The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-12

church-even once a day. The dancing season
closes with the beginning Of Lent, of course,
and 1t has been unusually gay one, ia conse-
quenee of the condensation already mentioned.
feature of tbs last ball in the
Astor coterie was the presence Of four bridal
parties In each instance the bride was there
wearing the costume in which she had stood be-
fore the altar. except that the veil and orange
blossoms were discarded The four groups or
bridesmaids also appeared in the dresses they
had worn at the weddings These interesting
bridal parties kept themselves intact for an hour
or so, and around them crowded admirlng spec
tators. An air OF rivalry was impaired 10 the
exhibition. too, for it was inevitable that com"
Parisons should be critically made, not alone az
to the personal beauty or lack of 1t, but IN TIE
matter of clothes. AT all events it was sue
cessful attempt to inject an almost sensational
element into what would have been line but
conventional climax Of the season.
Propriety and Shakespeare have had col
lision and Miss Rose Elizabeth Cleveland had
something's to do with it. That is to say, the
extremely fashionable school in which she is a
member OF the faculty the place Of the
impact. The rules of that establishment. gov
erning the conduct of the pupils. compel the
girls who board there to get special permission
every time they 60 outside the wallis except for
promenades together and with a chaperone.
Applications for leave to go to thearers
generally refused. but Shakespeare
D6eu
this law. When Booth and Barrett last
played here these school girls
allowed to go to the matinees in chaperoned par
ties. and even at night, under approved escort.
Modjeska is in town this week in a round of
Shakspearean plays. and the girls under Miss
Cleveland supposed that they could witness these
representations. But when it came TO "Cymbe-
line" and Measure for Measure" with their
shocking plots, the question had to be carefully
considered. On the one hand 1t was argued that
Shakspeare's works were above condemnation.
even in those pieces usually abjured by actors.
while it strenuously urged that the ad-
ventures of the heroine in each instance were
utterly unfit for young girls to see. Miss Cleve-
land was delegated to find out how far Modjeska
intended to go in literal illustration OF
Shakespeare and she wrote polite letter
to the actress, asking il the bedchamber scene
in '.CymbeIine" was to be given as in the play.
Modjeska replied that not only would every
word IN it be spoken. but that after mature
consideration. she had decided to emphasize il
py the utmost degree of pantomime She said
that the whole play depended upon this nrinci-
pal scene for its intellIgibility and interest.
Therefore she felt that artistic reverence for
Shakespeare not only demanded that this par
ticular passage should not be curtailed, but
that it should be given with all possi-
BILE dramatic force. Miss Cleveland as
emphatically decided that her girls should not
see .Cvmbeline.n Probably she was right.
There is great deal of good poetry in this play
of Shakspeare's, but the principal feature OF the
story is the Surruptitious visit to her bedside
by an adventurous scoundrel. in quest of false
evidence against her mocesty. However. sew
eral audiences did see Mojeska in this dramatic
exploit, and personal observation OF one OF these
gatherings impels the writer to declare that
Shakespeare literally illustrated on the stage is
shock to sensitive eyes and ears.
This leads up naturally to Comstocks raid
upon undraped art. and one of our variety thea
ters-the only close to Broadway, and com
monty visited by polite people-has this week
taken shrewd advantage of the subject Where
ever did you hear of anybody, even the most
acute stickler for propriety, objectng to the
skin-tight coverings the circus performersa
Three athletes happened to be under engage
ment to this establishment One of them was
young woman. Ordinarily, they threw flip flaps,
and did other acrobatic things. In the costume
common TO their profession. But this time the
manager saw the chance for novelty and humor
in keeping skirts the girl during her perform
ance, therefore, We have the remarkable sight
of summersaults and contortive feats by maid
en- dressed in the long skirts of conventional
life.
In the busy throns of lower Broadway and
tributary thoroughfares. as old Trinity's clock
is making toward noon. may daily be seen
buxom girl of about twenty with rosy cheeks,
intelligent eyes, and big basket OF fruit on her
arm. In and out of buildings she goes, until
when relieved of her cargo, she disappears for
half an hour while she loads again. To be sure
she is only one of an army of women engaged
il this business. but she is unique character
for all that. They call her Jo Nobody ever
knew an apple girls surname, or perhaps,
ever dreamed that she possessed such thing. 10
has been working the neighborhood of Wall street
for number of years. and she has struck o
vein which will make her rich in time. At first
she was free lance, and took trade as it came;
but as she found business thriving to an
extent beyond her capacity she weeded out her
customers, retaining those who had proved most
profitable. Her patrons are chiefly brokers and
lawyers. 10 is ehrewd and 10 is secretive,
and tho method of her money-makine may be
explained by simple transaction. She enters
a brokers' Office, and passes unchallenged to the
private of the head of the firm. An
elderly gentleman greets her cordially, selects
couple of oranges. aud asks her with
smile to 'ssend up couple just like last week
10 makes an entry in little note book, the old
broker hands her a bank bill, and she makes her
exit But the way out young man at the
desk intercepts her, buys an apple or two.
whispers mysteriouslv, passes her note. and
contract with a certain fruit dealer, and buys at
bottom prices. There soon after we find her,
engaged in making up three baskets of selected
fruit-one larger and finer than the others. Then
she addresses and attaches card to each and
orders them to be sent up town before sundown.
ed the brokers' wife, larger basket is deliv-
cred TO another lady-not his wife. Basket No.
3 finds its way to q very cozy hat where q
vaudeville actress pays the rent. 10 clears
about dollar on esch basket, and the gentle
men concerned are relieved of making purchases
where acquaintauces might be encountered and
awkward explanations rendered necessary. 10
holds the secret OF many man and the happi-
ness of more than one home il that little note
book of hers But she is very discreet
CLARA BELLE.
Problem for Scientists to Solve.
Cisco. Tex, Feb. 1.-THE largest skeleton