The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-18
A TALE OF A CAT.
Critical Instinct In the Dramatic Line
Well Developed.
But the Continuous Performance Idea Has
Not Yet Been AssimIhted.

llHB Will iilttttoi'
Few features of Keiths New Theatre
have attracted more attention than the
handsome big cat that may be seen at
almost any hour either in the grand re-
ception room or In the ladies' parlor.
where he is enjoying a nap on the soft
Wilton carpeting. or performing his
frequent ablutions, entirely Indifferent
to the gaze of strangers.
He appears TO find no difficulty i'm
sleeping even when the trombone play
er i'm a musical turn" is straining his
lungs to the utmost. or the knock
about comedian" is making his heaviest
falls with the assistance OF the big
bass drum, and to enjoy life with the
same euuanimity whether the curtain
be up or down. He accepts the KIND
attentions and love-strokes OF visitors
with a languid air OF resignation con,
pride: but he holds his head too high
i'm the world TO stoop to cultivate IN
timacy with any stranger.
Time was. however. when things
were different with Tom and when Tom
was a very different boy. He belongs
to the nouveau riche class, ana, with
very human instinct seems TO appreci-
condition, and to be determined 10 rise
equal TO the new demands upon him.
When he first drifted into Keith's OLD
opera house, some six years ago, ne
was a very forlorn and dilapidated
looking feline. dirty. emaciated ana at
tired in n very rough coat; ana IL was
only because the stage hands were tenv
der-hearted men that they TOOK hiin III
and gave him "A home. In short time.
hapnnp a
because OF the affection which he man.
ifested for his new-found friends ana
the intelligence that he showed in many
ways: but he remained as indinerent
10 his personal appearance as when ne
first wandered in on the stage one colo
January day.
Evidently il was his first appearance
on the stage: hut he was never a Ntotim
OF stage fright, and he was an APT
pupil. so that inside Of six months MS
judgment came to be accepted AZ tnat
of the recognized "house critic regard
tion presented at the opera house. AS
ing the merit of each successive attrac-
regularly as Monday night came round
Tom took his position in the wings
or the stage, where not word or a
movement I'm the play escaped him; and
as surely as the performance met with
his approval he departed immediately
at its conclusion for the cellar, where
he remained all night. If. on the other
hand. Toms critical instincts were dis
appointed in the performance, he ac-
companied the night watchman
throughout his lonely vigil all night
long, apparently too much wrought up
to sleep.
"what did Tom says was then the
first question asked on Tuesday morn
ings: and almost invariably, strange as
il may appear, the weeks business de-
monstrated that Toms actions were a
most reliable barometer of success.
Tom in those days never ventured TO
visit the front Of the house" but made
the stage, especially a lofty position
away UP i'm the flies" his home. His
habits were unexceptionable. but his
indifference to his personal appearance
was no compliment To him, ana now
and then some Of the stage hands
forced him to take a bath that was
quite Turkish in its thoroughness.
While the reconstruction OF the the
atre was in progress last summer, the
house employees, who were greatly at
tached to Tom, were in daily fear lest
the incessant noise of the workmen, day
and night, and the confusion and dis
order prevailing everywhere might so
disconcert him as TO drive him to seek
more comfortable quarters elsewhere.
Tom. il is true, appeared 10 be greatly
disturbed in mind and roamed about
the house in a most bewildered way.
climbing up and down the scaffolding
and penetrating every nook and corner,
but never disturbing any Of the ma
terials OF the artists or mechanics.
From the day that the new theatre
was completed, however Tom was
changed cat. Much to the grief OF the
stage hands, he deserted them alto
gether, and since the opening day has
never visited his old haunts. never
deigned to set foot on the stage. The
cellar, the wings and the flies" know
him no more: and even his old friends,
those who made him what he is, the
stage hands, fancy that a change has
come over his feelings toward them.
and that his manner is dignifiedly cool
whenever they happen to meet him.
More striking still is the fact that
Tom now devotes considerable OF his
time to keeping his handsome inn
maculately clean, apparently with al
most human instinct recognizing the
prevailing cleanliness and neatness, TO
say nothing OF the elegance, of his sur
roundings. With soft-Nilton carpet
ines on which TO repose, with fresh
flowers everywhere to delight his nos
trils, amid the esthetic influences OF
Louis XIV. art furniture and rare old
Dolton. Sevres and Royal Worcester
bric-a- -brac, Tom has suddenly become
"A confirmed sybarite. though appearing
in every sense "to the manor born and
giving not the slightest evidence of un-
familiarity with the luxurious elegance
with which he has found himself sur
rounded. Not claw has been set in
carpet, upholstery or drapery not
delicate bit of china has been upset or
disturbed. and never has Tom pre-
sumc1 to occupy a chair or divan.
tempting as they are to comfortable
repoSe.
Tom, however. is no longer the
house critic" From the dav Of the
first continuance performance" in the
new theatre. that novelty has evident
ly proved more of ~ poser" for him
than IL has for the public; and appar-
emily he has not yet solved its myster-
les IL may be that he assumes that
everything presented I'm n Keith thea
tire is above criticism. II may be that
he has become lost to all other consid
erations but the enjoyment OF the
luxurious surroundings OF his new con
dition, or it may he that the new form
Of entertainment surpasses his powers
of comprehension. Whatever be the
true explanation. IL is "A fact that. af-
-, tho fret HaN a.. hon ha caapaaH an no