Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-19
NEW YORK LETTER.
xoryrsKA IN A NEW ROLE = sHE
DOESN'T DIE.
New Discovery American Opera compa.
ny Gossip AZ the Clubs - Dia-
monds-seoiety Notes,
lCOrespondence orihc Richmond Dispatch.

NEW YORK, December Is, 1856
A largo and aflAble race-goiug man
with whom have nodding acqGaiat
ance rolled up beside me as | entered
the Union Square Theatre the Other
night and said in hoarse whisper;
"Lay los for them chairs. I've
been ilopg by them and sm on"
He winked darkly. gave me a re-
assuring pressure Of the hand, and
sailed cautiously down the aisle. The
usher. by n few mystic touches aod
toggle. ioinied twists, u1tauglsd char,
and the race going man laid his over
coat carefully on the scat. Upon this
the back doubled over forward aud the
arms folded themselves snugly, while
the seat rose with tiendiSh g'ec sad
damned the overcast into the c0mph-
Gated machinery of the interior OF the
chair. 1, was at this point that the
race geing man TRANQUILITY seated him
self. lie went down gracefully to a
level with the seat. and then, with a
startled shrek, sank almost from yicw.
All that could be seen was q small and
pallid bald spot upon the croTn OF his
head. As he struck the floor vivid
blush turned the spot glowing Grim.
son list vas in touching harmony with
the sultry nature Of the remarks that
rose from the depths.
After he bad been eytric ited he
climbed sloft to the balcony, where
Joined hin. for my own struggles with
the Steele Nacsyo patent chair had
made me realize the futile nature of h1.
man endesvor when cDntrasted with
advanced mechanism. To my surprise
| found the most aStute aud 6lase Of
the first-nighters in the gallery. They
had been caught in the chsirs below
and were wary.
The little incident of my race-gOing
friend put the audience 10 charming
humor. Ii was the inward thrill OF
satisfaction that always moves us when
we view the mjsiOrtunes Of our friends.
The play iOstered and pampered this
feeling. Il was one Of those serene,
genteel. and hopeless failures that is as
delightful to On audience OF any litical
deadheads as vivisectiOn is TO the rabid
young student.
The drama produced by Modieska
was spelled Dsniela, and pronounced
in an infinite and captivating variety of
ways by the actors of the company.
alt can't possibly succeed" re-
marked a theatrical man on my left
seda,ely at the beginning of the first
act.
why not:"
DOESN'T DIE.
"Because Modjeska doesn't die at
the end of the piece. Experience mas
proved that she must die to clutch &
winner. It's curious, but she never
makes any money in New York. Sill
she continues to play here. \ fe8 So
ciety people who know her as the
Countess Bozenia attend her perform
snces assiduously, aud handful Of ad-
mirerS of the emotional school Of &C.
ing also drift into the theatre at times,
but the theatre-goiug public in New
York will not have. her, though in the
West she is a great fayorite."
Having settled the present and future
career Of Modjeska after this manner
the theatrical man folded his plump
hand across bis bullying wsistcOat, as
sumed sagaciOus scOwl, and went
firmly, palpably, aud comfortably
asleep. ] thought it was rather point
ed in him at the time, but came to the
conclusion afterwards that he was the
wisest man in the house.
The first act disclosed fussy old
man, who insulted the other characters
in the play with brutal malapropisms
and tried to inveigle the audience into
believing that he was funny, but the
audience wouldn't haveit. Then Mod.
jeska came on plsintively, bowed pa.
thetically, and displayed a ravishing
costume and heartbroken smile. Then
she moaned. She always does. A
few minutes later Maurice Barrymore
strobe in, sighed, looked at his wife,
and gToaned.
Then he told her to retire, aud, after
she had cried bit, she left, while the
curtain fell upon series of steel
lunged, intense, and harroging snorts
from the athletic chest Of Barrymore
The story Of the play was simple an(
old. Barrymore has married the sec
ond time, but thoHgh Wife No. , loves
him he is not fond Of her. His whole
heart Is given over to a tempestuou:
and all.absorbing love for the memory
Of his dead wife. Modieska discover
that this wife was no better than sh
should have been, having, indeed, ha
q shocking intrigue with Charles Van
denhoG, who appeared as an emineo
lawyer, with an impossible wig, a quee
beard, bass voice, and a pair of gid
Q, boots with white tops.
The audience had grown rather ion
q this defunct party-ptobaoiy be
cause it knew she could not appear o.
the stsge-but when they saw Nauden
hofl and his impossible wig they con
ceiyed for her violent contempt that nc
thing could pall,ate in the slightest de
gree. Modieska knew Of tho crime of he
predecessor, but with nobility Of ser
tlment that one only sees in very ba
PLAYS she refused TO tell her husband o
il, and no went on adOriDg the dead ia
age Of his former wife though he had
large palpitsting and earnest woman b
his side, who was simply yearniug
be loved. In the last act eyerythin
turned out properly - Mod eska wa
loved, Barrymore suddenly realize
what a profound ass ho had been do
ring the early part Of the evening, an
everything ended happily.
AS We started to 60 out Of the the
ire q society.msn with single gla
sided up to us and gasped
"Desh Countess, I'm SO desperate
sorry she's going away, you know, al
she won't be back till 1885"
"well," said the sporting. man,
be produced cigar and regarded
with critical approval, ~ shouldr
think she'd have the nerve . show
here before l900-not after perduci
SIGH a play as this here. 1t fstigu
my uppers."