Birmingham age-herald., 1894-11-04

SCENE FROM "A MILK WHITE FLAG" ord of "A Trip to Chinatown" in New York, for it is as much better than that skit as chalk is than cheese. It is more funny too Even the cast causes one to laugh. It Is so suggestive of funeral the main theme of the play-that it is worth reprinting It is as follows:
 The Colonel, Christian Berriel; the Ma jor, Paul Barring; the Judge Advocate, Rowland Hooper, the Surgeon, Mark Tombs; the Bandmaster, Steele Ayres; the Private, Willing Singer; the Dancing Master, Gideon Foote; the Lieutenant, Phil Graves; the Standard Bearer, Carrie Flagg the General, Hurley Burleigb; tho Dear Departed Piggott Luce; the Orphan, Pony Luce; the Particular Friend of the Bereaved Wife, 'Lize' Dugro; tho Be- reayed, Aurora Luce.
 "A Milk White Flag satirizes na- tional weakness which may well be ridi- culed. It is the tendency to put on Q uni form whenever there is the least possible excuse for it and strut around like tur- key gobbler. MT. Hoyt's shafts of wit, while aimed directly at the national guard, will be accepted in much broader sense perhaps than even the author intended. The story is quite simple, most of the fun being made by the dialogue, which spar kles and effervesces continuously. The first act passes in the armory of the Ran some guards, where General Burleigh of the regular army is the guest of honor. The colonel was elected to his office sim ply because he closely resembles the great Napoleon. A rival military organization has just had military funeral, and the D., x,lx, not to be outdone.
 In act 3 a promoter who has arranged with an undertaken to feign death in or der to collect an insurance of $1OO.0O0 is brought home and announced to be dead He is packed on ice, catches cold, has the pleasure of seeing the Ransome off cers making love to his wife and finally hears his spouse sell him for $62. 50 to en- able the guards to have military funeral. In the third act the corpse announces that he is not dead when proposition is made to outdo tho rival organization, who simply buried their man, by cremating him.
 The farce is huge success, and there is not a dull or coarse moment in it anywhere. It is made somewhat spec. tacular by the introduction of some fe- male messenger boys" vivandieres, etc. The original music, which was composed by, that skillful constructor of whistleable melodies, Percy Gaunt, is catchy and will undoubtedly become popular and thus work its way into the barrel organs.
 A person who has just returned from Europe, and who is great friend of the peerless Adelina Patti, tells me that it is not improbable that the diva will pay America another professional visit next year. While Patti had not stated specific ally that she would do so, the impression made upon her friend was that the only stumbling blocks would be a competent manager and guarantee that her salary would be paid. Patti has reached the age when long railroad journeys are exceed ingly distasteful as well as wearying to her, and she declares with emphasis that she would not undertake tour like her last one for all the wealth of the Indies. She complains too, of the lack of arrange ments for keeping drafts from her in the theaters at which she sang.
 A great many persons imagine that Pat ti is unduly fussy and that her demands are frequently and, in fact, usually un- reasonable, but when it is considered that the condition of few vocal chords means
 
 ted that she is justified in being as careful as possible of her health. During the present season Patti is making more mon- ey than evor before in her career. She has engagements in all of the European capi- tals and in most of the important cities. Besides these she has been obliged to re- fuse offers which would have startled either of those two song birds of the north Jenny Lind and Christine Nilsson. Most critics declare that her voice is as good as ever and a few extremists, who allow their admiration for the singer to run away with their judgment, foolishly insist that Patti can sing better than ever. The absurdity of the latter assertion is manifest but the fact remains that the present European season of tho cantatrice partakes very much of the nature of . triumphal tour.
 By tho way, it is inconceivable that dramatic editors will believe the awful rot that enemies of Mime. Patti circulate to her detriinunt. Last season just prior