Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-10-23

SCENE FROM "A MILK WHITE FLAG"
 ord of A Trip to Chinatown in New York, fur it Is as much better than that skit as chalk Is than cheese. It is mOro funny too. Even the cast causes one to laugh. It is SO suggestive of a funeral the main theme of the play-that 1t is worth rcprinting. It Is as follows:
 The Colonel. Christian Bcrriel; the Ma jOr, Paul Earring, tho Judgc Advocate. Rowland Hooper. the Surgeon, Mark TOmbs; the Bandmastcr, Steele Ayrcs: the Private, Willing SingCr; the Dancing Master, Gideon FOOtc; the Lieutenant, Phil Graves; tho Standard BcarCr, Carrie Flagg; the General, Hurley Burlcigh; the Dear Departed, Piggott Luce; the Orphan, Pony Lucc; the Particular Friend of the Bcrcavcd Wife, ''Lizc'' DugrO; the Bc rCavcd, Aurora Luce.
 A Milk White Flag" satirizcs a na- tional weakness which may well Do ridi culed. It is the tendency tO put on a uni form whenever thcrc Is the least possible | excuse for 1t and strut around like a tur kay gobblcr. MT. lIOyt'S shafts of wit while aimed dircctly at the national guari. will be accepted in n much brnadCr srnsc | perhaps than even the author intended The story Is quite simple, must of the fun being made by the dialogue, which spar | hltS iIlh NlAtENNSCtS nt | first act passes in tho armOry of the Ran some guards, whCrc General Burlcigh of tho regular army is the guest of honor. | The colonel was elected tO his office sim | ply because he closely resembles the great | Napoleon. \ rival military organization has just had military funeral, and the Rnnsomcs, exceedingly jealous, resolve | not to bc outdonc.
 In act promoter who has arranged | len der to collect an insurance of $IO0.OOO Is brought home and announced to bc dead. | He Is packed on icc, catches cold, has the pleasure of seeing the Ransomc off cers making love to his wife and finally hears his spouse sCll him for S62. a to en- able the guards tu have military funeral. In the third act the corpse announces that he is not dead when n proposition is made to outdO the rival organization, who simply buried tECir man, by crcmating him.
 Tho farUo is hugo success, and there Is not dull or n coarse moment in 1t anywhere. IL Is made somewhat spec tacular by tho introduction of some fc- male messenger boys" vivandicrCss, etc The original music, which was composed by that skillful constructor of whistleahlo melodies PCrCy Gaunt, Is catchy and will undoubtedly bCcOmc pnpular and thus work it's way into the hIrrcl organs
 X person who has just rrturncd from Europe. and who Is great friend of the peerless Adclina Patti, tells me that 1t Is not improbable that the diva will pay America anu;hCr professional visit next | year. While Patti had not stated specific ally that she would do sn, the impression made upon her friend was that the only stumbling blocks would hc n competent manager and guarantee that her salary would bc paid Patti has rsIChCL the age when long railroad journeys m, cxcC-'d- | ingly distaStCsul aS well as wcarying to her, and she dcclap's with emphasis that she would not undertake tour like her last one for all tho wealth of the Indies She complains, too, of tho lack of arrangc- mcnts for keeping drafts from her in the thcatcrs at which shc sang.
 \ Gryat many persons imagine that Pat ii is unduly fussy and that her demands arc frequently and, in fact, usually un- reasonable but when it Is considered that the condition Of n few vocal chords means large fortune each year it will bo admit ted that she 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 carccr. She has engagements in all of the European capi- tals and in most of the important cities | lnGcE SDe mas DNGn OunkCu 10 | fuse offers which would have startled either of those two song birds of the north Jenny Lind and Christine Nillsson- Most critics declarc that her voico is as good as ever, and a 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 absurLiity of the latter assertion Is manifest, but the fact remains that the present European season of tho oantatricc partakcs very much of the nature of a triumphal tour.
 By the way, 1t Is incOnccivable that dramatic editors will believe the awful rot that enemies of Mmc Patti circulate to her dctrimcnt. Last season just prior to tho 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 connections was to the effect that Patti and her husband, Nicolini, quarrcled porPetually. and ii was even hInted that u divorce could bc iimly scanned upon tho horizon of theiI usually placid sea of matriniony- Thi was copied by papers all over this coun try, and each time 1t was added to unti toward the last it looked as though tn | theatrical wnflu Wuuiu ps IrSAteu No aAi other ablebOdicd scandal before long. O course it never developed for the very ex ccllcnt reason that thcro was nothing whatever in the story. NicOlini may hay his pcculiaritics--indeed he is general, conceded to Do somewhat odd-but he tho most devoted of husbands As fo Patti, she loves her licge lord with all tn arSior of her emotional naturc and make no effort to conceal the fact-
 One of tho latest rOmances about Patt is thnt she is unconscionnhly stingy. Sh is said to treat her guests in the most nie gardly manner. It Is even alleged tha her guests nre served with inferior wine at meals, while she and Nicolini piggishl drink only the most celebrated branci Aside from the manifest absurSiity of thl statement there arc persons in New Tor city who haye been the diva's guests 6 Craig g-y-Sos castle and who not only den these imputations against her gencrusit! but assert that she is a particularly ur selfish hostess. who mover hesitates Co iI convenience herself In order to make tt stay Of her friends as pleasant as possihI
 It should Dc clear to any one that if Pat did not care for visitors she would n. have them. As she is a well bred womai sho certainly would not invite people her castle simply for the purpose of humi iating thoia- Besides, as no one but .