The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-08
RANDOM NOTES.
BY JOHN McNAUGHT.

exuberance brought about in Boston by the
conclave of the Knights Templar. The
sedate old city that for many years past
has sought inspiration solely in Browning
or lbsen, and found IL there only through
the medium OF spectacles, has suddenly
found herself inspired with Americanism.
She has begun to plume herself and boom
herself, and has even gone so far as to brag
on her climate. Los Angeles could not do
it better. Whether it was our bear or our
champagne that affected her most it is
not easy to decide, but certain it is that
ever since they went there, Boston has
been hugging herself and effervescing to
degree that can be expressed only by the
inimitable words: 'She chortles in her
Joy."
Certain Eastern cities noted for an
habitual irreverence toward Boston have
been having their own fun with her by
pricking the bubbles of her Joy with the
pens of their scribes. They have reminded
her that even when she is sober she'is not
always dignified, and that when she hues
herself with vermilion she becomes very
funny. They assert that the east winds, of
whose refreshing GOODNESS she brags so
much, did not come to the conclave to fan
the fevered brow; that tie only blowing
noted on the streets was the blowing of the
citizens. and that in consequence of this
there were many prostrations. Further
more, they assert she charged too much
Tor beans. These things may be but
casual criticisms records of transient
opinions that will pass with the silly
season. We would never have said them
ourselves, but it is just as we'll to take
note of them, for in her exuberance Bos-
ton has been cooking the feather of her
cap as kind OF challenge to US. She has
claimed to be the most picturesque city,
the most delightfully."- climated city, and,
altogether, the best summer convention
city in the United States. Plumed in these
feathers, which all well-informed people
know belong to San Francisco, she has
strutted forth as a candidate against US
for the conventions of next year. Go to,
Boston; you charge too much for beans.
No artistic reader could have failed to
note with pleasure the two pictures by
Keith of scenes in our redwood forests
published in THE CALL last Sunday. In
addition to the charm of the pictures
themselves there was further pleasure to
be derived from the promise they gave
that this artist, who In the past has made
visible to US all the beauty, the mystery
and the poetry of the California oaks, will
now render similar service for us in
translating for the understanding of or
binary eyes the meaning of the forms and
colors, the lights and shadows that make
IN no oH
sublimity of those forests of huge trees
which are the peculiar glory of our many
gloried State. AS within these forests the
artist can find the sources of true inspira-
tons so from out them we may expect art
itself to derive great masterpieces. We
are striving strenuously at this time to
bring about the fullest development of all
our resources, and surely we may count
among our resources those elements of
earth and sky which in their rare combi-
nation afford to the gifted among US the
means out of which may be created new
ideals of beauty to enrich the world and
glorify the State.
Among the lighter enterprises that en-
gage attention there is none more likely
to be pleasing in itself or to have better
results on minor morals and manners in
the long run than the proposed perform
ance of "As You Like 1t" in the open air
of the Sutro gardens. In this play Shake
speare put away from him every hard
problem of fate and depicted life under an
aspect as joyous as can be imagined. He
carries his duke, courtiers and conspira-
tors along with his hero and heroine into
the greenwood among the shepherds and
there disports them with just enough
roughness and obstruction in the current
of their affairs to make the stream of life
ripple so that we can ''hear it murmur and
see it glisten." Everybody in the play,
from the melancholy Jaques, who persists
in seeing sermons in stones and books in
running brooks, down to the clown who
likes the country simply because it is the
country and dislikes it simply because it is
not the town, finds that life is worth living
and there is good in everything. They do
not grow sad even when the trees begin to
bear poetry on every bough. This is the
clearest glimpse of Arcadia that is given
in all literature, and if it is ever to be re-
allied may we not look for it here?
The purpose for which the play is to he
given, the manner III which it is to be con-
Quoted and the good form OF the men and
women who are to take part in it, will, of
course, make the performance something
of a social function; and under that aspect
it will doubtless be pleasing to many who
will have the goodness to remember and
the kindness to frequently remind others
that the actors are appealing for charity.
Those who will find the finest pleasure in
the occasion, however, will be those who
go there for the purpose of enjoying the
open air and the poetry OF Shakespeare.
If any one can catch from the play any of
the spirit that moved the poet to write it
he will have good time. Ineeed, it might
be worth while for any who have the
ability to throw aside the cares and the
conventional1ties of life to forestall the
play little and to take advantage of this
day of leisure to indulge natural freedom
and extemporize an 'As You Like IT. in
an Arden of their own.
That tie American people are rapidly
becoming an esthetic race cannot be ques-
toned by any one who has paid the slight
est attention to the growing fondness for
festivals. These fetes have been more nota-