Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-03
..on saturday 2. eleYen. And. as

suppose you will be looking for lodg- ings, recommend you, in case of acci- dents, only to take them by the week.
 Left to his own meditations, the im- presario, after heartily devoting Colom- bat to the internal regions, summoned his stage manager, and contided to that functionary with much meridional gesticulation his disappointing inter- view with the tenor from Rio.
 ''He is absolutely hideous, Willard, with cutthroat face like a Commun- ard of VI, the sort of fellow one wouldn't care to meet after dark. What on earth is to be done? We can't put off the opening or change the performance for the Frondeurs Club insists on an opera, and we have no other ready. There is no help for it; we must try him."
 After all," said Willard, ''there is one consolation. If he fails you are not bound to pay him his month"
 "Te," replied Lartigues, brightening up little at the recollection. II al- ways have that clause inserted in my engagements, and in his case if, as 1 imagine, his 'ramage' is on par with his 'plumage' failure is a foregone conclu- sion."
 The Saturdays rehearsal proved very lame, affair, the new singer, on the plea of a sudden hoarseness, declaring himself incapable of any vocal eXertion, and merely humming the airs and con- certed music of his part. His appear ance, moreover, tended rather to para lyze than stimulate the efforts of the lady artists: Mime. Saint-Ange, Cher real name was Chiff1ard), who person. ated Mathilde, affirming in a whisper to Gessler that he distinctly reminded her of the monster in "Frankenstein," as performed by Signor Clerto Beneni -alias Clair Benie-at the Porte Saint Martin. The result, indeed, of this preliminary essay was SO unpromising that the manager, more than ever con- vinced of the impending tiasco, be- thought himself respectfully of the cost of the new scenery and dresses which, on the ''sprat-to-catch-a-h prin- ciple, he had lavished on the revival of Rossini's masterpiece, and invoked a fresh installment of maledictions on the offending Colombat.
 Easter Monday came at last, and at an early hour in the afternoon the ap- proach to the theater was thronged by dense multitude of holiday makers from all parts of the city, impatiently awaiting the opening of the doors. From the excitement generally mani fested by them it was evident that some thing more than the national predilec- tion for the spectacle" had attracted them thither, and had caused more than one fishermen from the port to invest his hard-earned sous in a ticket for the gallery. Since Saturdays rehearsal the rumored debut of new tenor had be- come the talk of the town; his uncouth exterior and presumed incapacity, pur- posely exaggerated by greenroom gos- l sip, had been disparagingly alluded to in local journal, and his ignominious failure predicted as matter of course. Lartigues was far from unpopular with his fellow -townsmen; but the chance of | being present at "row" was tempta- 1 ton too strong to be resisted, and from the highest to the lowest classes of the population playgoers of every degree considered it their bounden duty to con- tribute proper quota of misses to the 1 common stock.
 Long before the rising of the curtain not place In the theater was empty; the members of the Frondeurs Club, the self-styled arbiters of fashion al 1 Vieilleville, were at their post to a man, prepared to exercise their judicial priv. ilege with Draconian severity, and oc. casionally exchanging salutations wish the fair occupants of the boxes. Stalls pit and gallery were crammed, a sight that on any other night would have re joiced the heart of the manager, peep ing at the audience through the ''tror du rideau," but now filled him with ap prehension. ''They mean mischief, he disconsolately remarked to hi. henchman Willard; ''if that inferna Durand doesn't take his hissing qui etly, cadediS! we may look out fol squalls!"
 The overture with Its magnifcen finale having received its usual tributt of applause, the opera began; and ever. eye was strained to catch & glimpse o 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 ous by the glare of gas, the effect pro duced on the spectators was absolutel. startling, and a dead silence reigne, throughout the house while the frs bars of the opening recitative wer played by the orchestra. Suddenly
 voice, fresh, clear and exquisitely melC dious, rang through the crowded thea ter, gradually increasing in power an volume as it reached the highest notes and terminating with an ut de pottrtfs rarely heard in such perfection sine the days of Duprez. For an instant tn bewildered listeners remained motion less As if entranced; but, as the ai drew to a close, their enthusiasm coul no longer be restrained and burst fort
 in one simultaneous shout of delight