New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-13
NETWORK LIFE.
GAYLY TIE TROuBAnnrR

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In tho Dark Ages of musical New-Yorl all wcll-edu.
Gated girls played the plano; only those sang who
had special turn for H. We have changed all this
The girl who plays the plano today Is the rsrest OF
birds. while the girl who sings is as common a.
English sparrows where popars SILVER. The Musical
Man, vocal and instrumental, has also emerged
from ob,curlty and broken his mute inglorious silence
Melody flows from his lips In profuse strains Of much
prcmcdafed art. Time when he the most
precious Of treasures, the Kohnoor among men. But
this was ever 80 long ago-isr beck in those hazy
days when ouida' wrote her FIST novels
The favorlte form Of vocal expression Is found in
ballads. Tom likes love ballads, Dick likes
ballads, and Harry geaballads. As for the girls
they always like more tender baads-tbe kind where
there Is sad third verse at which presses on the
soft pedal and sings very faint and slow
The ballad to be heard In all rs glory should 10
heard at an amateur musicale. Hero are all our Oh
friends gems in the social corOne As well try to teach
them anything new OF tho constitution and bylaws OF
society instruct your grandmother In the srt OF
sucking eggs, though why that difficult branch OF
culture should be nonopolized By grandmothers Is
question to stagger solomon Mrs harabout IS
there, pink, puffy and painting. with her little fat
feet in bronze slippers, tight to agony crossed and
protruding from tho bIlowy edges Of her skirts They
look like two well-stufed brown pincushIons, but
Mrs. Narabout looks at them with pensive pride, her
head cooked like birds. She is also tight about tho
waist, and when she something creaks dolor.
ousy but 1t would take more than that TO lower the
naughty crest Of Marabout over the top Of her fan
She spies about the room, her face broken by smile
when her glance meets familiar eyes.
BOYS about Town arc scattered through the room,
dark, thin figures. threading perilous way between
the tuEbed masses OF the w0mens trains. over which
long, shifting lights goat and glance The dear little
fellows look as fresh and downv as newlyhatched
chicks their heads sleek and dark. their shirt
bosoms stiff and LUMINOSITY white. and their cheeks
a tender pink which causes them secret shame.
Round the doorway is a group CT longlegscd men.
pettlng their musaches and murmuring together,
while they gaze at the assemblage from beneath Ian
guild eyelds Near by Is La Cigae. slim and shining
and finely finished. her cleaning hair coled loosely.
her silk bodice Htting the water lily's FURNISHED
sheath cts the hidden bud and the debutane who Is
cranlng her neck this and that for glimpse OK
everybody. and whose vvacity bubbles out in little
splutterng comments. which rccoections OF the
social code stranglo IN the birth. Mammas. against
the wall, yawn already behind their fans Fapas III
corners with their knees wide apart absenty drawing
limp gloves through a dangling red hand stare VIII
unseeing eyes at the performers new peaaS
sped I'm the corner Every one has side looh az
her. and a murmured criticism to make to his neigh
bor She appears superbly indifferent. moves her
scented fan with deep. regular sweep. turns her
naughty head with studied languor. while the nght
from branch of candles CLEANS glossiy on her
smooth shoulders and strikes points OF white radshco
from the diamonds I'm her hair. Mrs. Marabout woud
be green with despair II she wasn't already PINK Win
squeezing and green and pink combined are coios
abhorred Of nature.
