Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-03
SINGING FOR CHARITY.

the Benefit of the Allegheny General
Hospltal-German Protestant Evangeli-
cal Fair-Gossip of Society.
THE Alvin Theater was comfortably filed
last night when the curtain rolled upon the
first act of the dramatic cantata, BEL
shazzar." The fact that the entertainment
was given for the benefit of the Allegheny
General Hospital, as well as the expectation
that the performance would be very good,
was enough to draw a large audience, made
up of the representative people of the two
cities, and there is no reason to
suppose that they were disap-
pointed last night. The performan ce
went with remarkable smoothness for a first
night, the effect of careful rehearsals being
seen throughout. The cantata follows pretty
closely the Biblical story of the wicked Bel
shazzar, who laid his sacrilegious hands
upon the holy vessels from Jerusalem, and
who was warned of the approaching down.
fall of Babylon by a hand that wrote mys-
terious words upon the wall. The story is
one of the most striking and dramatic in the
Old Testament. and lends itself very easily
to stage representation and beautiful music.
Butterield's cantata is considered to be the
best version of the story of "Belshazzar" to
be found outside of the Bible, and the music
that has been welded to the fairly good
poetry is nearly all of a notable character.
AS given at the Alvin, "BelshazZar' is an
ambitious stage production, as well as
tuneful exposition of the story of the Baby
lonian king. The costumes. no doubt histori-
cally correct are fanciful and bright and are
worn generally with grace by the large num-
ber taking part. Mr.. w. S. Weeden, as the
King, is noble figure, from whom might be
expected the heroic sentiments that are
given in his deep baritone. He was in good
voice last night, and carried his rather try
ing part apparently without difficulty. Mrs:
j. Sharp Med DJnald, rs dNtOnid, looked
queenly and sang with her old sweetness
and expression. e ise Warren, as Nuoc'is,
Queen Regent, wa: good, and Mr.. John A.
strouss, sang and acted well as Daniel;
and tmelosnrih respectively, are deserv-
ing OF special mention, rs Is Miss l.
Mittie Weeden as the Angel. Clever little
Alice Kober as Myra is different from the
average child actress in that she acts intel
igently instead of like parrot. She is Il
pleasing feature OF the entertainments. The
chorus is very strong and we'll trained. and
its work last night was distinguished by its
precision and certainty of attack. There
was nothing suggestive of amateurs in its
work.
The cantata is well mounted, the scenery
and costumes being looked to as carefully as
the music ITSELF Judging by the applause
that greeted the performance last night, it
there is little doubt that the attendance will
be large all the week. TO the great pecuniary
benefit OF the Allegheny General Hospital.
The annual MAY fair and festival for the
benefit of the Aged Colored Women's Homo
will be held to-day and tomorrow at La
fayette Hall. No pains have been spared to
make the affair success and two pleasant
days are assured. A substantial dinner, in
Guiding all the delicacies OF the season, will
be served each day from 1l:30 a. NJ. to P. M.
There will also be ice cream and refresh
ment tables, one in charge of the Pitssburg
ladies and the other in charge OF Allegheny
ladies. There will be fancy. domestic, and
china and glassware tables, chocolate
stands orange tree, and floral booth, and
by the Iron City Eand. The Committee of
is composed of Mrs. d. S.
Richards, Mrs. f. Hawkins. Mrs. E. johnson,
Miss S. Maloney, Mrs. s. Dorsey, Mrs. E. Cain.
Mrs. Kate Strothers, Miss 5. Delaney, Mrs.
NJ. Allen and Mrs. C. Stinson.
THE fair under the auspices of the con-
of the German Protestant Evan
gelical Churches, in Old City Hall, opened
yesterday under the most fiattering condi-
tions. The ladies who have been working
hard for the last three months have reason
to say that their work has borne good fruit,
for certainly the big hall, around which so
many patriotic memories cling, never
looked brighter or prettier than it did last
night, when the fair was in full swing.
Bunting of various colors, but generally
embodying those to be found in the flag OF
the Fatherland, was literally used in deco
rating the hall and one booth and stand,
that of Mrs. NJ. Stuckey showed the black,
red ana yellow of Germany entwined with
the red, white and blue of the United
States. There are a large number of booths
in the spacious hall, each booth being in
charge of different congregation, and there
has been plenty of friendly rivalry to
whose booth shall be most attractive
Where all are SO artistically arranged it
would be ungracious to pick out any partic-
nlar one for comment. Suffice it to say that
the hall is ver1table bower of beauty, both
&c to the booths and stands and those who |
preside at them. All sorts of fancy articles |
are on sale, many of them made by the deft |
fingers OF the ladies of the various congrega- |
tions, and still others donated by those who |
ire in sympathy with the object of the fair, |
to raise money for the new orphan asylum |
ut West Liberty borough. Ice cream and |
cake are offered for those who |
want sweets. while for others |
whose astronomical demands are of |
heavier nature there is O welI-served supper |
preparation OF these meals the ladies are
keeping up the reputation of the German |
housewife for good cookery. The f1od is |
and it is prepared in a way that |
idently expected that the receipts from the
meals will be very large portion of the
'und that is sure to be raised from the fair.
rhe icecream stands, flower booths and |
supper arrangements are in charge of the |
aides of the Smithfield street church. The |
Manchester congregation under the super
ntendence of Mrs. Elizabeth Schwartz, is in
.harge of fancy and prize booths. The
congregation, with Mrs.
" c. Grindelfingerat at the head. has also fancy
,ootLs. Mrs T. Lipke is in charge OF the Smith
leld street congregation fancy table. Mrs.
:. Neep has the Mt. Washington congrega-
ton. Rev. H. Bacher. of st. Paul's, Allie
.heny is looking after fancy booth, with
adies' assistance. The Bloomfield and Etna
are unuer the supervision of
Mrs. NJ. Hoffman and Mrs. E. Ochse. Mrs. NJ
,tucky leads the Birmingham congregation.
IIrs. A. Hoffman, of Millvale borough, has
IN exhibition q colossal and beautiful cake,
,aked by her husband tnat Is to be disposed
If by lot. Other things that will go to the
ucky persons holding the winning numbers
re furniture of all kinds, including every
hing that Is required in house, from the
,itchen to the garret.
To-day a booth containing presents from
he Empress ofGermany, Mrs. Garfield, Mrs.
fcKinley and Mrs. Patrison, wife of the
Governor, will be thrown open to the Wis
tors to the fair.
AT meeting of the Women's Industrial