Connecticut western news., 1894-11-08
AFTER THEIR MONEYS WORTH.
What Three American Travellers Saw In [
 PArfsinn Opera House.

PArisian Opera House.
 American travellers abroad come 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. It 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 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 ob- jeot, but on this particular night the crowd was too great to be handled in this slow way. And the curtain went up, and the movement of the opera, un- 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 omfnous murmuring of voices began to make it. self heard above the tones of the orches- tra It muttered, rolled, vibrated, grew and conveyed feeling of danger from some unknown peril The young Amer fcan matron, nervous as American wo- men are, took fright I
 Tt is 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. !"
 But the 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. It isn't fire. This is go- ing to be one of the sights of Paris, and wouldn't miss it for lot on Broad way"
 By this time the menacing attitude of the audience had forced itself upon the attention of M. Cologne. His musi cians ceased playing; he looked at them imploringly, glared at the bowling au- dience defantly, rolled out command cracking with r's, waved his baton and went on.
 Tbax, tha and,anoa rasea5 fr~,,, %,ot ful repining to offensive action With 8 common impulse it swarmed forward, overran the orchestra. and some 40 men clambered upon the stage itself. They silenced the musicians, shouted, danced back and forth in an apparently unoon, trollable rage, shook their fists under the noses of every one in authority and introduced a sudden and unwelcome el- ement of anarchy into the evening s spectacle.
 "What is the matter? Can you make out what they're sayingf" the young lady asked
 "Why, yes," the escort replied. ''They couldn't get into the theater in season to hear the favorite numbers, and they feel cheated. This is the pop ular Parisian 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
 "No, they'll hurt no one but M. Co., logne, and not him if he does what they are demanding.
 "Whatever is that?'
 "As near as I can make out, it is to go back to the beginning and play the entire score again. That means an ex- tra hour, and no wonder he objects"
 But the objection proved futile. Aft CT ten minutes of charges and counter charges, of negative shakes of the head and affirmative shakes of many fists, MT. Cologne turned back the pages of his score and again raised his baton. The excited audience was calmed in a moment and became seated and atten- tive The movement proceeded smooth ly, triumphantly, with appreeiative ap- plause. Feelings of the most perfect harmony existed And the Chatelet scored great success.
 "Now, in New York, " said the Amer ican as he took the two ladies to their hotel, I've wouldn't have done it SO.
 TT should think not, said his wife in earnest patriotism.
 "No," he went on, "there we would have talked about our hard luck be- tween the acts, and the next morning would have fought the thing all over in the newspapers And we wouldn't have seen the opera either. It seems to me, my dear, that the French character has a feature or two which the American would do we'll to imitate'
 "Very well," said madam. 'T'm glad I saw the opera twice over in one evening. I'm very much obliged to those Frenchmen. But, all the same, I'm quite content to be and remain American. New York Times.