Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-11-09
AFTER TIER MONEYS WORTH
What Three America Travellers Saw In =
Partisan Opera House.


AFTER TIER MONEYS WORTH
What Three American Travellers Saw Ia .
Partisan Opera House.
American travellers abroad como upon
many sights and customs that are
strange to their American senses Here
is an incident Of an opening night at
the Chatelet theater, Paris. that will
not soon be forgotten by certain party
Of there New Workers who witnessed it.
The presentation was Of Berlioz's
Faust" in accordance with popular
request 1t had been given in the clos
ing spring nights, and in the fall was
put on again, with the same artists in
the various roles. Certain numbers
notably "Marche Hongroise" and Meph-
isto's song-had captivated Paris, and
an overwhelming crowd was at the
doors on the opening night to hear their
favorites
Now, there is a peculiar custom in
vogue at the Chatelet for admitting and
seating the audience. They enter in
squads, and each squad must be seated
before another can get in. OF course
this is admirable when time is no OBJ
ject, but on this particular night the
crowd was too great to be handled in
this slow way. And tho curtain went
up, and the movement Of the opera, I'M
der the direction Of NJ. Cologne, pro-
ceeded when no more than two-thirds
of the audience had been seated.
In the first balcony sat three New
Yorkers-a married couple, with young
lady acquaintance The opera proceeded
over the heads Of the moving. restless
audience for an hour, when an ominous
murmuring Of voices began to make it.
self heard above the tones OF tho orches-
ira 1t muttered, rolled, vibrated, grew
and conveyed feeling Of danger from
some unknown peril The young Amer
lean matron, nervous as American wo-
men are, took fright
1T is a fire., she whispered to her
husband. THE theater is on fire. You
must take me out quick, or we shall
be crushed as we'll as burned I"
But tho husband was obdurate, and
as the noise Of voices increased in vol
ume and angriness he turned to reassure
his wife and her friend
"Be easy. 1t isn't fire This is go
ing to be one Of the sights Of Paris, and
1 wouldn't miss it for a lot on Broad
way"
By this time the menacing attitude
Of the audience had forced itself upon
the attention of NJ. Cologne. His must
clans ceased playing; he looked at them
imploringly, glared at the bowling au-
dience defantiy, rolled out a command
cracking with RS wsyed his baton and
went on.
Then the audience passed from fret
full repining to Offensive action With
q common impulse it svarmed forward,
overran the orchestra and some 40 men
clambered upon tho stage itself. They
silenced the musicians shouted, danced
back and forth in an apparently uncon-
trollable rage, shook their fists under
the noses Of every one In authority and
introduced a sudden and unwelcome ell
ement Of anarchy into the evenings
spectacle.
"What is the matter? Can you make
out what they're saying?" tho young
lady asked
why. yea" the escort replied.
They couldn't get into the theater in
season to hear the fayorite numbers,
and they feel cheated This is the pop
ular Partisan expression Of outraged
feelings.
But what are they going to do about
IT." asked his wife. will they tear
the house down? Do let Us go away at
once "
mo. they'll hurt 10 ono but NJ. Co
logno, and not hiIA il Lo does what they
arc demanding
"Whafcyer is thaty'
"As near as can mako out. it Is to
go back to tho beginning and play the
entire scoro again. That means All ex-
ira hour, and no wonder no objects "
But tho objection proved futile. Aft
er ten minutes Of charges and counter
charges, Of negative shakes Of the head
and affirmative shakes Of many fists
Mr. Cologne turned back the pages Of
his score and again raised his baton.
Tho excited audience was calmod in a
moment and became seated and atten-
tive The movement proceeded smooth
ly, triumphantly, with appreciativo APP
plause. Feelings Of the most perfect
harmony existed. And tho Chatelot
scored a great success.
"Now, in New York, " said the Amer
lean as he took the two ladies to their
hotel, "we wouldn't havo dono it so. "
Il should think not, j." said his wife
in earnest patriotism.
NO, he went on, There VIC would
have talked about our hard luck be-
tween the acts, and tho next morning
would have fought the thing all over in
the newspapers. And we wouldn't have
seen the opera either. 1t seems to me,
my dear, that the French character has
q feature or two which the American
would do well to initiate
Every WELL, said madam. I'm
glad l saw tho opera twice over in one
evening. I'm very much obliged to
those Frenchmen. But all tho same,
I'm quite content to be and remain
American. New York Times
Watching Race Horses.
A late invention, brought ont in re-
spouse to an imperative demand. is a