The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-03-12

How He Appears to Popular New York
Reviewer.

not escaped his esgle eye:
"Walter Damrosch, who may be dis
tant relative of Duse for sn we know,
agrees with the Italian actress In her ar
gument that the public has no business
with the artist further than his art.
This is fine idea, but wholly out Of
fashion In America. When anybody
achieves eminence in anything We want
to get acquainted with him. IL Is more
ciable, What Is he use OF becoming
interested in person whom you DON'T
known liz man arrives at greatness we
must study the physical means by which
he was aided to success. Was 1t his whis-
kers, or the color or the cut OF themy
That is an important question. Did he
reach into fame because he was bald or
the seventh son OF hair restorer2 Is 1t
his barber, his tailor, or his shoemake-
that has lifted him into renownf
GeniuSis rare and precious. We must
know all about il. Does 1t eat oatmeal
i'm the morning or an egg, haply two,
soft boiled? Is it vegetarian or partial
to juicy ribbed roast' "Now, In the
name of all the gods at once!" cried
Cassius cholericaliy. upon what meat
doth this our Caesar feed that he is grown
so greatY' The question wss not lmper-
tinent. We must know what great folk
eat in order to buy of the same butcher
and baker and thereby make dietary
shift TO come at equal distinction. Food
sustains the body and the body supports
the brain; ergo, what a man puts IN
his mouth bears fruit in his deeds, and
IL we dine as he does there IL no telling
but what We may overtake him In emf
nence. Genius must not be exclusive.
Let Us know all about its ways and man
ners and it will go hard with us II we do
not catch mp with its lame.
Walter Damrosch need not read this
matter unless he has a mind to; but we
al ha w Il
so that everybody may initiate him and
become Wagnerian impresario, with
lovely ladies to lead into lyrics. There
fore. begi ming as is proper, with his un-
derstandiDg We make bold to say that MIR.
Damrosch has climbed the heights of
Parnaesus with the aid OF legs that are
sturdy, stout and short. Following the
path OF greatness we discover that the
conductors torso Is square and solidly
built, and gives the general impression
that the musician Is an able bodied man.
We have no opinion, except one on
which we might be sued for libel, about
Mr.. Damrosch's tailor. So, being de-ir-
Gus to keep out OF the courts, We shall
let that worthy go TO, and also marry
come up, and furthermore perpend,
which are honest words and not to he
held against us In the law. Leaving his
ailor in this confusion we arrive at the
musicians neck, which is but SO so, and
IL 20 harm comes of the matter, we like
| the haberdasher as little as the tailor
heaven save them 10th and lead them In
TO better ways o! thinking-a fair speech,
look you, and not to be put forth for
damages by any Judge or jury.
However, in this progression We have
omitted Mir. Damrosch's arms which is a
parious thing. For no srmless man,
either by nature or accident, could lead
an orchestra through the asvious paths
OF Bayreuth. Endeavoring TO mend our
conduct in this error, we observe that the
musicians arms are long, slender, ex-
tremely nervous and ended in artistic
hands. They travel constantly and with
Incredible celebrity through the air, and
we should think that in the course of a
Wagner opera they must go at least ten
Leagues at the rate OF seven miles an
hour. The music drama is hard on every
body. III in the course of one OF his
fierce gestures, Mr.. Damrosch ever let's his
baton go II will kill mein leiber schwan,
disable Lohengrin and make a leak in
the landscape through which the river
will deluge the dressing rooms.
Appalled, by even the thought OF
such calamity, we hasten to the con-
| temptation OF more reassuring matters.
| Ibis brings us to the true seat of great
| ness, or SO to speak, the operatic store
| house and stage, which contains right,
first, and all other entrances, flies, wings,
| half drops, borders, mountains, rivers,
| forests, prima donnas, tenors, altos,
| baritones, chorus, end orchestra cries
| of mob in the distance and the ghost OF
| Wagner. Even Fafaer dwells in the deep
recesses of the Damrosch cranium, and
there is the winter residence of Herr
Fischer. who Is a big man horizontally.
of intolerable width in the chest, and
first cousin to Gambrinus. The Damrosch
head is a good head and honest, deep set
in the eyes, clean cut and powerful in the
nose, broad in the brow, firm in the
mouth, square set and massive in the
chin. 1t Is not too large in size, yet Of
uncommon capacity, for it holds "fhe
Scarlet letter. the entirs opear company,
the complete library of German and many
other score books, the Symphony orches-
ira and green backs TO the amount OF
about $1,000 every night. There is no
head in the country like 1t, and the man
who makes the Damrosch hats, should
be proud of himself.
This may be considered an accurate por-
trait of Mr.. Damrosch in repose. Bat
what of him in action? Here's great
ness. Ii is reasonable To study man OF
parts in his habit as he lives, for In these
normal, conditions he Is on the general
plane of human nature, and, il we may
take the liberty OF saying 1t, one of our
selves. But the person who has fine ideas
would not estimate genius at a conven-
| tional moment. A woman Of sentiment
once saw Thackeray eating mashed pota-
toes, and thereafter she could not read
sny of his books. 1t is a wise saying that
no man is great to his valet. Although
| we want to know our celebrated folks,
familiarity with them must not be al
| lowed. Before getting into the barber's
| chair Herr ''eidl must come down from
waihala and have his chin Iathered with
common everyday and unsentims ntal
| soap. IL is prudent method of fortune
| that denies us the wonder of watching
Nine. Melba putting her hair into curl
papers. Paderewski in his shirt sleeves
would rot he Faderewski at all. The
! mind attuned to the poetry holds on witt
vehemence TO the belief that I'm her lei
sure moments ssrah Berhnardt plays witt
wild lions and makes contidants OF
tigers cubs. But how IL we should
see the famous actress with an apron
on experimenting the busting OF her
island castlel Duse and Damr osch are i'm
some measure right. The illusion must
te preserved. There is divinity that
doth hedge a King ard otter great folk,
as Hamlet IS step-father very Justly argued,
which is net to be neglected by common
peo lie. Jt is, indeed. true that cat may
look at queen but it must not sit in
Il. A