The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-16
THE EAEEr1NG sHoW.
Some of Its Facts and Fancies. Written for the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.l MORE ABOUT HATS,

crusade against the big theatre nat which to your offended vision seems to have assumed the proportions of 6 Dutch windmill, is over, for victory oi defeat are you going to tilt your lancef against the big sleeve? Is it to be pierced until it shrivels and collapses like rent balloon?
 As the case now stands the expansive sleeve is about as much of an obstruc- ton to vision as is the big hat, since one can often obtain fieeting glimpses of stage or platform when the Wearer turns her head, or if one is short enough, fair view can generally be had under the brim thereof. But to sit behind two huge sleeves that rise in voluminous pillows or tidal waves, concealed, as it were, by the stiff lin ings, and so offering solid barriers that the eye cannot pierce,-is not to be in position far more annoying? One sufferer has already voiced his woe in rhyme, to this effect;
 "I have looked at it swell, as it were,
 meath my eyes;
 I have gazed at it waxing yet larger
 in size
 Ever-fresh convolusions I've known it
 essay;
 Ever-new variations I've watched it
 display.
 I have seen it-much worse than in
 fashion-bboks drawn
 Out-bishop the prelate's "balloonatic"
 lawn,
 Till at length, my too-long-repressed
 wrath to relieve,
 am forced to denounce the be-puffed
 modern sleeve.
 It in front of me spreads, and shuts
 out all my view;
 At my side it encroaches, and tick1es
 me, too
 One matinee hat is ladys full share, But of matinee sleeves, she, alas! wears
 pair!
 So, whereas of play fitful peeps I
 once got,
 Now a puff barricade intercepts the
 whole lot;
 They are aural impressions alone re-
 ceive
 When I'm sitting behind be-puffed
 modern sleeve!"
 Thus it is seen that warfare waged upon the hostile hat must, to be ef- fectual, include offensive and defen- sive measures against it's allied power, the mighty and aggressive sleeve.
 But it is doubtful if legislation against any article of dress can ever ayail to suppress it. The senators of Venice, centuries ago, found themselves worst ed in conflict with their danes anent sleeves and trains and collars and like feminine adornments. And can our leg lslators hopefto succeed in forcing meas ures that encroach upon personal lib- erty? The bills introduced in the legls- latures of several states are intended to secure to every person who buys a theater ticket. an unobstrueted view of the stage, But how can this be done? Hardly by merely prohibiting the wear ing of certain articles of dress. A tiny woman, sitting behind a tall, broad shouldered, ,portly gentleman, finds her self as unfortunately placed as does a little man who Is seated behind high halted and big-sleeved woman. The law which will give to man the right to an unobstructed view of the stage, secures this right to woman also-at least. 1t Is to be hoped that it will. Therefore, if the little lady aforesaid objects to the natural barricade inter- posed by the large gentleman she will have the right to insist that he shall find another seat or suffer election from the theater. Ushers will be kept busy in moving the audience about as in game of 'livlng chess" there will be great confusion and disturb ance; parties will be broken up, lovers and by the time that the dis have been satisfactorily placed | It will be found that the evening is over and that the dlsgusted performers have 'etired from the scene. Ponder long. oh legislators, before you advocate a | pill that will bring about such a state | of affairs as this. There are plenty of | other things more worthy of your att | .ention.
 The only way, it would seem, to arr | 'ange this matter, l. e., that of securing | o every one clear view of the stage, | would be to build the floors of all au- litoriums after the fashion of an in- | .lined plane. Then let the audience as | ICy 0ultl pdSS uIlueT d StIleS or three IT more rods, set at different heights | rom the lobby floor Those who could | ,ass under the lowest rod would be hown at once to the front seats The | middle seats would be occupied by those | vho cleared the rod next in height, | while all the very tall or high -hatted eople would be obliged to take the back eats. This method of seating people " measurement might not be altogeth- r agreeable, but then few things are ltogether agreeable. The same result night be effected by making the doors rom the vestibule into the auditorium f varied heights. The philosopher who ut a large door for the egress and in- ress of his cat and little door for the ittens has been much ridiculed. But he same plan, applied to theatre en- rances, would prove a most excellent ne, since the little people would not be flowed to enter by the door of the tall eople, and vice versa And the aisles rom these doors would lead only to the eats designed for people of certain lzes. The originality and ingenuity of his idea of classification by height ught to commend 1t to the approval of Il readers. It is offered gratuitously Q managers of theatres as an effectual nF |