Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-08-03

up little Mt the recollection. ~ nj
, ways havo that clause inserted In IN,
engagements, and in his cnse III as
Imagine, his 'ramago' ls on par with hi
'plumago' failure Is forogono conclu
sion"
Tho Saturdays rehearsal proved I
worry lame affair, tho new singer, on the
plea oil n sudden hoapsonoss, declaring
himself incapnlss Of fnny vocal cxsrtion
and merely h,nnming the Mrs and con
corted music OF his part, His appear
nncc, moreover, tended rather TO para
lyzo than stimulate the efforts OF the
lady artists, Mine. Saint-Angc, (hcr
roal name wat c-linlurd), who pcrssr
utod Mathildo, affirming in n whispct
TO Gcsslcr that he distinctly reminded
her OF the monster In "Frnnkenstein, "
as performed by Signor Cleric Bononi
-alins Clair Benic-at the Porte Saint
Martin, The result, indeed, OF this
preliminary essay was so unpromising
that the manager, more thnn ever con-
vinccd of the impending fasco, be-
thought himself rcgrctfully OF tho cost
OF the new scenery and dresses which,
on the "sprat-to-catch-a prin-
ciplc, he had lavished on the revival of
Rossini's masterpiece, and invoked n
fresh installment OF malcdictions on tho
offending Colombat.
Easter Monday camo at last, and at
mn curly hour in the afternoon the mp
proach to the theatcr was throngcd by
u dense multitude OF holiday makers
from all parts of the city, impatiently
awaiting the opening OF the doors.
From the excitement generally mani
tested by them IL was evident that some-
thing more than the national predilcc-
tion for the spectacle had attracted
them thithcr, and had caused more than
one fishermen from the port to invest
his hard-earned sous in ticket for tho
gallery. Since Saturday rehearsal the
rumored debut of n new tenor had be-
como the talk of the town; his uncouth
exterior and presumed incapacity, pur-
poscly exaggerated by greenroom gos-
sip, had bcen disparagingly alluded to
in local journal, and his ignominious
failure predicted as n matter OF course.
Lartigues was far from unpopular with
his fellow -townsmen; but the chance OF
being present Mt "row" was u tempta-
tion too strong TO be resisted, and from
the highest to the lowest classes of the
population playgocrs Of every degree
considered 1t their boundcn duty to con-
tribute a proper quota of Kisses to the
common stock.
Long before the rising of the curtain
not place in the theator was empty;
the members OF the Frondcurs Club,
tho sclf-styled arbiters of fashion at
Vieilleville, were ut their post to man,
prepared TO exercise their judicial priv
ilege with Oraconian severity, and oc-
casionally exchanging sulutations with
the fair occupants OF the boxes. Stalls,
pit and gallery were crammed, n sight
that on any other night would have re-
joiced the heart OF the manager, peep
ing at the. audience through the "trou
du ridenu," but now filled him with APP
prehension. "I'hey mean mischief
he disconsolately remarked to his
henchman Millard; iii that Internal
Durand doesn't take his kissing qui-
city, cddcdis! we may look out for
squalls!'
The overture with its magnificent
finale having received its usual tribute
of applause, the opera began; and every
eye was strained to catch glimpse of
the much-talked-of hero OF the evening.
AT length he appeared, and as he ad-
vanced toward the footlights, his weird
like ugliness rendered more conspicu-
GUS by the glare of gas, the effect pro-
duced on the spectators was absolutely
startling, and dead silence rcigned
throughout the house while the first
bars of the opening rccitative were
played by the orchestra. Suddenly
voice, fresh, clear and cxquisitely melo-
dious, rang through the crowded thea
ter, gradually increasing in power and
volume rs it reached the highest notes,
and terminating with an at de pOitrine
rarely heard in such perfection since
the days of Duprez. For an instant the
bewildered listeners remained motion
less as II entranced; but, as the air
drew to u close, their enthusiasm could
no longer be restrained, and burst forth
in one simultaneous shout of delight,
echoed again and again from pit to
gallery. From that moment the tenor's
battle was won; MS the opera proceeded
the manifestations OF satisfaction be-
came more and more frequent, and at
the fall of the curtain an ovation await
ed him such as seldom falls to the lot
of debutante at Vieilleville. Eeen
the Frondeurs, although probably dis
appointed at the result, acknowledged
tho "soft impeachment" and waved
their kid gloves with condescending
Camouflet, the wit of the
party alone venturing TO whisper with
reference to Durand's evident ineXpe-
ricnce rs an actor: "VoX OF prieterea
nihil!
Lartigues, as may be imagined, was
in ecstasies, and held n serious consulta-
tion with Millard after the performance
as to the operas in which he could best |
utilize the talent of his new acquisition.
"Romeo, with such II face" he said, "is
oil course impossible, and so Is Faust;
but he would make capital Eleazar in
the Juivc,' and tirst-rate Othello. He |
can't have been long on the stage, for n |
worse stick OF an actor never saw; but |
with voice like that one mustn't be !
too particular. Who would ever have |
thought they had any thing OF the kind |
at Rio?"
Next morning the manager, still med
itating on the advantages to be derived |
from the engagement of the "ugly |
tenor" arrived in good time at the the
ater for the purpose of experimenting |
certain trifling alterations in the scenic
of "Guillaume Tell"
which was to be played again on the en-
suing evening. A few minutes before
eleven the artists summoned TO attend |