The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-27
AT THE PERFORMANCE.

Shakespeare says that "Llfe's poor
| player that struts and frets his hour upon
| the stagel'' "All the worlds stage, ["
he adds, "sand men and women are but
| players, etc. These glittering general
tiles are only partly true. The life play,
il play, is Chinese, not modern. 1t is
/ long drawn out vague, purposeless, un-
wieldy. Ii has no beginning, no middle,
no end, no art. II has incidents, esca-
pades, formless bits of incident, some
times ii has plots but plots and villains
are growing uncommon in our well
ordered communities. "There may, too,
be play within play" said Burnett,
as he entered the lobby and nodded TO
one or two newspaper men he knew.
"For example, " he said aloud, turning
TO the manager, sad little man with a
nervous manner, who was standing near
the box office.
''For example? Well?n answered the
manager, impatiently. "Burnett---you
are good friend to US these days. You
seem TO find some new charm in Miss
Armitage every day.
''As was saying" said Burnett stifiiy.
'To whom? | should say, Burnett, IL
l didn't know you TO be an incorrigible
woman hater~you were i'm love. Your
wits are so often wool gathering lately. :"
Burnett Strengthened himself up quick
ly. "For example, Mr.. Manager, there
are several dozen plays in progress every
night at your theater, while the fictitious
one Is going through its three or four
acts. j saw last night while the curtain
was up and the lights were down, that
Mrs. Lightfoot and her escort "a hand
some young chap, did not see Mr.. Light
loot grinnlng down at them with de-
cidediy satanic leer from the balcony.
When the entr' acte arrived and the
lights went up, they caught sight of his
severely bald head. AS he distinctly left
haVaA hot do for a..
true incident OF comedy, the note of which
is always surprise-as Mr.. Lightfoot, for
some reason, hates his wife's handsome
young cavalier and has forbidden him the
house. The first act was already over and
was out of the theater; for the second act
Mr.. Lightfoot came down and greeted
them freezlngly, and Madame went sud-
denly home with her husband. The third
act occurred, you see at the 'palatial,
home OF the Lightfoots-a stormy scene,
telieve, tears, recriminations, reconcile
alton -finale!"
ugh, growled the manager. SIT
makes me tired TO think of any more
plays-one's enough
Burnett turned absently toward a row
oil Miss Eleanor Armitage's photographs
in gilded frame.
A blissful thing, indeed, to love an act
ress--and as one runs TO read the postered
features of ones beloved in every shop
ana OAR room 10 see ones sweetheart
staring from every fence and street COR
ner and how infinitely CALLING to see her
the "inimitable she''- daubed with
mustache, by some Infamous street
gamin, or treated In some barbarous fash
ion by some local wit A sensitive "starv
Will, at the time Of an engagement, keep
severely within doors (how many do soil
The stars lover will best remain in OBJ
scurity also and avoid shocking his SEN
sitive soul!
Harold Burnett, who had the run of the |
heaters, for he was the prince of critics,
the maker or marrer of theatrical fame,
nodded TO the door keeper, and strolled |
Iistlessly in to seat, given him by the |
usher, in 'front.' He heard the orchestra |
play with feverish sense OF anticipation. |
he saw the curtain rise. He saw Miss |
Armitage enter with that Looping, grace |
Iul step of hers, and say to Nannine, in
'tilled house:
"Tell them to have supper ready:
)lympe and Saint Gaudens are coming. [ |
net them at the opera. Ito DeVarille) |
so, you are here, eh2n
Then he was In another dream world
md his heart gnawed itself with jealousy