The sun., 1898-03-12
THEkTRICfL INCIDENTS.
A Fashionable Charity Matinee ana . Bngu-
InriS Undersired War Drama.


larry Undersired War Drama.
Tho first of two dramatic teas" in aid of the
orthopedio Dispensary and Hospital was held
at tho Waldorf-Astoria yesterday afternoon.
This charity. besides being worthy, is notably
fashionable, and the assemblage which filed
the theatre with hundreds of women and a
score of men was very slightly. Tho second of
these affairs is to have several new short plays
with volunteers like Mr.. Crane. Miss Opp. Miss
Burroughs and Mrs. Hoyt in the casts and Mme
Modjeska in one act of standard drama. But
the programme yesterday contained only things
that had been reviewed in the newspapers, al
though novel enough to this particular audi
once. 1t was first-rate show. too, under Burr
McIntoshs smooth direction, and in that re-
spect a pleasant contrast to those unfortunate
breakfasts that recently reached a climax of
f1asco in the kissing Of an indecent performer.
Such offences are now under taboo at the Wal
dorf-Astoria, and. anyway, nothing like that
would be thought of for the Orthopedic teas.
The first thing in the bill came from the Pleas
ure Palace, and 1t should have tended to con-
vince tho modish women present that pretty
good art may be found In the continuous"
theatres 1t was Richard Harding Davis's
sketch Her First Appearance" turned into u
play called 1.-THE Littiest Girl" and Robert Hi.
and fiuent dotion. Next, an exhibit from the the
Academy of the Dramatic Arts demonstrated
that s9hool-mHde actors acqqit Themselves well
"Washngton's Surrender" with George Irving
as rdshington and Margaret Kenmare as
example of unimpeachaby Legitimate dramatic
art as contained In Annie Russell acting In
After the two hours Of those diversions. tea,
light refreshments and crumpets were served.
An understood war drama had Its first pub
IL Il.
formance was experimental. and no further in
formation concerning it was divulged to tho
audience than lay in tho announcement Extra
turn" But the playlet had name. in "Thir-
ty Years After" and an authoress in Ollie
Birkley. She also the player OF its most
conspicuous character. young girl of the
South, on the eve of marriage to a Confederate
officer. The place was Alabama, at the time
when rumor Of Shcrman's 8 famous march reached
his enemies. At the hour when the young
officer should have appeared to take his bride.
he came to announce that he had been chosen
to carry important dispatches to Gen. Jack
two hours. The commission was
not an extremely dangerous one, but the bride
as m, much alarmed In an apprshonsiys mood
been shown to be all that tradition has at
tached to the coored .'mammy." For while
the negroes sputtered her contempt of the star
tling prophecies concerning 5hermnns ad-
vance that other blacks had voiced. and then
fell asleep in her chair. Next her young mis-
tress reappeared. now in her bridal costume.
whose veil the servant helped her to adjust.
Then. while the negress stood near in speech
less terror, the bride described what was going
on outside the window. The Yankees were
there, shooting. cutting. and driving helpless
Southerners before them into the river. They
didn't effect this without n deal of vociferatton
on the part Of the maiden, but she sill had re-
seve force in plenty for the sight Of her sweet
heart being shot foL! his horse.-He must have
heard her agonized cries at that moment, else
guns carried far thirty years ago.
At the end of her defamation the poor
brides senses were wandering. Then the stage
should have been darkened at once, but her
auditors didn't want II thus and had their way
noisily. So before the quartcr-minute of dark
ness came the actress made her prettiest bow
and after it NANNY" was again doing. The
bride returned happily eXpectant her soldier
appeared. unscathed and in her own mood. But
when they wakened the ncgress there was an
other burst of wars terrors. Those dreadful
happenings up stage and out o. window had
the stage while the brides dramatic descrp.
ton was on and the short scene between servant
and mistress just previous to IL. So on coming
to consciousness the negress WAS horrifed,
looked upon the young folks as spooks and was
slow in realizing that no harm had befallen tho
party. When she was convinced of that fact
the other two tripped Off stage right in search
OF the parson. The Interpretation of one per.
sons dream by another was an unusual device,
and confusion resulted from the servants par
in the scenes 1t was aftcrward shown
she was seeing in dream. She should have
heart rending defamation With that altera-
ton the piece will present n mixture OF heart
rends bls ok faced fun and live happy -evcr.after
ending that should have long service.