, 1886-12-17
BEFORE THE CURTAIN.
Chicago Clergymen Accept the
Invitation.
And Witness Rubenstine's Bal
Costume
Governor Alger's Generous
Gift.
Clergymen Witness the Ballet.

Il ilCii NitlGSo llc bulitl.
Chicago, Dec. l6.-Long before the
curtain arose in the opera of Gaiatea and
its after piece Rubenstine's Bal Costume
at the Columbia theater to night, n cote
RE OF newspaper men was in the foyer
casting iurtive ~elances at every person
who entered wearing the slightest APP.
proach to ministerial cloth or regulation
clerical cravat. Seventeen OF Xion's
watchmen had previously sent in Il request
for seats offered them by the National
Opera company in order to obtain their
opinion upon the propriety Of the ballet
Double seventeen seats had been assigned
to the ministers 10y the management, but
contrary to the somewhat general expec
tation they were scattered throughout
the house. Tie thcatcr men were in
great glce. Manager Milward Adams
was certain the clerical brethren would
be there in full force. Why said
he, Prof. Swing is for us: DIR. Thomas
has been present two evenings, and many
OF the others are already iavorably i'm
pressed.
The first genuine preacher struggling in
among the laity. and some who couldn't
even claim that dignity, was Rev. Chas.
ii. Bixby, of Hyde park. He took three
seats. Then Rev. j. Rushton, looking
much as he did as secretary of the e n
eral convention. yet with a kind of
"l-hope-Bishop-M cLaren-won The here
look on his face, stepped in and took Il
seat in a section occupied by some Jeffer-
son park sports. Rev. Henry c. Perry
dropped into a seat as naturally as if it
were an amen corner, and afterward said
he didn't believe the bishop would care,
anyway. Then there followed, much in
the same style as s%choolboys standing up
in a row waiting to interview the %fcrrule,
Revs. f. o. Taylor, +. G. Bostock, T..
Koerner, Rabbi Rosenthal, w. Hartman,
j. II. Mabie, David Utter, +. b. Town
send, j.. S. Thompson, j. Spencer Ken
nard ard Rev. Miss Kalloch. The older
veterans Of the cross were conspicuously
absent.
The first part of the performance was
apparently unobiectionable. Gdlatoa, the
opera, over, then came the Bal Costume
the polonaise La Cossaque, dance of
the Almees, Spanish dance. grand
Adagio, ct cetra, almost without limit,
seemingly. Owing to the scattering of
the ministers seats, it was difficult to
keep track Of their occupants. 1t is
known, however. that some of them fled
before the brilliant ballet. Revs. Rush
ton and Bastwich were among those who
did not remain. Those who did stay be-
held as gorgeous a vision as John saw in
the Isle of Patmos. Felicia Carroll
spinning around on one toe; Miles. Nav
eroffer and Vic describing curves that
would puzzle a geometrician in La Cossa-
que. Mile. De Gilbert and Giuri in the
dance Espagne, and an army of ninety
two pretty ballet girls kicking up their
heels in every fantastic fashion magma
bic, scarcely resemblcd a Sunday school
concert. At the close, however, all
present seemed well pleased, though they
confined their praise, so far as known, to
a vague commentator OF the artistic eff
fects, not touching upon the fact that the
costumes on the stage were of the rcgula-
ton type, displaying all the charms of
voluptuous limbs in due proportion.