Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-10-08

MS appearance. Generally, he was u
prodigal, hut from time immemorial
women have loved tho prodiga son, and
they always will.
Think over history and you will find
that your heart goes out to the gallants,
even to the handsome thieves, while it
mover beat bit quicker as you read
OF harmed monks or patient saints 1t
is true that one or two saints evoked
heart throb, but they were saints
who had been sinners. The gaysFrench-
man who loved another's wife, who
was in the habit Of meeting her in
little cottage near Versailles, who went
to meet her one night, saw that she
was lying on a couch, apparently asleep,
put his arms around bor to awaken her
with a Kiss, and in his arms her head
separated from her body. You know
the story; the husband had been there,
and this was his revenge. The rollick-
ing cheyalier became stern, called him
out, killed him. aud then founded an
shirts, slept on planks, starved them
selves and took care OF the poor. That
saint you can sympathize with and
admire; but the one who had always
been good, who had nothing about
which he could repent. that saint
seemed to you very uninteresting.
Then, the gallant robbers of those
days; that gay thief. who is Jack
Sheppard In English, somebody else in
French, somebody else in Italy and
somebody else In Spain, but always
acts the same-that merry thief who
made lady tread measure with him
to ransom her diamonds, who fell in
love with her, and thereafter only
stole jewels for her sweet sake, and
who, when he got rich, stopped rob-
bling, became respectable, and married
his true love; what woman can help
loving him? Nowadays he would be
politician and correspondingly I'M
interesting. And the gay beggars
of those days! who earned a break
fast with q song, dinner with
story, and supper with trick of
cards! Those merry beggars who were
in Tongue with the gentlemen of ths
road, ah those beggars, you can SEQ
them pictured here to-day.
In bright little opera taken from the
French tall good things come from the
French), and which ia called "Half a
King" there is meeting, not of rich
men, tut of poor men, beggar men and
thieves, and they come some in rags
| and some in tags, and some in velvet
gowns. the velvet gowns, alas! tattered
| and torn and soiled with many wine
stain, to the marriage of the daugh ter
of the king of the motley tribe. He's
"a merry hummer called "Tireschappe, I"
| and no is going to marry his daughter
| pierette to his assistant mountebank,
Mistigris; this wedding is not done by
| a jumping broomstick, but it is
solemnized by the smashing Of
picture Here they are, these Knights
of the Curbstone; some hold torches
and sons blow trumpets, and they
meet in the most picturesque part of
Paris, that Paris which existed when
long before France sought wife from
Austria; there are queer, low houses
| with pointed roofs and dromer windows,
the kind that the gentlemen of tins
court slid over; don't you remember
how Charles and his gentlemen counted
this great sporty 1t was not considered
strange in those days that king and
beggar, gentleman and robher, should
BIO friends, aud that the man who yes.
terday was in the palace of the Duke
do Chateau Margaux might be to-
morrow in the cave frequented by the
beggar, Vim Ordinaire. This opera is
| NoiOh HuoiIHs bFbu ~ lbu uD Dbl cars
for music-and much If IL is good-it
is worth while to see this Paris, the
Paris OF 1850. Those were wonderful
days. Those were the days when
women fell down and worshipped the
| queen as she walked, and then away
from her, talked of her as "the A US
trian woman. Those were tho days
when the skies were red as if with
blood; the heavens were trying to tell
of the horrors to come. Those were
the days when people danced on the
brink OF precipice and enjoy eel it. 1t
is worth your while seeing good
stage picture of these days.
am told that Mr. Francis Wilson Il
do not know him. 10 am only repeating
what have beard) is great student;
If this is SO, l can imagine that the
preparation of "Half King" was
great pleasure to him and thai the
result obtained will be really a joy
forever. You are made ACQUAINTED,
when you sec this opera. not only with
the people who make the story, but
with the city and the people where
they live and with whom they abide.
The milliner can copy the hat worn
by lady in this play with certainty
that she is correct; the artist can copy
ono OF its courtiers or one of it's
beggars, and be sure of the correctness
of their costumes. The gentleman is
wearing such dress as tho tailors of
that day made. The beggar is wear
ing such clothes as tho beggars Of
those days bought from the second
hand dealers, stole from their neigh
bors, or tished with a--erook from out
the rubbish thrown from some great
mansion. And the people of the play |!
The gentry, the thieves and the beg
gars-ihey arc all uancing and singing.
dancing on the very edge of the
precipice, singing while the guillotine
il being evolved from the brain of
young medical student; but nobody
cares and nobudy fears. Here's verse
from one of the dainty ballads; 1t is
the keynote to tho feelings of the
people of that day:
"'ris wine that sends the wits astray
IT'S love that ever finds them.
Ills wine that brightsns eyes Away;
But love so sweetly blinds them.
So, II you drink, oh, choose the cup
A lady's kiss has crowned, boys.
IT'S wine that makes the world go wry;
Love makes the world go round, boys.''
And as the little actress, Pierette,
sang when Mary Antonette was Queen,
and DIR. Gnillotine was young medi-
cal student, and Louis was making
locks, and Josephine was the happy,
beautiful young woman, and Napoleon
/ Qtl In 4