The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-01-10
ON interesting [PGOpl@o
Tree and Yvette Gudbert, and Relates Her
Impressions.
In1pre ssions.

on the stage; even if you know "Tilby''
by heart, it's worth your while seeing the
Svengal of Mr.. Tree. He was a dirty
Polish jew; Extensively familiar: a brute
who could beat a woman but a man who
had a touch of genhs; no, more than
touch OF genius-a genius so superb.
personal magnetism SO strong that he
could bend to his will this girl whom he
loved, but whom he wished to make his
tool This Svengali is not an ignorant
man. He is a musician to the tips Of
his fingers-cSpecialy in the tips of his
tingers-and yet he is a coward With
Dragging he announces his lack OF belief,
has an attack OF the heart, and faints
and while he is sem-conscious calls upon
the God OF Israel TO help him. and says
the Hebrew prayer learned in his child
hood, All this is done in such way that
you are certain that this was the Svengali
that Du Maurier drew, and not the one
that has been shown tc u.s. Sec it, my
friend, and you will see the difference be
tween what is known as mere character
study, which is too often entirely depend
ent on makeup, and a thorough study Of
the character and of it's possibilities.
Now, am thinking of that other inter
esting personage-an artist, too But ar
list with an sc" added to it. You are too
lazy to get up and bow? You make
mistake, my friend. Yvette Guilbert is
well worth & bow as a woman and as an
artistic. The woman is delightfully."-
healthy to look upon; eyes as clear, skin
as fair as possible, and hair of that bur
nlshed copper-shade that harmonizes with
the skin. What color are the eyes?
Once, when she was talking about some
body she didn't like, thought they were
gray; but, when she sang to me to-day
l was sure that they were amber; and
then, when she said goodbye to me. and
we laughed at this and at that, they be
came brown, that warm-brOwn shade
that suggests hospitality, and its kindred
virtues. Yet, j have a very vague idea
some one told me they were blue
You ask me, in an interesting way,
What is the charm in this woman?'
Frankly, / do not know; it is more than
the charm Of the Frenchwoman. II
Yvette Gunbert had lived in Egypt when
Cleopatra reigned, there would have been
a revolution, and Yvctte would have CON
quered. She is the nineteenth century
siren. You never think whether her voice
is sweet or not, but you listen. and as
you hear the tragedies of life told you
you realize that it is more than the voice
OF w0man-it is the voice Of the human
heart / do not know by what art this
woman manages to convey this impress
si0n-bJt she does. You forget the com
mOnplace wOrld-y0u are living i'm that
world where a lover is suffering; where a
mother is dying for her child's sake; or
where some wicked brute is having melted
out to him the punishment which he de
serve. You see it au-you are Mortified,
and you are sure that no preacher ever
made vice seem to dreadful Then the
song changes and the voice carries you A.
way to the gay festival times. and every
body is merry and everybody is glad, and
the heart of the world is beating with
quickness, and is full of joy! What
power, to be able to control not only the
lights and shadows Of life, but the golden
sunshine and the bitter darkness! This
is what Yyette's voice does
The greatest artists Of France deem it
an honor to write to her. Don't you wish.
as do. that You had the talent of Beran-
SeF t"t poetry, ana the music Ol-Wn0
al ar command? Then you would lay
III" result, a poem set to music at the
feet OF the woman who can give full
'meaning TO every word OF the poem. and
convey the value Of every note of the
song to her listeners. | think YOU have
raiSci ~ from your chair once or twice
since ave been talking; you confess
lat d.; day was well spent; that met
two really interesting people Only PEG
pie are worth anything. Books are only
Of worth when they describe people; and
the q who write books are of no
use unless they know, like the actor and
the singer, how to touch the human
heart. 1T is very sensitive to the touch
1t responds unerringly. 1t is curious, OF.
ten. how hard it is to break it-especially
when it's woman's heart-but, there
you and | were talking Of people. But
what would people be without hearts?
] grant You that brain is a good thing to
possess one. But the heart-wel. ne
who is master of the human heart, can
control the world. All that | can ever
hope to do is to reach the heart of my
willing listener, as Well as the heart OF
whoever is kind enough TO read that
which is written over the signature of
Bah.