Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-05-29
THE AUTHOR OF "MIkADo."
Entertaining Anecdotes of w. S. Gilbert.
of Gilbert & Sullivan.

Howard Paul writes thus entertaingly
of w. S. Gilbert, author OF the librettos
for the Gilbert & Sullivan operas and
many other celebrated works:
Before he blossomed into plutocratic
librettist Gilbert frequently did the
work of adaptation for managers.
Charles Wynttham once gave him a
French piece to translate which he
called son Bail" There was many
vexatious delays in the delivery of the
manuscript, and Wyndham's patience
was severely taxed. The manager in
his indignation wrote Gilbert this note:
Dear Sir-Unless you deliver the
third act tomorrow by II o'clock, II
shall not bring out "On Ball." and
shall at once put another piece in re-
hersal.
A messenger was dispatched with this
curt missive, who brought back an in
slant reply and handed it to the Criter-
ion manager. "Here is row, :"
thought Wyndham, knowing the pep
perry, If not to say despotic character of
his correspondent Judge his sur
prise when he broke the seal and read !:
Charles Windham, Esq;
Sir-Since you adopt so lofty and
imperitive tone in addressing me,
beg to inform you that the act will be
ready tomorrow at 12 o'clock, as you
suggest. Obediently,
w. S. GILBERT.
Gilbert is an excellent stage manager
and has adopted the exhaustive processes
OF M. Victorien Sardou. He will work
at a single scene for hours if necessary
until every detail runs smoothly. He
invented most of the quaint poses as
sumed by the "Japs" in the "Mikado'
and the lolling, sprawling attitudes OF
the nymphs in Patience" were the
results of an attentive study at the
Grosvenor Gallery OF Mr.. Burne-J Jones
longlegged figures seemingly afflicted
with lateral curvature of the spine,
whose countenances were inexpressibly
woebegone and who wore stiff draper
les clnging in impossible folds to their
alternative limbs. Gilbert successfully
caught the spirit and humor of these
pictorial extravagancies and smote the
aesthetics hip and thigh with irresistible
veracity. He has lately been disburs-
ing his piastres in Turkey, his drachmas
in Greece and his Napoleons in Egypt.
in search of suitable subject for his
next comic opera. | believe that it is
indefinitely settled that the locale will
be the latter country, and the Pyramids
and the Sphynx will of course come in
for the usual Galbertian badinage. The
Egypt of these latter times suggest dis.
aster and suffering, rather than com.
bination to evolve fun, but no doubt
the dexterous librettist has remembered
this and will so back half dozen cen
turies.
Gilbert has we'll deserved reputa
ton as a sayer of bon mots, and some
years ago when the late Tom Hood was
the editor he contributed Jokes anC
comic verses to the journal Fun. Mos
OF the popular Bah ballads were writer
for that publication. He has found {
better market for his jests and reserves
them for his operas. Now and then ht
gets off droi, reply. Going into the
Savage Club one day person stopped
him and inquired: "Have you seen 6
man around here with one eye named
Macfussel?" Gilbert instantly replied
"No; what's the name of the othel
eye ?" and passed in.
A friend of Gilbert's was i'll with
with acute nervous disease. He said
speaking OF The London street noises
I doctors tell you to keep your patien
quiet. How is it to be done when al
organ of ten pianoforte power is grind
ling the bones of the Men of Harleck
TO powder or pounding the Last Ros'
OF Summer TO a maddening pulp o
variations
He was speaking on on occasion of |
person who had asked him to dine il
the suberbs OF London and had catered
indifferently. "Never will again b,
his guest, but he shall dine with me.
have an avenging sherry at one ant
nine that / think will astonish his di
gestion." ,t
an author said in presence OF Gilber
that he had Just written brochure witt
the taking title, "How a Penny Becam
Ia Thousand Pounds Brochures ar