Wichita eagle., 1888-03-21
THE BADDELEY CAKE.
SCENE IN OLD DRURY At O'CLOCK
IN THE MORNING.

High Bohemia Of London-TelliDg tho
Story Of ''The Baddeley Cake"-The
Dance Begins.
The curtain rises. Rises on stage with
mall white table in the center and long
white tebles on either side. Behind them,
taking up the whole width of the stage, are
q series Of terraces, in bright yellow and
black, reaching, it seems, to the ceiling at
the back. On each terrace are white tables
and black Coated walters standing rigidly in
line, who, as the 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 the cham
payne bottles has cool and inviting look.
The scenery with which the stage has been
boxed is taken from the famous "Armor
Scene" and the result is a picture to look at.
The applause continues until Mr.. Fernandez
appears. Mr.. Fernandez is an elderly gen.
tleman with curling locks. He is the custo-
dian of the Drury Lane fund, and by way Of
introduction be tells the story Of 1.-THE Bad
deley Cake"
1t appears that 100 years ego the green
room of Drury Lane was by sacred custom
annually given over to feasting and merri-
ment upon the recurrence Of Twelfth
Night" In 1874 Robert Baddeley, a COM
edian to whom the little anniversaries were
especially pleasant, died. In his will be set
apart e100 as fund whose income should
annually DO used to furnish on Twelfth
Night" bowl of punch and a cake to the
green room. The request, Mr.. Fernandez
states, has been faithfully observed since Bad
delev's time. OF late years, however, Mr..
Augustus Harris, the proprietor of Drury
Lane, had added to Mr.. Baddeley's Is few
hundred more of his own and invited his
friends to join in the ceremonial Mr.. Fer
nandez goes further, talks about the pleas
ures 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 well
come The audience like it and he bows and
walks to the little table, takes up tho carving
knife and holds it-A Damocletian sword
over large round white cake with red and
green icing in the center. This is the Bad
deley cake.
THE CAKE IS READY.
The cake is ready, but the audience is not
They wish first to hear from Mr.. Harris
There are loud cries from the floor and the
IL
Gus~ and ''Show up, old boy" In response
there mounts the stage on the left man Of
medium age, medium height and medium
stoutness. His hair is perceptibly thin on
top, but his face is round and his brown eyes
are bright and young and merry. This is
"Gus" Harris, the famous ''Gus," merry
maker in chief to all the children, young
and old, Of London, from Marlborough house
to Hackney. He speaks easily and gives
them all q modest Off hand welcome He
trusts that the occasion IS as pleasant to them
as it is to him. He declines to say more, be-
cause the cake waits and the time has come
to cut it. He 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 Baddeley cake. Then
they mount the terraces, line the tables and
pack the stage until in few moments old
Drury's boards are great high hill Of feast
ing, laughing humanity in silks and broad
cloths reaching down to wide prairie of the
same below.
The champagne flows like water. It is not
iced, but simply COOL They drink it at the
normal temperature in England, and value
its bouquet, something to which the majority
of champagne drinkers in America seem in
different. There are endless bottles of it, and
its consumption is greatly d;sproportionate
to that of the cotelettes de homard or the
aspics de foie gras or the other delicacies on
the menu in cream color and red. The scene
from the summit is inspiring. The white
shoulders and symmetrical figures OF the
women light up the terraces. The merry
groups about the popular favorites here and
there are centers Of jest and laughter. Every
where are seemingly notable faces. An
English crowd like an English street, pre-
sents a variety Of physiognomy that the
more cosmopolitan civilization of America
should present, but does not for some reason
seem to. PhysioSnomies are deceptive, too,
here as everywhere else. Yonder is slender
man of IS, who has quiet good humored
look, and who, from his easy manner, does
not seem to be anybody in particular, and
yet be is the eldest son of duke. Near by is
a tall young man, with magnificent facial
outlines, who you are sure is thoroughbred to
a degree, until you are mentally paralyzed
at finding him vigorously wiping glasses. He
is waiter, yet has face that Cruikshank
would have given to prince. Some Of the
women are pictures-pictures such as only
Baddeley Cake in London town could bring
in contrast.
GROUP OF 6OMEBODIES.
Down in the center Of the stage, with a
group of somebodies In swailowtails listening
to her graceful chat, is . slender girl in
white, a medium blonde, whose couture Is
careless arrangement Of silken frizzes that
helps tho statuesque poise Of her heed. She
has prominent Greek nose, deeply set blue
eyes, which give her an altogether spiritual
look, and grace in manner which Is marked.
The corsage Of her dress is high and modest.
The white, soft folds Of the waist and skirt
are touched here and there with trimming
of white and black, she wears tiny bows of
black silk in places, and her long gloves,
reaching to the elbow, are of the same color.
There is something altogether flower like and
pure about her, q touch of that indefinite
quality Of "whiteness" which, whether it be
vested in mind or dress, is distinctively the
gift Of some women. She is, apparently,
much sought and very popular. She is Eva
Sothern. the daughter of our own Lord Dun
dreary, the alter ego Of Billy Florence, the
eccentric and much loved "Ned"
The dance begins. It is q walts, the "Sou- |
viens Toi" Of Waldteufel, that floats upward |
from the Life Guard band. 1t is slow, SEN
suous and swelling. and fits the hour. All
the younger women join in it. 1t is gay
scene. very gay, AZ il rapidly grows gayer |
and gayer. Mr.. Harris guests are enjoying
themselves to their fullest capacity, and Mr. |
Herris, in his private Office, with . groaning |
table and magnums Of champagne going |
among his chosen few, is happily aware Of it |
The dancers take the stage and the stall |
space. The place rings with laughter and |
music, and the popping Of more corks /.
rings hour after hour and the fun is general, |