The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-04-07
SIZE DID NOT APPEAR as CLEO
PA IRA DID
THE SENATE AND NEWSPAPER COR
RESPONDENTS.
The boundary Line Between Alaska ana
british Columbis-t ongressmsn stiii
Importuning the Prcsident-of-
nce-Holders rresentfn Force.


l dramatic ueld as mtIt hlNts ildr III lh
field of erraiic literature; the one by de
scripiion and the other by impersonatioi
of purient love scenes and the portraya
of those emoiiOns and passions whicl
have been hitherto considered bcyon,
the pale of propriety. Her r0lc was 'ha
of Cleopatra. Her appearance here wa
of neculiar interest 10 Washington 50
cieiv. from the fact that to Mrs. Secretary
Whitney is due the credit G
there is any credit in III of discoy
erinr her in the reading OF Ost
/ Ter .Ioe" at her residence iwf
winters ago. The subject OF her readinl
AZ thai time sci society afire and firsi
called public attention to Mrs. Potter
she was woman rather fair TO loob
upon. stage-struck, and fond Of noto
riefv. and Immediately became imbued
with the idea that great future lay be
/ fore her. Washington society was there
/ fore on the Qui are 10 witness her much
talked.of rendition Of the Queen OF the
/ Nile one evening this week a party
/ from the White House. consisting of
Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Mckee, and
the otner ladies, occupied box
at the theatre. As spectacular
drama Il must be admitted that the
nlav was a great success. The magnif-
cence Of Rome, the blue Italian sky, the
Parthenon, the wantonness and abandon
of the Egyptian civilization, the geor-
reou- fascination of the indoient love
breathing court of CleOptra, which bad
degraded kings and had drawn into the
wbirlnool of ruin one whom might have
been the master of the wOrld-in all this
the nlav was a success. The stage set
tin9. we're peculiarly true in detail, the
propylcn OF the great Egyptian temples,
ihe rigd griffin and sphynxes, the
ohelisks. the deep glow OF the oriental
snnsets the interior of the great pyra-
mid in which the final scene took place,
those were well worth coming miles 10
witness. But Mrs. Potter, rs the volup-
tuous. pulsng, hungry, lsian Nile beauty
was complete and total failure. In the
scene in which she first made her appear
ance sailing down the Nile, lying back In
her yoluptuously cushioned gOndOla,
famed by great ostrich feathers, enter
tained with the either and the bandoline,
tbe audience was in the height OF eXpec-
tation-the great denOuement was about
to take Mace. The woman who had
dared TO defv public opinion and make
the drama intensely realistic was about
10 appear In this scene, however, Mrs.
POtters ideas were peculiarly her own.
She did not come down the Nile, as
Cleopatfa did. nineteen centuries agO,
beautiful only in the charms which ma
ture had given her, but she gIttered with
diamonds and precious jewels. her body
was encased in the scaly armour of the
serpent of the Nile, and he limbs were
shrouded in a diaphan0us material, which
attracted, because 1t only halt revealed
and half concealed the charms be-
neatb The audience heayed a sigh of
relief she was not a. bad as she had been
painted. and really there seemed to be "a
iinge Of disappointment. Then Mrs.
Potter began to act she has no more
defamation than a school girl, and II is
snpplemenied by an angularity Of body
which no more suggests the ideal Orien-
tal beauty than the maniken suggests the
man. She is 20 awkward that she
would fall down standing still
The audience grew restless and
awaited with impatience, when she
was to make her revelations above the
belf The crisis came. Mrs. Potter
beroically barred her bosom to give the
ASH a chance, but alas, no immodesty of
dress could render Mrs Potter voluptuous
in the sense that Cleopatra was. When
the play was over the audience dispersed,
feeling that realism on the stage was not
q success. especially with Mrs. Potter in
the principal role To Mrs. Potter's
credit il NAV be said that her persistence
commends itself, for pluck is admirable
either in man or woman, but her lack OF
anpreciation of when the public has
enough. Is something awful.
on the other hand. Mrs Potter may be
sbrewder than the public imagines, and
recornizing Just what the play is she
presents. is continuing her performances,
hecause they are not Improbable finan-
cially. Ghosts never get above ground;
il does not matter to her that Shakes
pfa G and the real Cleopatra turn nightly
ia their grave.
Notwithstanding that the special ses-
sion OF the Senate has closed Washing
ton continues about as lively as ever.
Although the House expired by limits-
lion a month ago there are many Of its
members still in the city. il IS the same
with the Senate. Mr.. Harrison has not
dealt out political fayOrs at his disposal
with any degree Of liberality, and sena-
tors. ex-memhers, and members-elect are
still on hand 10 vigorously importune
him for places in the interest of their
constituents. Washington is much more
stirring than it was at this time
four wears ago. The reason probably is
that the entire army of eX-OiiicehOlders
are here in force, IN addition TO those
who have made their appearance as
place-seekers for the first true. Ii is not
known when Mr.. Harrison will 20 TO
Deer Park TO take his summer vacation,
but he can hardly be able to elude the
place-seekers for any length OF time.
The understanding is that the Presidents
household will break up next week; the
Crown Prince Russell goes back to
Montana; Mrs. Mckee goes South, and
early next month Mrs. Harrison will
begin cottage life at Deer Park.
The place is so close 10 Washington
that the President can come into this
city and attend to his official duties in
the morning and return in time for din
ner in the evening Mr.. Harrison 5
health is becoming seriously impaired by
the great strain of his arduous duties,
for. rs be says, "he has not had an hour
10 himself since he entered the White
House" His physician has informed
him that a season OF rest is absolutely
necessary in order TO preserve his
health There are rumors afloat TO the
effect that the President has an in
cipient form Of Brights disease, which
is causing he and his family great
anxiety.
If society did not give it out that ihl.
was the Lenten season only the deyOpi
would know 1t. There has been no cease
alton on account of the religious de
yotions in any OF the many schemes auf
! man9uvres in the political life of Wash
/ inglon. Thus il will be seen that poll
tics knows no religion.
The impetus which was given TO th,
talk of the establishment of censorship
of the press by the rejection of Murs
IL IN. toll t,,f.