Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-01

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
PARIS. November 10. 1894.
A small friend of mine went to the circus
one day, and when he came home and was
asked IL he enjoyed 1t. said: "Oh. yes; 1t
was very nice, but the elephants skin
didn't tit!'
In Paris no such criticism Of the circus
could be made. Not that the elephants
skins. like the Partisan dresses. fit like
the paper on the wall" but because there
are no elephants-no animals, in fact. ex
cept the talented horses and the inevitable
trained dogs.
The circus here is a refined and modest
affair to size Il cannot say as much for
the actions and TALK, is held in a theater.
and is a permanent institution, not an
excitement OF a few weeks, once or twice
a season, as IT is at home. This theater
has one small ring completely covered with
a large straw-colored mat, like our front
door mats No common tanbark rings
here! This mat looks like old gold plush,
and makes one feel it Is quite too fine to be
trod upon by ordinary feet.
Unlike the other theaters of Paris, which
have four or five galleries, like ladders to
the sky, this place has but one. I'm
mediately below 1t is a row of boxes. the
electric lights therein shaded by soft pink
glass Below these boxes are seats all
round about the ring. The one gallery is
a very wide promenade with no seats,
where ono can get standing room only"
There is nothing very unusual about the
first part of the performance, except per-
haps the number of clowns and the very
gorgeous costumes that they wear.
Strange to say, they are all Americans,
and speak the most atrocious French i'm
aginable. One of them is an African gen.
tlpman America. black
of spades, who rejoices in the name or
"Chocolat." He has been there so long he
is part of the institution, and the circus
wouldn't be the circus without "Chocolat.'
There are two "entre actes" during the
evening. In the first every one gets up,
and visit is made to the stalls where the
horses and ponies are kept These stalls
shine with nickel trappings, and The beau
tiful, sleek beasts have their names posted
up over them, and, as you pass. they put
out their noses to be petted.
Japanese PantOmime.
In the second centre acte" the lights are
lowered, an army of lackeys appear the
great heavy mat is rolled up. an arrange
ment consisting of four tall wheels Is
brought in, the rug is suspended between
them and rolled away. Then the ring,
which has a wooden floor, is fitted up with
rugs, Japanese idol, Japanese things Of
all kinds to make a room, the lights go up
and a play commences. This play, or
course they Change OFTEN, out at the tlIne
l am writing IT is Japanese pantomime
called Papa Chrysantheme.' Naturally
the play is ridiculous, but the dresses are
brilliant and the general effect Is good.
There are the usual lover and his lass
who toward the last, in some way get sep
arated. The lights again grow dim, the
attendants appear, and all the appurte-
nances OF the room quickly disappear.
Then you feel queer. 1t seems as II the
earth were caving in. 1t is the stage sink
ing, and as it sinks, water spurts up all
about II, through holes in the wood. around
the sides-everywhere! AS the pond be-
comes deeper broad green lily pads are
seen heating on the top, but ingeniously
fastened to the floor underneath.
a pale green light is turned on. and
troop of fairy girls comes gliding In, their
robes Of shimmering .gauze bright in the
simulated moonlight. They lightly step on
the lily pads and cautiously Wend their
way about the pond, grouping themselves
gracefully behind the rushes at the edges,
and await the coming of their queen. The
distracted lover appears at one side, and
the lady of his heart comes at last. She is
clad in a gown of feeCy texture, W hiCh falls
about her in diaphanous folds, now softly
pink, now amber, now tender opalescent
hues. Her dainty slippered foot seeks the
lily pads. She taps them once or twice to
see If they will hold her weight, then light
ly springs out to them, holding in her pref
ty hands the folds of her voluminous dra-