The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-25
EVE TOPICS ABour roWx.

University, sailed from Hayre last Saturday
on the steamship La Bretagnc. Tho coming to
America. of this distinguished French critic and
author TO opon before tho Ccrclo Francois Of
Harvard University tho course OF lectures ro-
Gently founded by James II. Hyde is q literary
event of the first Importance. NJ. Dounic, who
now stands Mt the head OF French criticism. has
had from the beginning OF his romantic career
an almost uninterrupted record of success in
his chosen profession. Born in Paris on March
7,ls60. he was educated / at tho Lycee Condorcct,
where he was graduated with many prizes,
among which was that of rhetoric. Continuing
his studies ho entered tho superior Normal
School in 1879, being graduated In 1882 with
airy Fellowship. His proiciency was promptly
recognized in his appointment rs professor OF
rhetoric at the .Stanislaus College in 1883. a
His activity in literary work has been intense,
resulting In a number OF published works undor
his name that is remarkable for u man com
parativoiy young. From 1855 to 1894 he was
dramatic critic OF, the. Monltcur Cnircrsct.
Rerue dcs Deur Mohdcs. liz has been also a
frequent contributor to tho Erancdis, the Core.
Sponaapt' tho GnnLois, the hcrMs BicMc and tho
dealing with a great variety of literary topics,
comprise eight or ten volumes. These include
a aPor fSsiSs OF Of A SiH i IN aW SF i d Of o.bay..
The Younger Writers, From Scribe to 1bscn."
lectures in Paris. Lyons, bordeaux, Geneva,
Brussels. and, Amsterdam and other principal
cities of Holland. In recognition Of his ser.
vices to literature he was decorated with the
Legion of Honor on July Ii, 1895.
The opera season at the Metropolitan closed
without the usual Historically enthusiastic
scenes. Although there were large audiences.
both on Friday evening and at the Saturday
matinee, the old crowds that used to lingcr long
afterithe curtain had fallen and would go out only
with the lights, were either absent or they con-
trolled themselves much better than they ever
did in former years. One exception was found
in the women at the Saturday matinee, who
wero so disappointed at.their failure to get an
other look at Kraus that they Kissed Nine.
Nordica when she continued to reappear. No
body believes that they werc tired Of seeing
outbreak was doubtless. due to their cha
The curtain more than three Times. The
Willingness Of the artists TO respond to en-
Of = Course e send me IL ns" Il You ike" said
one of the singers at the opera last winter, be
cause the public, as well rs my manager. thinks
know that they come only from you" In the
same way a progress across the stage is likely
really is or not. So the singers are willing to ap-
pear, even If some persons with greater enthusi.
to be a soprano and not a tenor that steps into
view. anyhow, the audiences are so familiar
with'the company at the Metropolitan that they
nv ~ NSi W. i'oiSto ooi tti IN many VI Nho
old demonstration which used to be inscpara-
BILE from the closing scenes of the season. Herr
to appreciate him Us Berlin does. He is the cock
of the walk among the younger German tenors
refusal to- become Enthusiastic toveTr him He
made some friends among the German contin-
gent and undoubtedly contributed somewhat
toward the 100000 which Messrs. Damrosch
and Ellis cleared on their season.
Washington may have decided that low.
neckcd gowns are appropriate for its afternoon
fest vitics and the full evening dress which is
said to have been introduced there lately may
become a regular feature of its daylight social
life. But New York is not likely to follow its
example. 1t was not n great many years
ago that some women Fat afternoon affairs
in, this city appeared IN ball costumes.
attire in which the rest Of the persons there
were dressed. But after a while as The after.
noon reception. became a regular feature of
New York social life and the formality about
them disappeared-tha low:necked ball gowns
were lost Q view, and the simpler fashions that
%ington's example is not likely to carry New
York back to the old fashions. In the days that
a greater source of surprise to Europeans than
the sight Of women in full evening dress in the
afternoons surrounded by q group. of men and
of the incongruity OF the situation ultimately
forced itself on every body, and the ball gowns
disappeared. The same i~nformality gradually
extended to mems dress and the thought that a
frock coat was necessary to attendance at any
afternoon gatherings, whatever their forinality
might be, was very soon lost. The necessity for
such dress made 1t practically impossible. for
Business men 10 go to such, places and their
presence In whatever sort of coat they came
was more desired than the particular fashion in
which they were dressed.
Eleonora Duse has recently written to friends
in this country of her plans for the future, and
some of these afford evidence enough OF that
eccentric temperament which made her deny
herself to all American interviewers and then
tell the French reporters all her experiences
and her opinions on every subject. She lately
made a hurried trip from Rome to Paris, in
tending to go ultimately to London, where she
was to contest a lawsuit over q contract that
had been brought against her. But the suit was
withdrawn. and she has just returned to Rome.
The rea. reason Of her sudden trip to Paris was
Italian actor, who was to have played with her
in D'AnnunZio 8 tragedy THE Dead City. Signor
Zacconi. who is an actor of high reputation, in
sisted that many speeches be cut out OF the play
in order to make IL more effective. and thus
avoid the same sort OF catastrophe which over
took the production of the drama in Paris.
Signor D'Annunzio objected. There was a dead.
lock, and the question was put for final deter.
mination to Duse: Zacconi believing that as an
actress she would realize the value of his sug-
But shc sided alphabetically with the
the drama, but refused to appear in it if Signo:
D'AnnunZio tolerated any alterations. some
thing he had not the least intention of doing.
thio So va '"''N
ZaCcOni refused to appear unless the changes
were made. and he said that he was entitled to
produce the drama, ms he had been engaged for
That purpose many weeks before. This develop
ment in the case proved too much for Buses
nerves, and che brought the rehcarsals TO a sud.
den end. disbanded her company. the mem
bers OF which she told to meet her in Florence
about three weeks later, and went TO Paris.
leaving SignOrXacconi to realize that he could not
act with her Mt all unless he acted in just the
way she liked. During buses stay in Paris she
was as much sought after as last spring.
-
Many New Workers have received this week
along with the butter and egg quotations from
the country farm, that Is in reality situated in
and the customary requests TO pur-
chase tickets for charity musicalcs and lectures.
the announcement that a young man living in
an uptown hotel would be happy to entertain
who paid his fec in a specially, which
he Describes as the transferencc of thought or
feeling from mind TO mind without tho agency
of the organs of sense" This sounds snspi'
ciously like the old. ia shioncd thought reader,
and he Is indeed just that sort of entertainer,
he DISCUSSES his talents in a measure
and dpsrribpS himself AS Tho intrU1ucpr and