New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-19
MR.. PONDERBURY.

Tn the great oxford st restaurant-Thc Star
blazing with vulgar luxury, at the further emo
OF the immense hall where. under the electric
glare OF a huge chandelier, groups OF diners
were sitting at little tables, each lighted by
lamp with red shade, an orchestra was play
Ing on a raised platform. The music emphasized
and sometimes drowned the cIatter or spoons
and plates, the confused hubbub or cohNefsa-
ton, the hustle OF coming and going, or walters
hurrying to and fro. OF diners arriving or leav-
ing-the scurry OF feet and turmoil OF crowd
The orchestra occupied place close TO a sort OK
enormous sdeboard. a counter where cooks In
white Jackets served out to the walters me
dishes that were delivered To them from the
kitchens below by means OF electric llfts. as II
through the trap Of theatre. And sat look
ing. now at the long procession OF plates pl,eu
with various vands, appearing only TO vanish
forthwith. carried OFF TO the tables, and now AT
the orchestra, where the musicians behind their
desks were playing the pieces set down on the
programme annexed to the bill Of fare for the
day-a menu Of art appended to a menu OF 1000
while a ticket with number as at cafe
concert indicated the number corresponding 10
the name OF the piece.
Thus dining TO the sound OF music. the luxury
OF the most refined was the recreation OF this
mob OF English who crowded the restaurant to
eat at so much a head while listening to waltzes
by Strauss or selections from Meyerbeer In the
hcady atmosphere of vitality at fever heat that
rises from any mass or human creatures "a.
feeding time" And under the Elaring nght
which fell on the cut glass. the white napcrieS
and the bright -colored fruit the air seemed
saturated with the smell Of cookery intensified
opening champagne bottles added touch OF
irony to the swing Of the dangerous waltzes or
the lamentable rhythm OF song-tunes II was
sort OF symbolical duel between the brutalitieS
Of life and the delicious vaguencss Of dream
The orchestra not bad. The conductor
small, dark man with white tie Ike every
musician had selected the programme judi
ciously. These English diners did not lose
mouthful to listen to Schumann nor even TO the
cpcrettas Of their national composer. sullivan;
but before putting her lips 10 her glass OF claret.
q nclghnprS
round at the platform whence the harmony pro
cceded and pretty anguishing eyes gaZed AT the
orchestra while pink nostrils Inhaled at once the
fragrance Of plum-cake and the sentimental
tune that noated down like breeze from the
sea.
Then. at a later stage OF the dinner a noise AZ
OF the sea swell waxed louder In the vast hall.
where a statue OF Shakespeare paired with
Canova's Muse. till II rose triumphant over the
efforts OF the orchestra The tone Of the takers.
urged by the enjoyment OF food and the insplra-
ton OF wine, grew fuller and deeper. and tn" IN
strurnents. as they played on. seemed sinothercd
by n sort Of tumult. The performers indeed did
not seem disturbed by this rivalry; they mcchan-
ically worked through the list on the pro
gramme with n sort OF stolid resignation. only
the conductor after a comprehensive glance over
the crowded tables. and the cloths already
strewn with crumbs under the red lamp shades
lifted his eyes to the clock high against the fur
ther wall. It's hands fast moving to the hour
when the artist should be free the programme
having been played through and the last piece
ended.
diners in white ties their soft felt hats In their
hands. were going of to the theatres. Covent
Garden the Lyceuin. the ladies bonnetless
their hair dressed as n for ball. And /. too
my dinner done was about to leave. when. while
a piece was being played made up OF scraps
from Martha, my eye was suddenly attracted
80 a musician | had not before observed; and
with the curiosity Of romance makers. who
Imagine that they can read whole human life
IN a face l sat studying the countenancc. the
expression. the attitude OF n performer In an
Oxford st restaurant, who, perChcd In front
place, close to the counter to which the lift
brought up the dishes from the kitchen. blew
into hts flute and, whenever he paused. looked
down the half finished portions brought away
from the tables with strange ycarninB, melan-
choly. half starved eye
No. had not Til now observed this man.
whose appearance was odd: he had no doubt
been hidden from me by one OF the desks. Per-
haps he had only come to sit In front in
another mans place. BE that as II may. his
singular figure struck me for IT gave him the
effect OF a fantastic apparitOn among this band
OF worthy commonplace looking fellows. going
through their parts so mechanically. He was so
small. frail. with his hollow chest. his bony.
bald head-a fringe Of red hair already turning
gray round the white dome OF skull-his bent
shoulders, which the much worn black coat
under the pitilcss electric light showed shining
strcaks across the shouldcr-b blades. and his whole
lean person, pathetic. crushed and detected. His
eyes-glowing eyes, black eyes eyes Ike Goals
OF fire above the black wooden flute into which
his thin lips blew. lcngthcning over the holes |
his eyes unconsciously shot greedy glanccs the !
glanccs Of wild animal. at the plates of broken
meat the remains from those many dinners and
the endless series Of steaming food which came
up from below as in "A fairy apothcosis, a tab /
lau of GamachO's feast.
This look almost fixed gaze. as 1t were hyp-
noticed by the dishes which came smoking up
from the bowels Of the earth. or blazing in the
flames Of punch, to be distributed among the
crowded tables and TO dSappcar-this look, rlv-
etcd TO the dishes. did not hinder the flute !