Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-14

His method is this When he has the plot of
the piece ripe III his brain he walks mp and
down his study, declaiming the different parts,
while stenographer takes down each utter
ance as 1t falls from his lips and rapidly notes
his gestures. When the whole thing has been
written out the author devotes weeks and in
some cases months TO the process OF clearing
and inning. just az the lapidary cuts ana poi
ishes to obtain the brilliancy OF gem, so Du-
mas works at his manuscript till II leaves his
hand carved into perfect shapeliness and scin-
tllatlng with epigram.
THE PLAYWRIGHT IN HIS STUDIO.
Mr.. II. A Jones does all his work at night.
There is a glamour about the evening hours, "
he said TO me one day, THAT l miss in the
morning." ami we all know that it is necessary
for author who would convey that magical
influence to US to come under 1t himself. just
as VIC find that preacher who would rouse
and touch us must be himself full of fervor.
But to return to the studio. The room in
tself IS n great aid to inspiration. Who that
has done any literary work has not found out
the value of the surroundings? Under its
curiously painted ceiling Mr.. Alma Tadema
(fOr the house formerly belonged to him)
worked at the pictures that made his fame.
The light from that north window saw much
wonderful marble grow under the master s
hand and the creation of many stately
Roman. born to long life and celebrity. The
painter who has made such mark in the
art world has left his mark here. Among the
scrolls OF the ceiling is several times repeated
his well-known monogram. Here and there
on the walls panel runs from floor to ceiling
One OF these has the pRraphernaiia of the
painter-brushes. pots and palette-by one
who used them. and. indeed. i'll all the adorn-
ments of the room Alma Tadema greets you.
ENGLISH PUBLIC DINNERS.
To one fresh from America, the plant of a
dear lady, who had been among the few femi-
ninjties adnitted tn 600 tho ,linnar 90 tho Iitar
AIRY association fund, was very funny. She APP
pealed to the editor of a daily paper TO help her
solve the problem. ''Why are not ladies invited
TO sit a: meat with their lords or brothers on
such ocCasions?" From gallery she had
looked down upon the black-coated crowd at
the table below. expecting to something
worth seeing and hear something worth hear
ing. There are people who expect a celebrity
to ask for the mustard in different way from
the haberdashers. All she saw. she says. was a
number of men called distinguished. but looking
for all the world just like any other set of men.
Whether she expected to see them eat with chop
sticks, dine off lily and talk poetry, or what
idea she had formed of the entertainment she
was going to have, did not appear. Those male
creatures just ate their dinner IN tine ordinary
way. Bye and bye came dessert. Here was
the opportunity for them to redeem them
selves III the estimation of the fair gaZer. When
the good wine had done its work she thought
she gong to hear floods of elOQuence and
flashes of wit which would make her needle So
of the rising cloud from hundreds of cigars
and send her home happy to have been pres
ent even ill the clouds. at such a gathering of
talent. She declared that
THE SPEECHES WE'RE As RDINARY As THE MEN
and came to the conclusion that she had been
taken in well as left out During the first
years of my acquaintance with London life |
used to ask the same question as that lady and
wonder what entertainment those pretty occu-
pants OF the gallery got out of their private
view. Now. in America the witty speechmaking
might be an attraction sufficient to draw them.
for no American after-dinner speech that ever
/ heard was Enlightened by humOr or anecdote
But at these English public dinners. with their
solemn toasts of the queen. the royal family,
the houses of parliament. tine army and navy
and reserved forces; BAH ladies', que
yeneZvous faire dams cette galere? How
can poor fellow be humorous
about the reserved forces? The re-
served forces are too tremendous to be tritied
with. / once heard Mr.. Chauncey Depew speak
of the volunteers as ''invincibe in peace and
invisible in war" A stOlid Briton said to me
after the dinner was over that he thought Mr.
Depew's remark about the volunteers in very
doubtful TASTE
The following is not from Mr.. Edward Bel
lamy but from the Paris Figaro:
A. D. 1900
Electrocutioner very politely to condemned
man he points to the electric seat upon
which he is presently to expiate his crime
pray be seated"
The Other, with twentieth century refine
ment-''After you" MAX ORELL.