Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-26

high moral character, are not received in
society. tits narrow Of course, but it is her
custom. Browning is a great admirer of
Mary Anderson and in the Tennyson
family she is adored. Whilst women think
her cold, 1 must say that I myself, when
with her, never feel that she too is woman
she is now over 80; but always find my
self talking to her as to school girl, and
thinking Of her as an iceberg.
The poetic dramas of Browning attract
a literary audience for single performance
under distinguished patronage, and are usu-
ally repeated once or twice for general So
ciety to go and think itself literary and fash
ionable. They are pretty "slow," and must
confess that my attention wandered often
from the play to study the new hats and bon
nets or the jewels which Lady Colin Camp
bell sported, and that the notes on my pro-
gramme were not of the play, but for my
next fashion article. The Browning bon
nets" of the society itself were dull enough
but the outside world came to the rescue
with good deal of style. The great poets
of the present day seem to have very little
practical stage knowledge. What reads
well often acts abominablY. Phrasing must
be larger and time left for action, which in
poetry would be taken up by description.
Few modern poetic plays succeed for more
than single performance, and then only
when propped up by the efforts OF some
special society.
But the coveted invitation of the day is to
the reception held behind the scenes when
the play is over and the general public de-
rounded by all his satellites. The girls of
the society all love him, and the old maids
fairly adore him. If these artists are re-
markaple for their amorousness in their
childhood, they are no less distinguished for
be actually driven from the back door of
the Grand Opera at Paris, he annoys the
ballet girls so. I remember once falling
into his arms coming through dark pas
sage from Madame Ks dressing room,
when he mistook me for one of ''les rats, as
they called them when the "Chab" of Per-
sia was in Paris,
At all these artistic performances may be
seen beautiful girl with a classic head
who is either on the stage or in the audi
ence, but always there-Dorothy Dene, the
celebrated model of Sir Frederick Leighton.
He discovered her, poor girl, and as year
after year he painted nothing but her face,
she became the rage, and his pictures were
known to everyone, not as, Hermlone or
Helen or Andromache, but as Dorothy
Dene.
She then became ambitious to be some
thing more than a model, and took to the
stage, but with little success. In Liverpool
the authorities refused to allow her to play
because she had been model. Is it not in
credible that in these artistic days such nom
sense should exist?
Robert Browning has one son who is both
poet and painter-a meager, inferior look
ing man with none of his fathers brilliaucy
and health. The Browning name has been
a great help to him of course, and some
time ago he endeavored to make stir with
realistic statue of Salambo. For sensa-
tion to be talked of he obliged his model to
submit to the dreadful embraces Of hideous
python, which he procured from the Jardin
des Pldntes. 1t is said the poor girl often
tainted, but the statue was a wonderful
piece OF realism.
One day while driving through High
street, Kensington, I saw funny sight. A
party of Yankee schoolmarms-a whole
Cooks excursion-had caught sight of Rob-
ert Browning walking briskly down the
street past Albert Hall and recognized him
by his photograph. With wild whoop
they all gave chase. He crossed the street
to avoid them, then lodged into the park;
they followed, and pursued him round and
round the Albert Memorial until at last
they played the Jullet-and-the-nurse dodge
and rushed at him from all sides.
As looked back gaunt female had him
by the hand, and they were all looking at
him with an eager, hungry gaze, as if they
were going to preserve his every word-to
can them in fact, and take them back to
Boston. 1 was in terror till 1 saw him the
next time for fear that in their desire for
souvenirs they might not leave him single
hair, but he bobbed up just as bright as
ever, so perhaps it is a common experience.
OLIVE WESTON. -