The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-18
mimic possessing more taan all their Woes
and totally lacking The lssst OF their hum

mimic possessing more taan all their vices
and totally lacking The lsast OF their hum
Bile virtues.
The longer ono studies these ausious
lowly folk Of London. She 9raAsss 70 TIM
fruitful subject Tor the novsltss. Or 81 least
for such masters OF character a. Thacks-
raw. Reade and, Dicksns. They have always
been utilized ~ ths butt az Quil . and quttks
by the p~ennr-a-liAcr, NE wits Ct Pnneh,
aort OF way, 10 raise lhs londsst guffaws %
the myriad music halls Of London. Bat
not until quite recently has their character
been studied by q mar Of real genius. or
their weaknesses, virtues and traits = ipsai.
ing 70 universal hsmaa rsoosnition, heea
port Aged BY . man OF subtle psrcspSions
and ardent sympathiss.
That man 10 Able I Chsvalier. OF french,
Welsh and Irish ext action, he was dcstlued
by his pArenta for the pi iesthood. Hat In
stead he beoame y suecessful actor OF the
Kenda!s, and later at the Court theator nm
der Manager Hare. In tiAae he folnd him
self a popular leading comedian without an
engagement. Offers came to him for en-.
gngom in burlesQus ~ second come
dian. Ihis was going backwards; some
thinR a London actor cannot affora TO Do.
Some of his work in comedy had brought
HIM among the costermon2ers for character
study; and he remembered that any aono he
had sung in his various characters bearing
on these droll folk. had been received with
| peculiar favor. He suddenly resolved to turn
| music hall singer, o resolution which carried
out in London ordinarily means complete
| social ostrReism. But from the tins this
determination was reached, Chevalsr must
be considsrsd in tho light OF . poet. COM
poser and singer. He continued his costsr
studies with q positive genius, a snlendid
education and an ac.or'a alert perception Of
what is necessary. as with the painter. TO
not ouiy revsal by true realism, but to re-
veal in the subtler power OF suggestion.
behind them; ana the result was that since
his frat singing OF 1.-The Coster's S~ersnade"
at the London Pavilion. in February, 1891.
he has held ths extraordinary position OF
being the only performer upon n stage,
SO unique in his line OF rendition ana 90
mastetful in his artistic skill a. to pre- vent
tho slightest attempt at rivalry.
from his nightly performances at four lead.
| ing London music halls and from royalty
on his songs is from $600to $1,000 per week
-nea " eQualinc the salary OF the presi-
dent of the United States; and AL this
| from merely discovering she costermonGers
| OF London and revealing them to the peo-
| pie of London. 1t has been done In . way
to reach their heartA a. we'll - their sense
| of hbnor lastingly. - is shown in the fact
that his present engaGemsASs are perman-
ent for . reriod OF i've years. he isa
quiet. ssudioas fellow. aud while his In
com parable success has opened to him the
doors of the great and noble houses IL
London, where his genuine scholarship and
refinement would render him . social ao-
qu!sitlon without the glamour of success.
he leads q modest life IN Ai1 own pIsssy
homo alongside tbs Thames almost under
tho shadow Of Windsor Castle, whore his
books, his punt and fishing rod . . his chief
companions.
This much regarding the mans personal
lily. To convey to othera who are mao
q%uainted with coster nongsts themssives;
tho peculiar conditions Of London life and
society which make it possible for . man to
derive a prime ely income from creating and
intsrpreting-ior ChsvalieF Is more than .
mere singer 1pon the stase-two or thrcs
costsr songs zach year, IL q difficult task.
London ia almost q great world in itself.
Its c~osters. distinctive in character. VEGA
ton. spseoh. traits. habits and customs.
had previously remNined an almost IN
known people to what may be regarded -
intellectual London. II Charles Dickens
we're living and had written greet
aud love had been dslinsatsd 50
powerfully that all London stood amsz d
TT its own ignorance OF Its " lowly. the
costor man and woman could nos nave
hesn more firmly sot upon tho psdessals OF
sentiment than has Chsvaiisr placed them
klECukh LIS SbEOuA Atkasp - DSHSt
broad strokes of delineation in character
representation and song. 10 has b-oushs
to almost universal attention tbs mtrthfnl
and serious sides of coster cha aossr. He
has shown that there nre csster comedy and
tragedy. like that possible in your life and
mine. In one altar another Of his marvel
oas song imrersonations like The Costsr's
SsTensde." The Coster's Courtship. 18th:
Future Mrs. 'Awkins." "Wot Cher"
THE Nasty Way 'E sex IT, and "Our
Little Eipper." he has brought the very
heart throbbings OF this unoouth class, Of
those of his hearers. that the great London
public, from prentice bov to prince. have
Awakened TO the fact that costers are act
ualiy human creatures, possessing at least
soms OF the common attributes of human-
Kind.
Chevalier found that tho costsrs really
made love to each other; that there were
ruds Romeos and Juliets among them; and
such hints as these are given OF the gentle
passion between pearl buttonei Jacksys
ami their "donahs:'-
You amt forgotten yet that night in May,
Down at the Welsh Arp. witch is 'Endon way!
You fame ed Wrinkles an a pot O. tea;
-Four 'alf," 1 murmured IS COOL enough for
mo:
Give me a word of 'opo that l my vim
You prods me gently with he wiakle pin:
We was as anpy, a. could BE- that day,
Down at tho Welsh Arp, witch is End on way.
, "Wot Cher" 10 an inimitable delineatiou
/ of the coster in his toyste ing. hilarious
mood. 1.-The Nasty Way e Sez IT," which
. has boon piratsd aud cut to l2nob!s uso in
, America. though told in the uncouth coster
way Of a snserinp, fault-inding pal" is q
: most wonderful satire on that omnipros ent
class of breakers who descend like hsrpie,
, upon all well-carned comfort and content.
, His latest creation, "Onr Little Nipper.'
: disclosss the ooster parental love 10. and
!. pride In tho oostor boy. who is assiduously
. 'taught" by his radiant father.
9 Not IN books, Of course, for them . can't
abide'-
n But in artful little keys ways
. AS makes the people sit up were we stays"
Cheyaliar's influence has baen henlthful
Q and good. While, as in London patlance.
z coster stock is looking up, thers is decid.
i eddy less Of initiated cockneyism and costel
slang among tho lowly, and less everyday
g butfoonery among the oookney eads of Lon
W don. Defining and revealing eoste 8 as
70 class havo brought them into line for socia
10 and literary contem plation. This OF itsel
gradually tends to oonfge imitators to
l. very low class OF minds whose infiuenc
upon manners and speech is withou
weight, and deliueAto, 8 to Il very high orde
t. of intellcct, ma with Chevalier, with paint
ers and with nevelists, who will do tn
costers no harm, and who will mist th
90 public's eye or touch the rublie's heart in
ic way that always makes it better for a thril
n OF mirta or sadness.
!" Cheyalis,'s coster dialect IL ndmirabl
Il -, son ofaa. IN he kha rno1 thto~, Int l.