New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-10-11

the same public refuses to ndorse 1t, 4 the enter
tainment however unworthy, serves the purposes
of amusement SO far as the newspapers are con- con
cerned, then, there is not much difference In Ora
matte results i'm England and IN America.
First niglts in London are highly popular win
that portion of the public which loves 10 look on
literary and artistic notables the private boxes
and stalls, the latter corresponding TO the trout
rows of what is known in America rs the parqhet,
are full of familiar faces Az single 90, "s
as the Prince and Princess of Wales, inc DGNG alI9
Duchess of Beaufort. Lord LondeSb2ronGl, hord
Dunraven, Lord Alfred Pagct. Levy Lon%iae'
Robert Browning, Sir Frederick Leighton, MI.iais'
Henry Labouchcre, Edmund Yates. oscar w zoe
Lord ivton Sir Jules Benedict, Sir Arthur c1I-
Ivan, Bnu"icault. Charles Readr, Thomas haruy'
and Others too numerous 10 m'"'ioa'ii
well known to the public, from
bnrlv Mr. Bumand of Punch to big Mr. Sampson OF
the referee. from n-vis1Ped Mr.. Moy rhomas9fthe
UdiIg N0Cs 10 genial George Augustus SaIa Oh the
Illustrated Le9doa Aers 1t T. more t tman acts P tho
notablcs stream out into the lobbleS and refresh
ment rooms. where kindly Joe Knight TO whom
Adelaide Nelson left thousand pounds ~ legacy,
IN remembrance of the fact that h" had been ner
klndest and most sympathetic crltc NJ uH'
when the whole press "as against her may DE- T@gn
and eeycr Hr Watson OF the $dard
in animated conversation with, the London
correspondent Of n great Newlork daliY. II Is
very e1sy on such occasions. to gather Wha' opih-
ions the mon are going to print after the Perlotn
ancc but 1t is curious at times 20 observe now Ihe
praise awarded orally over night is ul>counIcu ne
fore next morning. aud how often TIE nara eN rrl,
cncns of diSapproya are Softcncd into mud ana
awb'guou, phrase of gentle liberation. IL IS very
seldom indeed nowadays that the critics OF hrst
nights unanimous. What the Times app!allS
the Idiig Ntr, frequently condemns. what 10 me
UdiIg Telegraph is a miserable fiaScO seems 10 tne
bOrHiHg Post little short OF popular triumph. In
reality. tn" mlSCc lan"OuS audience OF me mrs,
night decides. A success fallnre IL hcralded
all over London long before the newspapers nave
time 10 speak.
A first night in Ncw-York bears some rcsembanc
to first night in London. but il is altogether
tanner and quictcr Affair." Fcwr notsb eS are pres
en-. and the general audience Is less characteristic
of he occasion.
Bat neither IN London nor, | believe in New
York. do men of great intellectual cmlncnce attend
tn" theatre, either on first nights or aftcrward;
When read in the journals that distinguished
audience was present, the me ming II that INC
performance attracted all the literary aud artistic
"men about town" Of whom there Is large ana
steadily increasing class. so far ~ England
Is concerned, the drama itself awakcns no IN,
tcrcst in the intellectual classes generally. could
name friends of my own persons well known lor
their talents. who scarcely even know that nave
written a play. and who have only jast heard the
name of 80 famous Il person as Mr. irving. lhey
live in different world, and doubtless, c1lu%r
and more wholesome one; they ESCAPE the de-rad-
alton at being Judged by the unintclllgrnt ana ms
conceived by tn" uniuStructcd. The divorce
between literature aud the stage rs complete aud
must coutInuc 81 long as the fever for sOrdId gains
poISOnS every channel of what was once nODle
and an IDEAL form Of art. RuB'rr BUCHANAN