New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-08

THE MISTAKES OF srUDENTs-wHAr
THE THEATRES ARE DOlNH-Ani
WORK FOR THE CONGRESS
SIGNAL LIBRARY.

Ter be9,ns early and Is cold and unpleasant oe
vond co,nnarison although Parisans. WIN
cheerful optinism make no preparations TOT IT,
and call each unpleasant season All eA@ep
tional" one. After one has lived throus" oe
eral Of these exceptional winters he po'''
accepts the fiction, and imposes IL on o'"ei' -"
turn At this time Of the year the Ehs'is"
speaking population is recruited by many 'hou-
sands of students. 1t was estimated last se"'
that there were registered In Paris o'VV Ai'iei'-
can students alone. This number appears to be
lessened this year.
On the whole. this decrease is an encouraging
sign. Paris under proper conditions ana as I"
pleasant Intercourse to girls nome sc"oo'''e'
IN charming and beneficial; but the great pro-
norton Of students are comparatively poor girls
who come over to study music or art WIN '"e
idea NJ preparing for a profession Few of them
have had sufficient sound preliminary uaiii's
TO obtain much serious good from the first or
second years study here and tbs Is apt "
mean staying on with diminished purse. strain
ing every nerve or borrowing money 10 pay ior
necessary lessons and living haf-fed. half
clothed and half-warmed. A passion for econ
omy seems to be contagious. especially ai'ohe
the art students: and the girl who has SUI
fcient money to live and study comfortably for
one wear and who can make it last two, or even
three wears is applauded as heroine. Even
then. with shattered nerves and impaired dlges-
ton she often returns home no better taught
than IL she had studied there. Moreover, at
home she would have been more quickly ana
properly discouraged for here the continued
cry of Art. art!' and the prattle about the
beauty of giving up ones life and youth anu
strength to something which In ninety-hihe
cases in q hundred gives no reasonable return
seems to deprive the average student Of common
sense.
Paris Is an excellent place wherein to STUDY
Il one Is ready for serious work ana can speah
French, or at least possesses good grouhoihe
in the language Among the art students IL Is
a rare exception to find newcomer having
any familiarity with the language OF the coun-
try whittier she has not only come to live, but
IN take IN a serious line Of study; and it Is not
an uncommon thing to find students working in
q large ateljer for months without understand
inc q word Of the masters criticism, except the
little that is occasionally translated by some
sood-natured older worker who may be near.
The idea that the language may be picked up
in a few months Is mere folly. certain smat-
terins Of 1t may be acquired In six months II
ell overtime is given to it and one lives among
French people. The average student under
takes to live with the Americans or EreHsh ana
fails 10 realize that criticism ana instruction
mus. be given in a foreign tongue. student lie
IN Paris however. has its charming side. In
the American student colony there are TWO III
nortant clubs one for the young women and
che for the younger men artists. Most OF 'i'e
students of music live in pensions in the neigh
torhood OF the Champs Elysees. but the majority
of the pr; students either take studios or share
In, ha TnYpmhollrQ r.,
often wrongly termed the Quarter Latin. The
real Latin Quarter does not begin until one
reaches the Sor5onne and the Boulevard Saint
>;,cbo, ard few OF the American students live
there. 1t is strange that so many wish TO as
s,r,c that they do But the Quarter Latin has
c,,,e ia mean student life in Paris. and. more
than all American student life. 1t has its own
c-,,bs its social circles, certain restaurants u
affects and even certain codes of manners. Last
lime magazine bearing the name OF the
"Ousrt;cr Latin" compiled In France, but print
cd in English. sprung into existence. Its editor
was young American Trint Wood. The maya
zine as it still appears, is successful Is Wen
printed on rough paper and after the Chap-booH
style. and contains some extremely good Illus
tratiors Its literary quality is perhaps not
equal to its art.
Cooue'in's new play the second new produc-
tion this season at the Porte Saint Martin The
atre. bids fair to console the actor-n,anager FOR
the legal difficulties surrounding the opening OF
his theatre. LES Bienfaiteurs'' Is the Work OF
q young dramatist NJ. Brieux, who has another
work already In preparation for production al
the Theatre Francois. LES Bienfaiteurs mas
nothing Of the melodrama IN its construction
neither is 1t a problem play or social SATIRE
except that in one act there are some amusing
side lights thrown on the red tape surrounding
charitable organizations. NJ. Coquelin Is sue
.cessful in a rather complicated role. that OF
middle-aged millionaire returning. from South
America to find his sister and her husband
involved in difficulties through their charitable
and socialistic views. He plays the good ansel
until he falls In love with poor cousin estab-
lsbed in the household--a young lady. who is in
love with some one else. All ends happily and
quite naturally The ingenue part Of the young
cousin is admirable If the play is put into
English this part will need little save translat-
ing II Is neither the overdrawn, almost carl
catured ingenue usual on the French stage nor
the cynical young person who spIang suddenly
into life in French dramatic art season OF
two ago. The part is we'll played by
debutante a recent graduate Of the Conserv'
atore. who was, as 1t happens. most unmerci'
fully handled by the critics on the occasion OF
her prize competition.
GA Poupee'' at the Gate Is an opera comiqut
30 amusing as to libretto and bright and tunelu
as to music that you are certain to see II peiore
long. Indeed it is said that the American rights
are already disposed Of although the opera Is oni!
a few days old. The Theatre Blanc, which com
menced last winter with a few special perform
ances, is to open again the coming week under
better patronage. and with well-defned pro
grammes. 1t is doubtful II the American CIR
would care for theatre "all for herself. ane
although the French jeune file would undoubt
eddy prefer a romantic drama at the Francais'
,r "Lysistrata" at the Vaudeville. she has LITTLE
Choice In the matter. or would find but littl'
ksympathy II she rebelled at the programme