Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-10-19

LaeSEJ ..-::-.@--
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. 1t is more
funny too. Even the cast causes one to
laugh. 1t Is so suggestive of funeral
the main theme Of the play-that 1T Is
worth reprinting. 1t is as follows:
The Colonel Christian Berriel; the Ma
jor, Paul Barring; the Judge Advocate,
Howand 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 Burleigh; the
Dear Departed, Piggott Luce; the Orphan,
Pony Luce; the Particular Friend of the
Bereaved Wife, Lie" Dugro; the Be
reavcd Aurora Luce.
"A Milk White Flag" satirizes {. na
tional weakness which may well be ridi-
culed 1t is the tendency to put on n uni
form whenever there is the least possible
excuse for it and strut around like a tur-
key gobblcr. Mr.. Hoyts shafts of wit,
while aimed directly at the national guard,
will be accepted in a much broader sense
perhaps than even the author intended.
The story is quite simple, most Of the fun
being mado 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
A or,iz inn
has just had military funeral, and the
Ransomes, exceedingly jealous, resolve
not to be outdone
In act promoter who has arranged
with an undertaken to feign death in or
der to collect an insurance of 500, 900 is
brought home apd announced to be dead.
IIe is packed on ice, catches cold, has
the pleasure of seeing the Ransome Off
GERS making love to his wife and finally
hears his spouse sell him for 500. so to en-
able the guards to have military funeral.
In the third act the corpse announces
that he Is not dead when u proposition Is
made to outdo the rival organization, who
simply buried their man, by cremating
him.
Tho farce is huge success, and there
Is not dull or a coarse moment in it
anywhere 1t is made somewhat spec
tacular by the introduction of some fo-
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 Adelna Patti, tells me that it is
not improbable that tho 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 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
ii is unduly fussy and that her demands
are frequently and, in fact usually I'M
TtuSOfluDlt. Dub VII ~ 10 tioo
the condition of few vocal chords means
large fortune each year it will be admit
ted that sho is justified in being as careful
as possible of her health. During the
present season Patti is making more mon
ey than ever before in her career. She has
engagements In all Of the European capi-
tails 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 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 absHrdity of the latter assertion is
manifest, but the fact remains that the
present European season of the cantatrice
partakes very much of the nature Of
triumphal tour
BY the way it Is inconceivable that
dramatic editors will believe the awful
rot that enemies of Nine. Patti circulate
TO her detriment. Last season just prior
to the close of her tour some of the New
York newspapers printed the most cruel
stories about her. They started with
vague innuendo which developed after the
singers departure for Europe into bold
assertion. One of these concoctions was
to the effect that Patti and her husband,
Nicolini, quarreled perpetually, and 1t
was even hinted that divorce could be
damly scanned upon the horizon of their
usually placid sea of matrimony. This
was copied by papers all over this coun-
sry' and ench time it was added to until
howard the last it looked as though the