The Washington critic., 1885-10-28
TOPICS OF THE DAY.
Interests that Are Massing for an
Active Campaign This Winter.
LIVELY TINES LOOKED FOR.
The Art Of Draping the Private Boxes of a
Theatre.
HINTS AND SUGGESTIONS.
How Mr.. Eads Happened to Miss His
Brazilian Contract.

Brazilian Contract
81 hear from reliable source says
the Hartford Times correspondent,
chat Mr.. Villas, Mr. Whitney and Mr..
Lamar are to be made subjects of an
attack not less virulcnt than that to
which Mr.. Garland has been subjected.
The John Roach interest; the land
grant interest; the steamship mail in
terest, all are enragcd and desperate.
They havcpowerfu attorneys in Chand-
Ter. Robson, Ben Butler and others.
They will leave no stone unturncd to
recover their rich booty, and they will
find ready assistance here in Washing
ton. The President, think, is not
aware of the immense sinews of the
forces that are preparing TO attack him
through his Cabinet. The Pan Elcc-
trio Telephone Company will be in.
vestigatcd. A special committee will
be appointed in the Senate in the inter
est of John Roach. The Ocean Mail
Steamship Company will howl for
their subsidy, and insist upon an inves-
tgation of the Postmaster-G General,
The land grabbers point of attack will
be the Secretary of the Interior. A
powerful socio-military organization
will weep and refuse to be comfortcd
because all the leaders of society have
been sent to their regiments and posts
in the West. When all these forces
march against the common foe, there
will be beautiful fighting all along the
line"
Wv
The art of draping the private boxes
of a theatre Is one requiring vast
amount of taste, thought and eX-
periencc, yet it is doubtful if the thous
ands who have gone to the National
Theatre and been delighted, have ana
lived the cause of this satisfaction. The
work of designing and arranging the
drapery of the boxes is of great import
ance. A number of considerations
enter into the matter. First, the boxes
themselves and their occupants must
be considered. The draping must be,
of course, graceful and in harmony
They must set off to the best advantage
the toilets of the fair occupants. The
possible costumes of the ladies must be
considered. There must be no glaring
contrasts nor rude discords. The boxes
and the people in them must form, rs
it were, picture, for they are the
cynosurc of the eyes of the entire
audience. Those colors that i'll
suit compilations in the evening
must be avoided. The subject of color
tones must be carefully debated. The
effect of the drapery should be to pre-
sent the occupants to the best possible
advantage. But when that has been
achieved the matter of the drapery it.
self must be carefully weighed. Moth
ing tawdry or garish can be allowed.
Everything of questionable taste must
be vigorously tabooed. The eye Of the
artist must be on every detail. Next
the boxes must be considered in their
relation to the stage and It's settings.
The object of every skillful and taste
full stage manager is to have every
scene n perfect picture. The degree
of perfection which has been attained
in this direction is certainly wonderful
as il is commcndablc. The stage and
its settings and the drdmdtjs pera0BG
forming picture, the function of the
boxes is TO serve as u frame, They
must act as a foil to bring out the
skill of the stage manager. 1t would
not answer the purpose at all tor
the boxes to be so loaded with
ornament that the eye OF the spec
tator is attracted from the pic
ture to the frame. The stage picture
is the all-important thing and every
thing should tend toward bringing il
out in its perfection. If the boxes dc
not do this they fail in one important
office. No matter how elegantly they
may be furnished, no matter how many
thousands have been spent in plushes
brocades or laces, If they do no
rivit the spectators eye solely upor
the stage picture they are deficient il
one great particular. Theatrical man
ayers too often neglect this point, bu
decorative artists of the highest elias
recognize its importance at once
| There is yet another requirement which
| must be borne in the mind of the drapc
| of the boxes The drapings must be
in perfect harmony with the decora
ton of the theatre. The general ton,
| of the house must be regarded. Til,
first two requirements might be salts
factorily fulfilled and yet failure re
suit in this third particular. A violen
| contrast between the boxes and tn,
| decoration of the house would jar upoI
the sensibilities of every person of cul
ture present. They must seem part o
one harmonious whole even while scr
wing their own particular anl indiyid
ual purpose. They must blend so t.
| speak, into the character of the scheme
of interior decoration. When this i
done and the functions of the boxes il
the other particulars are regarded thel
Il perfect success can be recorded.
W.
The Washington correspondent o
the st. Louis RepuJltcdA says that Mr.
Eads missed very profitable engage
mcnt this fall by delaying just littl
bit 100 long in accepting the offer mad
him TO 80 to Brazil TO assist the gov
eminent engineers in preparing plan
for river improvements. The En-
peror, Dom Pedro, Is great admire
Of Mr.. Eads, and ut his instance tn
| government sent him an urgent invita-
ton last spring to visit Brazil. Mr.
Eads was in poor health at the tim
and his business engagements were no
of a nature to permit protracted ab