Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-25

nYD&HD4
Pittsburg isn't going to have the Worlds
Fair, but it has the Verestchagin collection;
il is going to have . May Festival, and
hold your breath nova Greek play. This
is something that has been attempted but
twiee before in the United States, believe,
once at Harvard University, where Mr..
Riddle, who gave a reading recently at
Carnegie Hall, took the leading role, and
once in New York City. The play to be pre-
sented is ''Alcestis," by Euripides, a lyric
tragedy, and the cast will be composed of
nine members of the senior class in the Holy
Ghost College. with chorus of "a voices.
The play will be given Immediately after
Easter under the management of Byron W.
King, who is actively engaged even now in
training the young gentlemen in acting and
coaching them in their Greek, he being
former Greek professor and an ardent
Greek scholar and student Either the
Grand Opera House or the Duquesne Theater
will be secured for the performance. which
will be given in the afternoon. And it is the
intention to have everything pertaining to the
presentation in harmony with the language
and suggestive of the time in which the play
was written.
A Pleasing Marble Effect.
The stage and the scenery will be spotless in
their purity and represent marble as nearly as
possible. The seats and the floor of the theater
will likewise present a marble aspect, as they
will be covered with white material. The
players will appear in historically correct Co.'S
tunes and the lights will be tempered to the
desired softness. thereby obtaining the ancient
amphitheater effect. The choral parts of the
play are being set to music by Rev. Father
Griffin and will be especially interesting
feature of the performance.
Alcestls" differs from many Greek plays in
that 1t has a happy conclusion that would do
credit to modern creauon. The hero is con-
demned to death by the gods. but by Apollo's
intercesslon he is permitted to 20 free If SUBJ
stitute can be found. Substitutes, however.
are not as numerous they might be, but
dtceSttS, the hcro's wife, brave. true, little
mortal, offers her life as sacrifice She is being
lead of by IhdndfOs (death), when Hercules
appears and rescues her from the grave, thus
making everyone happy.
For Those Who Are Not Greek Scholars
partial translations of the play, sufficiently
extensive to make it comprehensive to nom
Greek students, will be a feature of the pro.
gramme at the performance. But happy is he
who rejoices in even a very limited knowledge
OF the language, and consequently will not find
1t necessary to cast furtive glances at the En-
gilsh text and cultivate immense self-poSsession
TO convince his friends of his classical attain
ments and superiority. 1 confess l almost
shrink from the ordeal and am tempted to
admit that don't know Greek word from an
Egyptian hieroglyphic.
But if, as Gladstone and Matthew Arnold
say, we are drifting perceptibly. even rapidly.
Helenic-ward in art, thought and studies there
hone a harxU
this and Easter; anyway. I'll wait and see how
the rest act about it before l commit myself.
ANY number OF strangers and people interested
IN the study are going to be in the city to wit
ness the production, one college President hav-
lnE signihed his desire that the students with
out exception attend. Greek professors from
several distant colleges have also expressed
their intentions of being present.
Cultivating Chrysanthemums.
We are bound to be extremely aesthetic and
classical for one afternoon at least and quite
English you know for the Greek in any form
is fad there. We are also going to initiate
the English in another way apparently from
circulars received by society ladies in the city
during The past week regarding a New Y ork
chrvsanthemum show for next fall. The cir
culars bear he names of Mrs. Henry Clews,
Mrs. W. c. Whitney Mrs. Astor, Mrs. C. Van
derbilt. Mrs J. PlerponJ Morgan and numer-
Gus Others equally hIgh-born and fashionable,
who offer prizes to competitors in order to en-
courage the cultivation of the marvelously
beautiful flower and make chrysanthemum
shows the same important feature of horticul-
ture and fashionable life in this country that
they have SO long been in England.
Flowers remind me that the writers of the
numerous articles going the rounds of the
press at present regarding the late Historian
Bancroft's love for horticulture have over
looked one important little floral incident in
teresting to every society lady and lover of the
American Beauty" rose. Mr. Bancroft was
especially fond of roses, and his garden
abounded IN all new varieties of our own as
well as of foreign countries. His gardener,
Mr.. Brady, was attracted strongly to one
particular bush that was in flower
The grea: size, rich color ana exquisite per-
fume of its blossoms SO pleased him that he
prop2gated number of plants for his own
garden. A progressive Washington florist
years after, discovered the bushes in the
grounds OF the old gardener, recognized their
value, purchased them for a song, increased
his stock a thousandfold. put them on the
market, made a great furore and a small
fortune at the same time. Some technical
sharps declared at the time OF the introduction
that it was the French rose MADAM Ferdinand
Jarmain," but the name American Beauty" {"
given by the WashingtonIan was greeted with
the same favor as was the flower and accepted.
The Belle of the Period
The society girl OF the present time who
doesn't take something, and have her regular
hours for taking it, is not in existence. And it
isn't mint julips either, though She may take
them, too Just now it is music, vocal OF on the
piano, violin or mandolin; elocution, Delsarte,
or even shorthand, if she can think of nothing
else of which she has not a smatterinc Not
that she inends to make any use of the knowl-
edge gained-it is only as an accomplishment
and amusement. But whatever else is taken,
French must not be neglected and the limited
knowledge obtained at a fashionable boarding
school or seminary must be extended with the
assistance of a nrivate teacher until COM
n he is
sessed.
L dropped in on two charming young ladies
during the week who were, metapborically
speaking, scratching their pretty heads in great
perpleXlty over the composition and writing in
French of a note to their teacher whose illness
prevented lesson that evening. Perseverance,
accomplished the object, however, the note
was finally written and dispatched by But
tons" and if the poor teachers head ached
more vigorously after deciphering il she m 1st
certainly have been gratifed by the evidence
of effort it represented.
The Fashionable Handwriting,
To be stylish nowadays one must write very
peculiar hand, sort of uniform crazy hand.
which originated with some of the leading
lights of the professional stage, as SO many
fashions do. In describing it l would saw
II is a sew-saw chirography "now-vou're.
up-now-down" design. The first letter is
on the line, the next ascends degree or SO.
while the third returns to the original line, and
So on throughout the word. The characters
are inclined only trifle to the right and are
large round and legible. The writing is strik.
lngly attractive when written by one accus-
toned to 1t, but remarkably funny and crazy.
looking when written by novice. However.
little patience and practice will be rewarded
bv as see-sawy an effect as one would wish,
though rather ungracious young man re.
marked that girls usually maintained such in
their letters regardless of their chirography
The distinguished ladies OF the press will be