New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-30
A THEATRICAL EPISODE.
THE STRANGER IN The DRESS CIRCLE.
Dare ! say
M shirt ever brake the hand
Tbat s,ays MIN from the native land.
81 hon ri

In the lives of many of US there come oGcaS'oinl
periods of soul.de"d"nlns moN9lon!' WIN" n, own WLn
hottor naturc and appear to ourselves lhcHis"Ic
of doom or sincere feeling for any one OF ANY uts
At such times, however we are lot ~ Hinr lonr
thai we arc further tormentCd by an dcilnH 'oiiS'
I'M for some excitement If even phlhIui oir'i
Which shall prove 10 Ms that our neIr's Wy a.L
o Ialn Who Ike myself are condemned by neceS-
sitv 70 distastetu task.wOrk, While elleaNorIiS ~
their spare moments TO maStef SI Jrnd gerry these
ne-iods of depression are only TOO frequent
am a Young man, cursed o. blessed, | scarccy
know which, with believe some Snsn 20 n" a,'ci
faculty and burdencd certainly with TOO lnIcn
ambition am attached TO the stan OF a Lonu"h
rapcr and am alone and almost irlehoeSs IN a
s,-t s., SMISScrewiihai to live. but lraves lttle
riyn. or energy for INDEPENDENT ana more ar'N'i'
creations. -
Some months age, after long spfll OF hard wor VOTE
at the Office | had al last an evening on hHu
t,red myself out by added hard work Tor my own
ends az home: work accomplished ny a ucHcI"us
though eAhaustlng excitement when l rear uGvS
MOI often attend my Journalistic efforts J. he III
eyitabe reaction from all TINS, cdpieu ny re-
peated disappoiarments III the failure oi my NOR
artistic wares TO find an appreclatlNc pin6nNhe[:
had plunged me into Of my blackcet ms OF
nervous depression At such tunes one Is APP u
he possessed by morbid fanCies, and what l am
abont Ia relate NAV appear fantastic, YET II Is an
unembelllshed record of facts More than uilS
II was 10 an experience winch al tlir moinetii
lifted me out OF my miserable seil-a''spIpuoI' auI
will remain with me always as a blessed ana
happy memory.
In my fits of melancholy generally resort 70 the
restful sanity OF Shakcslc care by way OF a meh'l
tonir hui tonight | was inca pabe even OF that.
Ny books and my bright fire and cOmtIrtaoie
armchair bad no attractions for me m">
restless and unhappy, unwilling 10 stay Al houi',
longing for the companionship Of friends far out
OF my reach but with desire TO seek fh"se
near ut hand and altogether out Of humor and QUO
OF tune. Finally wandered out OF doors, deter
mined 10 90 TO concert and soo'he III!
troubled nerves with music. AT times however,
fate or whatever II may he, i too strong Iof !he
obstinate will Once out. irresistible i'm.
pulse overmastrred me, forcing me TO- give up d 'is
vague feehn. that If | resisted III" impulse !
should be haunted with lifelong regret, and
yielded 10 II, not without some mental profess
for / had seen the play several times ALREADY
The interesting questions raised by In" novel reI-
dering of it at the Lyccum had led me to 90
often, that l might judge for myself between ue
old and the new theories.
