The Portland daily press., 1894-12-19
MUSIC AND DRAMA,
Marie Decca Concert.

Last yeal the Maine Eye and Ear In
Urinary gave 234S days of free boarding
representing $2S4s) to the poor. unable
to help themselves. This year the de-
mand will doubtedly be greater.
The management desire to continue its
work as fully as possible, giving care
and nursing to the afflicted, who may
hays sight or hearing rest ored, thus be-
ing relieved from years of suffering and
disability. AS the institution is young
without endowment, the needed funds
must be raised each year for this chart
ty. The Ladies Visiting Committee have
secured the Marie Decca Company for n
grand concert in kotzschmar Hall this
evening.-the net proceeds to be devoted
to this object. The concert should draw
large audience, as the talent is of the
highest order, and the charity most
worthy.
Organ Recital.
There should be large audience in at
tendance at the organ recital to be given
at ST. Lawrence st. chuorh this evening.
The society has for long time needed
better musical facilities. and they have
secured fine pipe organ, which has
been placed in position, and this evening
its merits will be displayed by the we'll
known organist, Mr.. Harvey Murray.
Besides the numbers devoted to the
organ, there will be vocal ones also by
well known singers, and Rotations by
we'll known elooutionist. The tickets
can be procured at Fowler's, Stevens and
Churchell's stores and at the door.
Melba as Elaine.
Melba as Elaine revives recollections
of the beautiful production of the play
under A. M. Palmer's management in
New Yorkitwelve years ago, when Annie
Russell, who has just returned to the
stage, after long illness was the Elaine;
Marie Burroughs, now playing at the
Column bia, one of the most beautiful
figures ever seen on the stage. as GUM
evere; Alexander Salvini, Launcelot.
Stoddart gave one of the most thrilling
piecessof pantomime acting ever seen In
an American theatre as the dumb servit-
OF. Who that.saw the piece will ever
forget the spectacle of the arrival of
Elaine at King Arthur's court:
"And the dead
Steer'd by the dumb went upward with
In her right hand the-lily, in her left
The Ietter-all her bright hair streaming
And all the coverlid was cloth of gold
Drawn to her waist, and she herself In
white"
Robson as the Obe1isk.
EA good STORY isHtold of one ofsthe boy
hood experiences of Stuart Robson, the
comedian. 1t WAS the custom of his
mother to keep scrap-book Of house
hold recipes, clipped from newspapers.
She came across one that told how to
make CASTLE soap, and like most good
housewives started in Immediately to
spend over the recipe twice as much as
the article would have cost ready made
The recipe for this soap called for tai
low, grease and fat com bined, with col
oring matter and Eye, and the advan-
tage claimed for it was that it econo-
mixed the scraps of the. kitchen. 1t fell
to young Robson's.lot to be the first to
try the soap, while taking bath. Early
one morning he entered the bath room,
armed with towel a scrubbing brush
and huge cake of his mothers home
madefsoap. A short time afterwards
wild yells were heard to issue from the
Robson residence, and they came from
the bath room. The house was startled.
The neighbors were aroused and con-
gegated before the door. After some
effort Mrs. Robson succeeded in forcing
an entrance, and found her hopeful son
in state of semi-convulsions, fiercely
dancing a fandango in an Intellectual at
tempt to rid his body of bright tan
coIored layer of fat and tallow grease.
1t seems that as soon as young Robson
had stepped from the warm bath the
SOAP. which he had used plentifully,
had, in a most peculiar manner, hard
ened upon him like cold gravy upon
platter, clinging with tenacious tender
ness and utterly refusing to be wiped
off. At that moment he very much re-
sembled Cleopatra's Needle after having
undergone thorough coat of paraffining
The combined efforts of Robson's par
ents were utllizedsin an effort to remove
the greasy foreign substance, and it is
also saidstha the wseminent comedian
had to be held over a hot stove to melt
the acquired fat off him.
An Anecdote of Rubinstein.
A pretty anecdote of Rubenstein IS
told in connection with his tour of this
country with Wieniawsky. The Belgian
v1olinist was a coarse fellow, and con-
stantly offended Rubenstein, whom he
finally insuIted with a''gross epithet, SO
that the Russian broke off all personal
intercourse with him. Louis Grillfuss,
Steinwsy's agent, who witnessed the
offence, was amazed at the next eve
nine's concert to observe Rubenstein at
the wings listening intently to Wieniaw-
sky's performance. He spoke to Rub
enstein in a tone of surprise, aud the
great pianist turned and said: Doesn't
he play like an angel"