And now the talk buzzes and huns rises In mighty
waves TO sink TO wellbred murmurs. TO suddenly
swell to a stimulating roar. TO DROP as II Dy pro
concerted signal. to dire silence Fans nutter ana inc
afr Is full of perfume and the soft rustng OF crushed
silk Roulsdcs of laughter rise and fall and through
the fucuaiing OF the fans there are glmpses OF Dr-
liant eyes shooting quick side gances. ana me sudlen
fash of teeth between lips parted 10 spasms Ok
laughter , .,,-os Tho q r,e,ng
kne 1t is not the car rafting on me Stony rd On
Inyeterae takers wish that IL was ~ is chOru "
he niano. the kncli OF conversation. Everybody
turns plano-ward with rustic. young man stanas
beside the Instrument. lie is embarrassed and draws
himself up, nervously gripping the bottom OF his
walstcoat lie e about to begin "ii sde ms b.nSs
down toward the accompanies and whispers. She
listens her eyes fixed mods wisely ana hnas me pse9
from tho piano. and with her hands well up and
spread to claw srlhos fell blow al me gespoa an
other Disappointment She stops. frowns purses her
lips end looks sRGry under the , panS rsg Ths
pedals meekly obey her adnonorv foot she pulls ou'
her skirts and pushes yet further away with deter
But the poor performer is by this time quite dis,
traught Every time she got herself IN position NJ
opened his lips 10 let the food Of waiting harmony I'll
the welkn. Finally IN answer TO her -. NOM ~
hgh'-very high in fact, octave TOO high, ana mo
welsn rings with strange tenor notes which show mo
tcmpest's troubled state OF mind. The tempest has
cot 10 be brought down somehow from its airy perch.
The accompanis stops. The performer consults WIN
music once again they take position. and this time
the tempest RACES IN the place where all sht nhnra
tempests have heretofore ragged Tho audience claps
and looks pleased and the young takes his seas
signing and blushing.
There IS an interval Of talk, but soon Miss Van
Dusenbury, urged thereto by a gracefully genuhectns
hostess takes the field. This Is the eldest MISS van
Dusenbury, and she is quite "reminiscences, pleasant
one and well kept As she fakes her stand at the piano
the candleght dwels fondly the cleaning surfaces
offered by her polished yellow knuckles the bridge OF
her nose and her elbows She sings one OF those
dainty trAes on brds-lt is marvellous the fascination
Of birds in song And what Wit they display
bird in ballad delivering letter with far
greater accuracy than a mail carrier IL an every
day occurrence, and ono Of the smallest achievements
In the repertory OF these gifted fowls. Ana tno
polltenoss of birds One cannot commend u ,oo
highly Tho kind obllging way they take mes $500
from wounded knights to obdurate ladlcs a Iossyn
by which mankind could profit A, amhsssaa .ns "a
ell love affairs they arc invariably SUCCESSFUL anu "
gobetweens, they without peer: ,,,,. .o
Miss Van Dusenbury sings OF bIrd-Or erseWsS
sits singing bough and the passing IN sn maiden
Van D. alternately peIsonates the bra ana ,nS and
cries on the hgh e.; pretty pretty Sy S'rTh The Bird
without moments hesitation gives the l,st d-tsiis
of the Love- and Miss Van d., breaMng ihlo WI, Imsh
thanks lowers her sheet of music, bowhs anu ..an
inC As an encore she gives Ny Love ms houc go.
ing reiter2tlng with mild pelsstency NY 1910
has gone s-salng. a-sa!ling ON tho sea- ~ ~ en,as
a mistaken impression, which dull people ~ sh' eN'0~
tain, that he had gone a-Sailing on the lahu
And now Mr. Tompkins takes the place OF honoN
lie Is q largo, heavy blonde man, ana ne a'"a,' 49,
love songs In which he expresses yearnlhs ue'" ~
be q star or q bird, or fowerct III, "Hs"' :.
atho fS
so improbable that Il will ever be satisfied MI iOr
kins As n aoweret Is stretch Of imagination peiuf'
which Dickens himself would have succuinUoA
night Mr.. Tompkins "woulds he were 'iuO ..,. =.
pale. a-down his loves cheek straying" Anu Anu, '
even more perfectly hopeless than the
Nr rom nIn.,s love has been introduced 20 anso -
audiences Under every gulse om the county, 70 bs
the lady OF high degree. Sometimes sue cV.os, and
bis IN t6a last verse sometimes his lovo hope,
She is another's. But through all iho,c ,ss middle
he is faithful when he sings OF h eroos his Jaw,