The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-25
OPERA AND SPLENDOR.
Ills j s'i ifIIssI slGEfr' oesG,rtr sassoN
IN ,NFW yoRK,s ~,
song rake. Up The wsA4isdi Bsassi ana
Bellies of ssssssy where the Horses Left
Them-How First Nightsrs Before and
Behind the Footiigbts Behave.


Tho opera season began the other night.
It was really very fine. The boxes, gal
lerics and orchestra seats were crowded.
Cabs and carriages stretched around all
corners In all directions. Footmen by the
score stood with swelling chests. Dia-
monds gllttered. There must have been
several pounds Of them scattered about,
and II takes great many carats TO make
pound. There werc good many pearls,
too. most OF them worn In strings. Every
fashionable woman In good health now in
sew York was on hand. Tho men fiut
0cred about as usual, Ike moths around
lamps. They wore black coats, white
waistcoats and white gloves. Sometimes
those moths burn the lamps.
The women looked yory we'll indeed.
They looked better than they did at the
horse show. A beautiful little girl from
tho country sat and looked and philoso
phized very ably. She said:
AT tho horse show the dresses were
everything You always saw the dress be-
fore you saw the woman. Here you SEQ
the woman long before yoR. see the dress. y
This young woman said sooth undoubt-
edy. In all directions women might be
seen sitting, but some attention to detail
was necessary II you wanted 60 know
about the dresses.
II twas great crowd. The opera house Is
gold and white i'm color, and tho crowd was
white and golden. We waste admiration
and surprise OH the oak which comes from
the acorn. 1t Is far more wonderful TO
think OF this opera night, sprung from the
humble. dry, oolorless seed sown on these
shores by the Puritans, who, heaven help
them, Thought thoy were starting a rock
bound, strict. pleasure hatiSg community.
That opera house contained hundreds OF
men and women, all too rich to enjoy life.
Millions OF money wero there, and before
you decry millions with noble scorn re-
mcmbor that every cent had to be earnod
by somo ones superior ability, industry,
trickcry or brains.
Rows and rows Of women sat and spar
klcd. Hundreds of men crept about from
box TO box. shaking hands with affecta-
tion keeping their stomachs in to keep
shirt front wrinkles out, crushing their
crush hats against their bosoms and trying
TO think Of something TO say that should
be sufficiently p0iusloss 10 be good form.
On tho door of each box the names OF
the owner or owners We're printed on brass
plates. Rich Americans have no sense of
humor. or they would not print their
names on polished brass plates.
This Is what the lucky people-the box
hoiders-do at the opera In republic in
America in 1895: They enter the building
by a separate door reserved for them. (The
French emperor got himself disliked by
doing that in Paris) They climb one or
1wo flights of stairs or go up In the ele-
vator IL ttey want TO. The women take
of their wraps, which are long and gayly
colorcd and lined with fur. These they
put in the large. comfortable room which
Is back Of each box. 1t is big room, fur
nishcd with satin or something of that
sort by the owner. IL Is bigger than the
American hall bedroom.
Tho women sit In the box's front row
and look calm. They turn their nccks
Z Hike a sspaa- ia talk To tho men who sit be-
hind thom. If they are little OH, they
turn thoir whole bodies, because IL they
turn their pecks only tho wrinkles show.
The men sit back and pretend that they
do not want 10 be seen. They talk all the
time. and IL thoy arc in love with the
woman they arc talking to they hate jean
dc Reszkc. Tho woman Is pretty sure, for
the time being to bo in lovo with Jean.
When rev man comes In TO shake
hands and bow and remark That the sea-
been saying that shakes hands and bows
and says he does hope he will SET the lady
great deal this winter and backs out to
mako room.
IL the woman Is, very pretty and very
fashionable the man who backs out stands
up In tho back of her box and makes her
a success by helping to keep ii crowded.
If not, he wanders of somewhere else and
bows and shakes yhnnds again.
Far up In the top OF tho house quiet
Americans, and Germans with boards, and
goyernesses who teach girls TO be ladies,
sit and listen TO the music, and squeeze
thoir hands together, and forget for awhile
that lie Is o fraud. and that they get very
little fun out of Ii.
In tho meanwhile tho men and women
are singing on tho stage and hating each
other Ike poison b..e4t,se- gets more
applause than the other Tho men in the
orchestra arc playing away just Us earnest
ly as they can. and hero and there lover
of music disturbs much innocent enjoy
mont by trying 90 make some people stop
talking.
IL you can manage II, go to good first
night at the opera. IL will pay you, even
II you do not caro- for music.
You will soc Mr.. whitney, with his pale
mustache and well colored face, forgetting
the cares OF craftsmanship in white
waistcoat.
You will see raft of Astors, Wander
bilts, Gouds, Jays and such things.
You will SEQ beautiful girls and very
amusing men by the hundreds.
You will realize, II you are a philoso-
pher, that life Of pleasure is pretty hard
work.
You will hear sonhc pretty good music.
You will catch cold unless you have
sense enough To put on an extra flannel
shirt under your low cut waistcoat, for the
opera house Is full OF drafts.
IL was good opening night.-New
York ~ orld.