Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1894-01-27
sTA~e KISSES.
They Are Sometimes OF n Very Realistic
Character.

They Arc Sometimes OF Very Realistic
Character.
Love making on the stage Is generally
supposed by the unsophisticated public
to be more or less of perfunctory
business, q make believe affair as dry
and tasteless to the performers as the
property food and drink which they
affect to swallow at their banuuets
Romantic and sentimental people will
be glad to know that the tender pas
sion, as represented on the boards, is
not all pretense, and that occasionally,
at least, Cupid gets in his work without
shame or conjunction right before the
footlignts- A case in point is said to
have occurred recently in popular
comic opera troupe in which the prirna
donna and the baritone were the VIC
TINS of the sly title god. How or
where the mutual attraction first began
is not stated, but that it had not only
begun but was we'll advanced was
made manifest to the audience soon
after the baritone joined the company.
1t was part of the haritone's duty to
kiss the prima donna. and it was sup
posed that he would do it after the or
binary stage fashion, as man eats who
thirsty. But what was the surprise of
the spectators and of the other mem
bers of the company to see that he per-
formed the duty as if he liked it, and
he liked it very much, indeed. In fact,
he kissed the prima donna with so much
ardor and enthusiasm, and she ap-
parently reciprocated with SO much
earnestness and vigor, that the labial
scene soon became the most prominent
in the opera A witness in describing
it said the baritone's zeal reminded
him of the realistic manner in
which Rignold, the English actor,
discharged similar duty in "Renry
W.. Reynolds kiss was linked sweet
ness so long drawn out or drawn in
that when he began the sporting gem
tlemen in the front rows of the theater
| would regularly time him to see if he
would break his previous records. The
| baritone's kisses were of the same sort,
| and when he administered them in Phil
adelphia he created such a sens alton
that the gallery howled and the or
chestra chairs tainted" The manager
crushed behind the scenes and asked
the baritone what he meant by such a
performance. Instead of modifying the
| kiss, however, he intensified it, until
the comp user and the author were en-
tirely forgotten in tho wild. delirious
expectancy with which the audience
waited for that kiss" The manager in
despair discharged the baritone, who
| said he would rather surrender his sal
airy than his right 70 kiss the prima
| donna, and to kiss her conscientiously
| and with all the liberation that the
scene demanded. The prima donna de-
clarcd that the interests of art demand
ed that she support the position talscI,
1 by the baritone, and she promptly re-.
| signed an engagement worth twenty
three thousand dollars rather than moi
be kissed in a soulful and resoundin;t
style. The manager stood firm for 1.
few days, but without the fervent ltis..
the opera lost much of its magnetic.
! power. and he was, it is said, forced t =,
capitulate and summon the prima donn,.
and the baritone back to his service. q
kiss for which q man IS wiling to fore
go ambition and employment and a
woman twenty-three thousand dol
lars, during such financial crisis as
the present, must be sweet indeed.
Who would not be a baritone or prima
donna with such delightful perquisities
as this?-Baltimore Sun. go