Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-21
LONDON LETTER.
Saturday Night in the Grea,
London Markets.
Visit to Houses Of Parlian ent--Sua-
day in the Country.
London Sadly Feels The Need Of Our Amer:-
can Rapid Transit.

L
The Market,
a Domestic Drama In , Acts.
| Dramatis Personae
| Guide and counsellor in buying,
4 Mrs. Landlady Davis
| 1sf Basket bearer DO
| End Basket bearer Il
| Bird Basket bearer, w
Long woman, MRS. 1apicy
Men, women and children of all ages ant
sizes including infants,
| Time. Saturday night $50
Places, Edgewarc Road and st. Ann,
| Terrace.
ACT LIST.
Landtady and three dodgers disguised
in old clothes. each with a huge net Gag,
ihung on the arm. prepared to take IN,
/ underground TO see the sights o Sat
urday night and. incidentally 20 secure
| Sunday supplies. for Tho on pleasur,
| bent, they have q frugal mind. Lana,
| lady speaks with rising infection oil
voice, and wide amplitude of smile. You
! want 10 see the other side now you We
| looked on the Queen. don't YOU Ihtt
| anxiously. You don't mind seeing IN.
| common people do you? you VIII ind
| them quite respectable. everything will
| be orderly, and the fruit and vegetable )
| 50 fresh and cheap, you can buy lo'
| can't your Each interrogative peihs
answered In turn, aiiirmaiively mega
| falls, to rise half an hour later. on
ACT End.
Edgeware Road-Thc regular market
4 extends for a mile and includes green
grocer's meat and fish markets, inter
/ spersed with cncap Jcweiry shops. an oc-
| casional Diapers and irnumerable beer
| saloons. from which issue sounds OF the
| gay accordion or eRiicing hand organ.
| Al the edge of the sidewalk are ranged
| the costers' carts lighted By iaminS
torches. Here can be found every con-
ceiyabie thing; one cart Is loaded Win
immense bunches of fragrant wall flow
crs. from dusky red to pale yellow. ON
another. mussels looking Ike b3rnacles,
! All sheliei aud sold by tine small dish
full. or bushei. From the next cart a
woman cried. 'fhere lady is a fine para
sol only siSpercs. and up shoots the
gaudy cotton affa4r On which the sales
woman admiringly Sazes. The crowd y
so dense that many walk In the middle OF
the street men and women carrying their
babies as well as their bundles, and
children children everywhere. The
four heroinss walk the entire length OF
the market and back again; they scan
every cart. not one escapes them. Each
place has been noted where can be
bought the longest cucumbers for tup-
pence, the freshest lettuce for a penny,
the fruit bag Is filled with lemons al
.thrlppcnee a dozen. and the most at
trac;iye plump looking chicken CD for
two ard slxpencc. which Is considered
the piece de resistance. Finally every
basket - filled, and at peace with the
world the procession moves homeward
Eighteen hours elapse between the sec
ond act and
ACT srd.
This represents the Sunday dinner. W.
ondeavors to carve the chicken. the eff
fort 10 dislocate a wing proves a dismal
failure. deep gloom settles upon four
faces as the doubt concerning the chick
en-. becomes certainty as 10 the hen.
The radlshcs prove corky. the bananas
tasteless. The voices of Dot and we
cry In pialntive chorus; There Is no
fault with the oranges and lemons
True" answers Mrs. Tapley gently and
ponsivciy. but when we brcakfastsd at
ninc this morning. and it is now four in
the afternoon. II Is a question whether
oranges and lemons will furnish salts
factory dinner.
GRAND TABLEAUX.
Mrs. Tapley IN tragic attitude, in the
expression of her countenance hunger
and forbearance are beautifully blended:
surrounding her are three PROSTATE fe-
male figures with hands claspcd and
eyes up lifted, denoting penitence, As
curtain falls, the orchestra plays, with
truthful expression, well known popu-
lar air.
one of the last books we read before
leaving home was THE Seats of the
Mighty" Soon after reaching London
we saw the announcement of the opening
Of Her Majestys Theatre" with a dram
atized version of the novel and We de
termined 10 go. The play was a disap-
pointment The theatre itself, which has
b.esi thoroughly renovated. is gorgeous
a white and gold; the costumes were
superb. Mrs. Trees cloth OF gold gown.
in the court scene, seemed as IL woven OF
the glittering metal, but when so much is
-rsfA nlr IL
read criticism but the play like the sto-
ry. to US. lacks continuity. and is merely
a succession of detached pictures. MIS-.
Tree. as Madame Cournal. was stiff and
STACEY. Miss Rorke Alike was too
handicapped by her captan-who was
walking stick--to be fairly judged. The
furden and honors of the play fell to
Deerbohn Tree, who was an ideal Dol
taire handsome. fascinating and such a
regal lover. The explosion was cleNerly
managed, but we sighed as we did at the
close of the book. that so enjoyable a viii
lain as Doltaire should die. and SO COM
monplace captain be triumphant. We
are all more enthusiastic over Wilson
Barrett than any other actor we have
yet seen. His own version of THE ManN-
man makes too pathetic a play to be
called enjoyable but his characterization
of Pete is a noble manly one. The end
ing is changed materially from that of
the book. Phirs confession is made only
to Pete and Mr.. Cruegan, in Hates pres
ence. AS the broken hearted husband
starts on his lonely way, Philip turns to
begin his life work of penitence and
reparation and the wretched woman the
cause of so much misery enters their
home with her father. On the deserted
stage a dove flutters down. and lights
upon the cottage roof. doubtless an omen
that while happiness is forever gone, re-
pentance and confession may in the end
bring peace. Barrett's revival of Vir-
ginius was especially enjoyed by w. as
reminder of youthful days. In that far
off time when McKeen Buchanan plunges
the dagger into his daughters heart she
falls lifeless upon the stage Mr.. Bar
rett's methods are different; his arm is
about Virginia and as he stabs her, he
filings away the weapon. and lifts her
bodily in his arms, carrying her to the
front of the stage. and trembling with
excitement and grief. 1t was wonder
fully affecting as Barrett did it but too
periously near the ridiculous. to be at
tempted by an ordinary actor. Miss
Jeffries was a lovely Virginia; she is an
American girl and we felt very proud of
our country woman.
Our intentions were good to be pres
ent at debate in the House of Com
mons. but in this matter women pro-
posed. and the neighbors disposed of the
tickets by ballot. The seating capacity
of the iron cages-high above that august
body-is very limited, and friends of the
members often wait months for an oppor-
tunity of going and fail to secure one.
Under those circumstances we were COM