The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1894-11-14

i. murphy, ana Is SAID To he the best she
has had, and the assurance is given that
1t will be produced here precisely as it
was given at the New California Theater
III San francisco.
The dress circle was filled and the par
quet partly so at the Metropolitan Thea
ter last night, the occasion being benefit
Tor st. PauPs Church, and serving 20 in
| troduce in dramatic readings a California
actress and Shakespearean student, Mrs.
| Stella se-Ainsworth, of Augustin
| Days New York Stock Company
Messrs. Cohn. Croker and Kidder sang
1.-The Bridge" and Mr.. Croker the bass
solo The Journey is Long" The gen.
tlemen were i'll good voice and were
/ heartily encored. Mrs. Frances Moeller
sang selection from ''Mignon" effect
| lively and was recalled. Her voice has
soitened, while it has broadened and
gained in richness and fiexiblity, since
she was heard here so frequently some
] years ago. Mrs. j. b. 4ount gave eX-
amples of artistic wnistllng. She excels
any whistler we have ever had here.
Her tones very nearly resemble the
| lutte, and are as distinctly musical
| as are those of the flute, and not
mere steps and degrees of force.
She was repeatedly recalled and in
each case whistled difficult compost
tons, playing, so to speak, as a skilled
artist would upon pipe. The lady is
stately, and gives character to her
| peculiar musical exhibition not usual.
Miss Susie y. Lawton sang Thy Blue
Eyes" and was recalled enthusiastically.
| W . have not before heard this singer
she las very strong, penetrating and
! asSertlve soprano voice, and handles it
with Skill and case. II is less sweet than
strong, but has some OF the best qualities
demanded tor soprano Ill concerted
work. She sings with IL seli-possession
and precision that are charming. Mrs.
AinsWorth, the chief attraction of the
evening, gave eight readings, alternating
the grave. pathetic, emotional and pas
sIonate with the groteSQue, witty and
mimetlc. She is as evidently practiced
actress as she clearly is most accom-
plished reader and character imperson-
ator. Her dramatic work is backed by
intelligence ana culture. Her voice Is
clear and Hute-lke, strong and very
pleasing to the ear, ana her enunciatiOn
is Il model of diStinctness and finish
Her best work was III reading and acting
III Searching TOR the Slam" and in AN
Idyl OF the Period.'' 1t is said "eyery
body gives readings nowadays" but we
are convinced that if more such accom-
plished readers as Mrs. Ainsworth oftener
appeared as Sucn, there would be fewer
who would attempt TO give dramatic
readings-at least in public. She sets an
example that makes amateur reading al
most ridiculous by comparison. Her re-
ception last night was very tlattering.
At the Metropolitan Theater Sunday
and Monday evenings next the Boston
test medium, Harry II. Waite, Will be
introduced by DR.. A. A. Waite, the hyp-
notist. The claim is made that tho
medium is in fact q means through
which the departed communicate with
the living. DR.. Waite insists that the
medium has been such since he was )
years old, and that he is genuinely in
communication with spirits. he is on
his way now to Bombay as a delegate to
spiritualistic convention. He promises
absolute demonstration of the genuine
ness of the manifestations, and that they
are lneXplicable on any other ground
than that of spirit power exercised
through the medium. All the same, We
do not believe it. The Philadelphia Re-
Ctei0 is quoted 10 us as saying that this
twenty-five ear-old youth has in Eng
land convinced the scientists that he is not
traud and Is not self-deceiYed, and that
Professor Crooks investigated his pow
ers and admitted the truth OF his claims
Tor the phenomena, In which he insists
he is the passive agent OF spirit force
The Seattle -IHteIiGc3icer is also
quoted as verifying the story that at
Franklin, near that city, Waite. under
spirit control, toretold mining disaster
which happened within a lew bours pro-
cisely as the medium predicted. Waite
is indorsed by the National Spiritualists
Society. Nevertheless, we venture the
opinion that he Is not medium, though
he may believe he is-that is to say, there
is no such thing as a medium"