes the gestures tocorrespond with
the originals movements, and completely de-
ceives him. The effect is ludicrous. We may
expect during the season to see this device re-
produced in farces and variety sketches through
out the land, though the opera in which it is the
sole funny thing will go into forgetfulness.
The audience on the opening night got a little
further entertainment on their own account.
They were fashionable people, such as the Ca
sine is generally filled by, but they were as rude
as the boys of a Bowery gallery in showing of
Tense when they thought that the flower nui-
Qanca naada1 ahntamaDt The entire COmDanV
were bringing the first act to an end with out
bursting vocalism il the splendor of a calcium
lighted tableau, when a procession of ushers
bearing floral formations went down a side aisle
TO the stage. The quantity of lowers in the lot
was enormous. The bearers staggered under
the loads. All attention was distracted from
the performance. Somebody began to hiss.
Nearly everybody joined in. The demonstra-
ton became disorderly. The singers were
Astounded and confused The curtain fell