The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-12

artist, Mr.. Harry Brown, who gavessus
hearty greeting, and what a good time we
had talking of old friends and famlllar
scenes! After a most delicious luncn,
we spent several hours ao In
the immense glass palace, whose wonders
would take days to see. 1t being Saturday
one attraction was concert given py
four thousand children, the Duke ana
Duchess of Cambridge being present ana
distributing prizes to schools having the
best record in the study of music. IL was
an impressive sight to see so vast NUM-
Der of children, but we We're dlSapp e
in the volume of sound, which was Tar
less than we had expected. Before leaving
our friends we made an appointment TO
visit, on the following Thursday, the
Royal Academy, where the CRITICISMS
made by Mr.. Brown, and the Information
he gave us, we found invaluable. IheA
entrance to the Royal Academy is very
imposing. We passed through wrought
iron gates into large court yard, and
before us was the academy, to be a Eel
low" of which is the goal of many an ar
lists ambition. Even with our lack of
art knowledge a number of the paintings
on the cline" appeared singularly want
ingrin expression and finish; on inquiring
as to their merit our oracle assured us
that in London as well as other places,
personal influence was powerful factor
in the hanging of a picture, and it was
by no means merit alone that always
gained the coveted place. One of the most
criticized pictures of this one hundred
and twenty ninth exhibition, is Abbey's
Hamlet. The coloring is wonderful, but
it is framed so close that the heads of the
King, Queen and courtiers touch the
moulding, which gives so shortened
look to the canvas as to materially detract
from its effectiveness. Lady Buffers
STEADY the Drum and Fife is worthy of
the artist of ''The Roll Call" Henriette
Ronner's "Cosy Corner is bewitching
with it's life-like kittens; but we have not
space to enumerate one quarter of the
fascinating pictures, the Herkomers,
Firths, Alma Tademas. Farquarson' s sfIn
fog'' bought for the gallery is a notable
painting. There are as usual, numerous
portraits. Julian Story's "Prince of
place of honor is held by Sargent. The
background of his picture is particularly
harmonious and serves to bring out most
effectively the figure of Mrs. Carl Meyer,
whose pink gown is SO perfectly executed
in light and shade as absolutely to make
one feel that it would rustic if touched
but to our uncultured taste, Sargent's
a quaint little figure dressed in black
satin, white mob cap on the golden
hair, while the questioning eyes seem to
ask "What does it all mean?"
From pictures to music
could any transition be more
agreeable? And when the music
means, as at this time, Grand Opera with
the adorable Eames,'' there is nothing
left to wish for. Faust was the opera for
the opening night at Covent Garden
and Eames as Marguerite presented the
same exquisite figure we have SO often
seen; royalty was present, the house
crowded We were so impatient to see
Tor both in, L,
that we could not half enjoy other good
things. We were in our seats early, ready
to eagerly scan the full dress toilets
What picture it all made! One bearlti-
full creature in a wonderful creation of
pale violet satin was vision; the small
puffs of sleeves were slipped entirely off
the snowy shoulders the bodice consisted
only of deep V both back and 'front.' In
the royal box sat the Princess of Wales,
in black satin, and near, her daughter
the charming Princess Victoria, also in
black. In an adjoining box we saw the
Duchess of Fife, a very unattractive
woman. Just at the moment when we
doubtless the. location of our seats had
something to do with our exalted con-
dition) voice behind US said, "Pity
Eanes is not the Elizabeth tonight, she
is ill and Nine. Pacary takes her place, at
such short notice there was no rehearsal"
The blow was somewhat softened by the
reflection that we should nevertheless
hear Van Dyck. His voice is certainly
powerful but is marred by tendency to
fall below the pitch which is also true of
Pacary, who has, besides, the unpleasant
tremolo which many singers imagine de-
notes feeling. Both acted their parts with
fervor, but the opera with Lehman, as
we heard it in Boston several years ago.
was superior.
Does anyone think for n
moment that Americans in making first
trip abroad are free agents? Far from it,
they are controlled by an memorable
tyrant named Baedeker, who says $50,
and they goeth. If there were one place
above all others that we did not want to
see, that place was Madame Tussauds S;
did we escape it? by no means. With
the irony of fate the stone fortress proved
to be within a block of our humble dwell
ing. Every day we drove, our equipage
(bus) passed so near that this startling
placards reminded us of our neglected
duty. In vain we would engage in ami
mated conversation about the weather, or
fix our eyes with vacant stare in the
opposite direction; when we thought we
were free and again "took notice. the
first thing we would see would be full
length print of Edward 1st proclaiming
his son the first Prince of Wales which
could "be seen in wax at Mme Tus-
saud's." We endured it for three weeks
at length one evening as we four sat
silent in the cleaning, suddenly, without
warning, Mrs. Tapley spoke, ''It must
be done let us go tonight and have it
over" No need to inquire what was
meant, an accusing conscience told us.
Within fifteen minutes we were viewing
the CHASTITY subjects, we were blushing to
think Mrs. Cleveland could have allowed
"Grover" to be "waxed' in such suit
of clothes and burning with Indignation
that the English people should be permit
ted to think America produced such mon
strosities as here stand for Washington
and Mckinley. The Chamber of Horrors
"broke every barrier down" We thought
we were bold and brave, but a glance at
those gruesome guillotined heads was too
much and we sped home to bed and to
Nightmares.
MRS. HERMANN KOTZSCHMAR R,
Commander Wingate's Funeral.
aeC H..