With the undeserved good fortune OF late ar
rival found seat in the front row OF thr dWss
earcle rather TO one sd" al me tore o,"t
the play on my ncighhOrS, ana dlr hE the oNcT-
ture took my usual glance round for lntereSilnls
faces On this particular night unfortunately
tbsre were very few to be- zen DSa pponted IN
my search. l turned my attention to the stalls
and amused myself IN Watchlng ccn,Inorlino ,c
themselves in Il staceho below me. Mhrn
looked round again at my immedlatr neighD1f.i
previously vacant seat near the middle OF the
front Tiled, ana IT'S occupant instantly
riyeted my whole att 'ntlon. Even In" few fnc's
had thought striking before became lnNlgn.hcant
beside this mans. An unaccountahe INTENSITY OF
interest took possession of me a gaI"d III"
pale oval face obviously familiar 70 me, hut
In vain / struggled with memory, in vain tried
10 think where | had seen IL before. seemed 10
know exactly the manner Of growth Of IN" TIM
auburn hair far back over III" iorcht"d-tMi,
peculiar broad yet cOnlcal forehead, towering
above the archPd eyebrows and In" d""IHHdd"h
uusing eyes The color Of the latter could not
sec, but their expression, clang"fnl as IT was
DOW sad now humorous then cam and steady
with the patience that CONES from WIDE expert
ence-I knew as we'll a. | know the faces love
best also aud yet | could think Of no name and
no locality connect with il! The straight nose;
rather broad at III" n">rilN; the short, pointed
beard, the ml''sc.S' scarrHF e, neing 'he VIZ.
where could have seen 1t all 50 often before
and having seen IT, how could | have forgotten
tho locality ? | gazed and razcd, and thought
and thought. till my anxiety and s,rang" feeling
OF affection for this known yet unkn"wn face tor
mented almost to the verge Of going 10 the
stranger to ask his name.
He meanwhile, occupied, as had been few
moments before, IN Glancing over the crowd OF
faces around him, quite unconscious OF my
figure re w Ss a in ong eHro SSf c
black cloak, which showed only half an inch or
so Of a turned-dcwn white collar above 1t. One
hand, holding the heavy, negligent folds tOgcrh'r
over his chest, Was hidden the Other, an artsi'sl
hand, white and well-Nhaped, rested on his knee
and rrasped q wide brimmed hat. His face
lined and marrcd with lte's bittercst struggles.
and vet serene and sympat hctic like that Of one
who has tfiumpLcd over suffering. attrnctcd me
sn
noticed the popularity Of his dress, and when
did IL gave me no clew 10 his identity
He leaned back IN his sest, gazing All round him
x,1 IN unobtrusIvc but inccssant interest noticed
a nalpabe look Of wonder mingled with the acute
ness of his glance, and found myself spcculating
what allcomprebend ing face could lind 10
his glance travelled toward me and our eyes met
7 was too interested even 10 wish TO look away
orS I could not II ] had tined. A tremOr OF
nsrvms excitement seized hold Of me / felt
fascinated, forced to meet the keen. hr-Sghted
re that seemed searching mr very thoughts.
His eyes summoned me toward him with strange
nhSs;caI attra Ction, and IN another moment
should have risen TO obey his silent call. had not
the cessation Of the music at last distracted LlS
.,.ntion The moment his glance with
so,,n ,be tretnor OF excitement that ] had felt
.asssd and lost the desire % GO 10 him. But
still I could not t IKE my , eyes from ms race,
s III mower in the man 10 move me on. As
L. as he sat there knew that nothing els" would
.oS 70 me Ilenceforth he wnS IN my eyes the
matis, ..r.st nj the evening and should only care
for the play itself for the sake OF It's effect upon
A,ro ,e,,lr absorbed IN expectation, the stran-
49, y,tn,ion was now fixed upon the stage. His
5ace wss naier and his rigid strhighiened attitude
eypressys NJ intense, although restrained excite:
msnt Hts eyes fGC w,b I'm ,e Amos. pajnfaI inter-
cot but when it disclosed the dim weird landscape
and stormy sky which Is the backgrooIu 70 Tue
Grit sssae RI: face y oous Of
around him. with a sudden rapd movement hr
placed both arms on the front OF Tue Circle anu
ZION The realistic wbistlng of the wind and the
srasticaHy managed appearance OF the WITCHES nc
amid thunder and bghtoias eyldertiy p'easea h ,ha
fGrst fsw menents hi. satisfied expression gave
Mace 10 an unmistakabe look Of De,
ildernsns s sma for from oa The ssse 70 the
% es..s Of some OF the audience, as y irving 70
1athsr from them clew to what ne ought ,,o 10
k".nn;ia ,n,s,est was the utmost feeling they os-