Democratic messenger., 1888-04-07
THE BADDELEY CAKE.
SCENE IN OLD DRuRY At I O'CLOCK
IN THE MORNING.

Notable Threng which Represents the
High bohemia Of London-reIiing the
Story Of ''The Daddeiey cake"-The
Dance Dcgins.
The curtain rises. Rises on o stage with q
small white table In the center and long
white tables on either side Behind them.
taking up the whole width Of the stage, are
series Of terraces. In bright yellow and
black, reaching, it seems, to tho ceiling at
the back. On each terrace are white tables
and black coated walters standing rigidly In
line, who, as tho applause breaks out, bow
and smile and bow and smile again. Under
the many lights the salads and pates look
appetizing, the banks Of glasses glitter in
crystal, and the dark green Of tho cham.
pagne bottles has q cool and inviting look.
The scenery with which tho stage has been
boxed Is taken from tho famous "Armor
Scenc," and the result h Q picture to look at
The applause continues until Mr.. Fernandez
appears. Mr.. Fernandex Is an elderly gen.
tlcman with curling locks. He Is the c,isto-
dian Of the Drury Lane fund, and by way Of
introduction he tells the story Of 'The Bad.
delcy Cake"
1t appears that 100 years ago tho green
room Of Drury Iano was by sacred custom
i 0AAhuAbl ktNeu OsCT W tc8otiuk anu mtETl.
/ ment upon the recurrence Of "Twelfth
Night" In l19s Robert Baddeley, a com.
edian TO whom the little anniversaries were
especially pleasant, died. In his will he set
apart Ei00 a. . fund whose income should
annually be used TO furnish on Twelfth
Night" bowl Of punch and cake to the
green room. Tho request, Mr. Fernandcs
states, has been faithfully observed since Bad.
deley's time. OF late years, however, Mr..
Augustus Harris, the proprietor Of Drury
Lane, had added to Mr.. Baildcley's E3 fcw
hundred more OF his own and invited his
friends 70 join In the ceremonial Mr.. Fer.
nandez goes further, talks about tho pleas.
urcs which attach to observing the tradi.
tions Of tho theatre; Of the pleasures Of
| friendly meeting and other pleasant things,
making altogether . clever speech Of vel.
come. The audience like Il and he bows and
walks TO tho little table, takes up the carving
knife and holds iI-a Damoclctian sword
over a large round white cake with red and
| green icing In tho center. This is tho Bad.
| dcley cake.
THE CAKE ~ READY.
The cakc Is ready, but the audience isnot.
| They wish first to hear from Mr. Harris.
There are loud cries from the floor and tho
/ boxes OF "EIarris!" "Harris!" "wherc is
I NtuSE anu s'NoW up, Oiu bOyt 1u ItapOuSD
there mounts the stage on tho left man Of
/ medium age. medium height and medium
/ stoutncss His hair Is pcrceptibly thin on
top, bu: his face 10 round and his brown eyes
arc bright and young and merry. This il
"Gus" Harris. tho famous "Gus," merry
maker in chief to all the children, young
aud old, Of London, from Marlborough house
20 Hackney. He speaks easily and gives
them all q modest of hnnd welcome. He
trusts that tho occasion Is as pleasant to them
as II is TO him. lie declines 10 say more, be-
caase the cake waits aud tho time has como
20 cut il. lie invites them up and they
come. They first pass the cake and seek
each a crumb, because there Is great luck TO
the recipient In the Eaddeley cake. Then
thcy mount the terraces, line the tables and
pack the stage until In few moments old
Drury's boards arc great high hill Of feast
Ing, laughing humanity In silks and broad
cloths reaching down TO a wide prairie Of tho
same below.
+, The champagne flows like water. Il Is not
icc,, but simply cool They drink it ut tho
normal temperature in England, and vaiu.
its bouquet, something to which the majority
of champagne drinkers in America seem in
different. There are endless bottles Of Il, and
its consumption Is greatly disprnportionafc
! 10 that Of the cotclsttcs do holnard or the
nspics dc foie gras or the other dclicacies on
the menu In cream color anil rcd. The scene
from the summit Is inspiring. Tho white
shoulders and symmetrical figures Of tho
women light up tho terraces. The merry
+ groups about the popular favorites here and
there are ccntcrs OF jest and laughter. Every
where arc seemingly notable faces. An
English crowd. like an English street, pre-
scnts variety Of physiognomy that the
more cosmopolitan civilization Of America
should present, but docs not for some reason
sem 70. physiognomies arc deceptive, too,
here rs everywhere else. Yonder Is slender
man Of IS, who hns quiet, good humored
look, and who, from his easy manner, does
not seem 20 be anybody In particular, and
yet he IL the eldest son OF duke Near by Il
n tall young man, with magnificent facial
outlines, who you are sure Is thoroughbred 10
degree, until you are mentally paralyzrd
at finding him vigorously wiping glasses He
Is waiter, yet has face that Cruikshank
would have given 70 prince. Some Of tho
women are pictures-picturcs such as only
Batllelcy Cake in London town could bring
In contrast.
GROUP OF soNEBoDIEs.
Down In the center Of the stage. with .
group Of somcbOdies In swallowtails listening
30 her graceful chat, is q slender girl In
white, medium blonde, whose coiffure Is
careless arrangement Of silken frizzes that
helps the statuesque poisc Of her head. She
has prominent Greek nose. deeply set blne
eyes, which give her an altogether spiritual
look, and grace In manner which Is marked.
The corsagc Of her dress Is high and modest.
Tho white, soft islds Of the waist and skirt
are touched here ard there with trimming
- IA %
black silk in PLACES, and her long gloves,
reaching 20 tho elbow, are OF the same color.
There j. something altogether flower like and
pure about her, touch Of that indefinite
quality Of "whitcneSs" which, whether il 10
vested ia mind or dress, Is distinctively the
gift of some women. She Is, apparently,
much sought and very popular. Shc Is Eva
Sothern, tho daughter OF our own Lord Dun.
drcary, the alter ego Of Billy Florence, the
eccentric and much loved Ned
The dance lcgins. II is u waltz, the "Sou-
vicns Toi" of Waldtcufel, that floats upward
from the Life Guard hand II Is slow, sem
Suous and swelling, and fits the hour. All
the younger women join In II. IL is gay
scene, very gay, and IL rapidly grows gayer
and gayer. Mr. Harris guests arc enjoying
themselves 60 their fullest capacity, and Mr..
Harris, in his private office. with groaning
table and magnums Of champagne goin.
among his chosen few, is happily aware Of IL.
The danccrs take the stage and the stall
space The place rings with laughter and
music. and tile popping IL more corkS II
rings hour after hour and the fun is general,
and not until the yellow sun Is beginning his
daily struggle with the London mist do the
great ma aiority go forth To slumbers more 90
or l,ss disturbed by memories Of the Baddeley
cake I.olidon Cor. New York Times.
Also whrn the Biil Arrives.