Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-03-10
OHAPTERVIL

7. wasa rainy November night. A soft,
continuous downpour was soaking the
London streets, without, however, affect.
ing their animation OF the nocturnal bright
ness Of the clpital, for the brilliancs OF
the gas lamps was flshed back from In
Vulnerable patches of water, and every
rsy of light seemed TO be broken By ths
rain into a hundred shmnering reaac-
lions. Tt was the holr when all the
society of which an n1tumnal London can
boast is ia the streets, hurrying 20 its din
rer or it's auusements, aud when the
stream Of diners out, flowing through the
different channels OF the west, Is met IN
an the great thof0ughfares by the stream
of theatre g0ers setting eastwasd.
The western end OF D. street was
especially crowded, and so was the en-
trance 90 a certain mario = street leading
nor.hward from it, in which stood the new
bare buildings of the Calliope Outside
the theatre itself there was dense mass OF
carriages and human being only kept in
order by The active vigilance Of the police,
and wayerirg 20 d fro With Kaleidoscope
rsDidity Tue line Of carIiige seemed IN
farminabie, and after those who merged
from them mad run the gauntlet Of the
dripping curi0u- good tempered multitude
runde. they had 90 face he sterrer Ordeel
OF the struggling wei dressed crowd
within. surgDg up the double stair
case Of the newly decorated theatre. The
air inside was full of the hum Of talk, and
the whole crowd had a homogeneous, al
most q family air, as though the contents
Of one great London salon had been pour, d
into the theatre. Everybody seemed to
know every body else; there were politici-
ans and artists, and writers OF books known
and unknown; there were fair women and
wiss women aud great ladies; and there
was that large sudstratum Of faithful, but
comparatively nameless, persons On whom
q successful manager learns 10 depend with
some confidence on any first nigh, Of I'M
portance.
And this was o first night Of exception
aole interest. So keen, indeed, hsd been
tbe competition for tickets, that many Of
those present had as vague and confused
,n idea of how they came to be among the
favored multitude pouring into the Cal'ope
ss a man in a street panic has OF the de-
vices by which he has struggled past the
barrier which has 0veTthrOwn his neigh
Dor. Miss Bretherton's first appearance
in ''Elvira" had bsen the subject of con-
versation for weeks past among far Larger
number of London circles than generally
cencern themselves with theatrical affairs
Among those which might be said to
he within q certain literary and artistic
circumference, people we're able to give
definite grounds for the public interest
The nlsv. IL was said, was an unusually
GOOD one. and the progress Of the rehearsals
hsd let Loose a flood of rumOTs to the effect
that Miss Brethert0n's acting In II would
be great surprise 70 the public. Farther
from the intellectual center Of things, 1t
was only known that the famous beauty
had returned to the scene OF her triumpds;
and that now, as in the season, one OF the
first articles of the social decalcgue laid it
down as necessary that You should, first OF
all see her in the theatre, and
secondly, know her-by fair means,
if possible, if not, by crooked ones-in so
ciety.
ii was nearly q quarter to s. The or
chestra had taken their places and almost
every seat was full. In one of the dress
circle boxes sat three people who had ar
rived early. and had for some time en-
Moved themselve 10 making a study OF the
incoming stream through their opera
glasses. THsy were Enstace Kendall, his
sister. Nine. de ChatesuyieuN snd her
husband. The Chateauyieux had Travelled
over Paris expressly for the occasion, and