The morning call., 1892-07-31

! There has been much excitement about
| the new play at the Vaudeville Theaker,
This Is called Prince d'Aurec" and Nas
| written by Henri Lavedan. When M.
Lavedan offered this play to the Coincide
Franchise the members of the committee
| rejected it with horror. saying the sub
scrlbers would feel insulted by the Ian
guage of certain characters, who might be
considered portraits. But the managers
OF the Vaudeville Theater were not so
| careful. and now in prince d'Aurec"
many Parisians see themselves as others
see them. Every character is despicable.
fTlhce q Aurec himself. representative of
great family, ruins himself at the gam
ping table, but loves only luxury. fetes.
EXPENSE lie has not sentiment of honor
or dignity, he insults every body, even his
mother. and pawns the sword of the con-
stable, his ancestor. We cannot pardon
his faults, even when, in the end he au-
rounces his intention of doing his duty in
war;
The princess, his wife, is a coquette, who
Dofrows. with her husbands knowledge.
enormous sums of money from Baron de
Horn, W hom she knows to be in love with
her. When the baron claims a reward for
MS generosity the princess takes great airs
ana drives him from her house under the
d
OTHER CHARACTERS.
The Duchess de Talais (nee Piedone).
mother of the prince, has regilded the
Diazon OF the Aurec with the money of her
lather. butter merchant. She has more
respect Tor nobility and royalty than if she
mad blue blood In her veins. At the end,
When she hndS that all laugh at her preten-
Sl0ns, she becomes more reasonable.
Niscount de Montrejean is country
gentleman, weak minded and vain.
The Marquis de Chant ers9 establishes
himself as bric-a-brae dealer. and
because of his many acQuaintances is en-
aDled TO engage in numerous financial
schemes MoItade is psychological
novelist, who is supposed to have TAFT and
VIII, but who is really indiscreet and inn
prudent. Baron de Horn is Jewish finan-
cIer. who lends money in order to gain adj
mission to clubs and salons. But Horn Is a
hnancler who allows himself To be a dupe
both oil men and women. Prince and
Princess d'Aurec have been married three
years lie owes gambling debts to the
amount Of 10000 francs aud she has bills
Tor toilets amounting to 100000 francs.
The Duchess de Taais, who has helped
them once, refuses 10 come to their assist
ance. Her refusal is easy 10 under
stand, as the prince asks his mother
for money in the rudeSt manner. Baron de
Horn has expressed his admiration for the
princess and she decides TO beg his assist
ance. lie, delighted. offers her check
Sikutu III DldHh anu ht the Sdfno Time pro-
poses to aid the prince. But when the debts
are paid there is nothing left for current ex-
penses and the princely pair are obliged to
accept hospitality in the castle of the
duchess. Ihither goes the baron and there
he declares his love. But he is received
like a servant and treated with extraordinary
disdain.
''Insolent Jew!" cries the princess.
The prince hears and interferes. He tries
to turn the fnancier out Of doors when the
latter exclaims:
Before you drive me ont pay me-
The prince lowers his head. and the
fnancier demands his money with so much
insstence that the Duchess de Talais paws
the debt. The role of Princess d'Aurec is
played by Nine. Jane Hading, and her sue
cess is marvellous. The other roles are
played by MesSrs. Meyer, Caude and Cali
pauX.
AS every character in the play is said to
be portrait it would be of interest could
the names be given. but discretion forbids,
as all are disreputable and declasses.
A HosPTTABLE COUNTESS.
Countess Edmund de PourtaIes has been
entertaining this spring more than any year
since the Empire. Her Paris home, in the
kge II9gehet deseEilhed .d Ry p Dis 2gen a
woman. Pictures, siatuary, bibelots. ar
tistlc ehefs-d'0uyre, and marvels of the
past, all are obscured by Carolus Duran's
famous portrait OF the countess, painted
when she was at the zenith of her beauty.
A complexion of lilies and roses, hair OF a
rich blonde color, eyes of dark blue CON-
posed one OF the loyeliest faces known
10 TINS century, and how. enhanced
face by the ropes OF pearl, the countess
preferred jewel, pearls in festoons pearls
trained in the hair, failing from the Shout
der, encircIing the waist the arms, the
throat AT the imperial fetes Napoleon HI
spoke OF her with pride 10 foreign soYer-
elgnS as 1.-THE most beautiful among many
beautiful women" Ia her own home the
countess is devoted wife and mother
hBaneIer and politician. 1t has been wiltily
remarked that Countess de POurtales can
wash her grandchild's face or hem towel
lust as easily as she can dictate terms for
the peace OF kingdom or place an empire
at her feet
AN ANCIENT FAMILY.
The countess belongs to an old Lorraine
family. She WAS born Melanie de
Bussleres, and when very young married
Count Edmond de POuTtales, a Swiss. whose
ancestors had received their title from
Frederick the Great.
LII was the Princess de Metternich, the
famous Austrian embassadress, who made
OF the Countess &c Pourtales a reigning
beauty, and these two women. Numerically
opposed In appearance and character, then
formed a friendship that has outlved the
Empire outiyed their youth. Nine. de
Pourtales possessed beauty. name and
snhUel-dlt lNAl was necessary 10 conquer
high position In the Partisan world, but the
young embassadress. with one word, placed
the countess on pedestal she would
have reached only by the exercise of
much patience. Mme. de Pourtales' devotion
to the Tuileries is an unexplained mystery,
but woman of intelligence and tact can
easily steer her bark SO as TO avoid all dan
gers on political sea. She is friend OF
Royalists, to whom by birth she belongs,
and Of Imperialists who claim her as their
own. In salons. that are the last foothold
of French aristocracy. Nine. de Pourtales is
one of the grandes danes.
ROYAL ENTERTAINMENT.
The countess entertains, both at Robert
son and Paris. IN a royal manner The
decorations at her fetes are marvellous, and
once, IL is said. for the flowers scattered about
her rooms she spent $4,000. In all, except
the method of entertaining her guests, the
countess has copied the seven teenth and
eighteenth centuries.
Who could have shown more tact than
the Countess de Pourtales at the time
Alsace ana Lorraine be anne the prey of
the invader? While in the Place de la Con-
corde they were covering the statue of
Strasburg with wreaths and emblems of
mourning on the Rue de Riyoli they sold
photographs of the countess, who. by her
peculiar headdress, soon made the Alsatian
bow fashionable. Proudly she wore the
colors of her conquered flag, and the mourn
ing crepe rendered the symbol sacred, even
TO the fercest defenders of the Bourbon
white standard. But, by the loss OF Alsace
and Lorraine, the countess became q sub
ject of Germany. AS she had charmed
Napoleon and Eugene, so she charmed the
German Emperor and Empress and today
her generosity knows no flag, her benevo-
lence no nation
BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR
Paris. June 10. 1892.