Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-09

| enceS at the New National Theater this
week. The play, THE Song of the Sword"
was a melodrama on a rather humble key,
| despite its introduction Of refined types and
historical personages. The author, Mr.. Leo
| Ditrichstein, handles the character of Ma
poleon in the most familiar fashion, SUBJ
| 1ecting him without renorse to the prac-
| teal exigencies of stage management and
| business expenditure. Napoleon has been
| feared on the battlefield and worshiped in
| the library, but when he gets on the stage
| he is compelled to take his chances. Mr..
| Sothern, it is stated, expects to play Ham
| let and some other classic characters later
on, so as to keep his artistic prestige from
being overshadOwed by his commercial en-
| terprises. Mr.. Sothern is possibly wise in
perceiving that 1t is possible for an actor
| to become too popular The Ward and
Vokes entertainment at the Columbia
| Theater was sublime exhibition of asSur-
| ance Appreciation of The Floor Walk
| ers' depended on the momentary mood of
| the spectator. The performance was a va
| riety theater afterpiece, played by first
class people and elaborated into two acts.
| There were times when Harold and
| Percy seemed little more foreign to their
| surroundings than Ward and Vokes seemed
| In a theater which has drawn about itself
| the atmosphere of Cyrano de Bergerac.
| But the members of the audience who liked
| It at all liked it immensely. The Lafayette
| square had genuine novelty to offer in
| the shape OF a Chinese comic opera. The
| appearance of the corps de ballet in Chinese
| costume, which includes silken trousers
| was a delicate but perhaps too abrupt con-
| cession to the demands for more moral
| drama. A report that the attraction
| closes its season this week was empha teal
| ly denied. The Academy of Music offered
horseplay without previous apologies or
| subsequent regrets with the Rays in "A
| Hot Old Time The purposes of the piece
| as indicated by its title. seem to have been
amply fulfilled: The New Grand Opera
| House had bill of average merit with
| Ransome's travesty Of Mark Hanna as
| stellar feature. Kernan's had a winning
| card in Reilly and Woods show, and the
| B1Jou continued its policy of catering to the
| admirers of burlesque, well as those who
| enjoy program Of specialties. The week
| has not been one of especial brilliancy but
| son UP to date.
Next week brings in Lord and Lady
Aigy,' a society comedy; Roland Reed,
WIN new comedy, His Fathers Boy"
| and colonial drama, THE Open Door"
| by Lavinia H. Van Westerfelt Dempsey
| who has been much advertised as Queen
OF the Holland Danes Madam Hermann
| the Bijou are among the "topliners' men,
| toned in connection with vaudeville.
Florence Rockwell, Stuart Robson's beau
tiful leading lady in oliver Goldsmith" is
| twenty years old When she was fourteen
years of age she played Juliet and made
her at once, and for year she supported
| him, appearing as Ophelia and Desde-
mona Mr.. Robson again has fine com
pany. in which are included Henry Z.
DiXey, Jeffreys Lewis, Walter Hale, H. A.
Weaver and Beaumont Smith.
Mr. r. C. Carton, author of Lord and
Lady Algy,' started in life as an actor.
| Sickness compelled him to give up that
profession, but his devotion to the theater
| led him TO write for 1t. Even now Mr..
| Carton is very delicate man, being con-
stantly confined to the house. He writes as
| he lies on a sofa. and it is said that he is
| never known to find fault with his condi-
| ton as an invalid. The success of his
plays and the eagerness with which his
| new works are sought by the principal
| managers have naturally made him quite
happy. The name of Carton was early
adopted nom de theater
Mrs Fiske will close her Becky Sharp
| season in New York with the old year, and
open her tour in Boston on New Year day
at the fremont Theater. She will visit but
ten cities this season
Miss Isadore Rush is credited by many
people with being leader in dress among
the women of the modern stage. Ladies
who study the stage for ideas in costume
will be interested in her opinions.
Every woman should remember that she
has some good lines said Miss Rush,
land she should reigiously strive to pre-
serve these lines. Be she stout or lean,
long or short somewhere about her body
she has good line. 1t may be in the hip,
along the thigh, down the back, or in front.
In order to preserve good nneS, nave long
ago discarded petticoats. L never wear
them. All am guilty Of is silk founce,
usually sewed to the lining of my skirt
Then. l like everything to match My hose
and shoes always match the color of my
dress; light or dark, l stick to that rule
invariably. It's no trouble for a Well
dressed woman to have a pair OF SHOES
with every dress. Shoes are cheap noW-a-
DAYS. and If l cannot buy them TO match,
l have them made out of piece OF the
cloth of my dress. What does we'll
dressed woman want nowadays, you ASK
in the way of wardrobe? First OF all, the
short skirt l wouldn't do without one Tor
the world It's the finest thing for walk
ing and general comfort You remember
I wore one of those skirts out mere Two
wears ago, and now / see the women on the
streets generally rugged out in that style n1
attire on rainy and muddy DAYS 1heu
there is the tailor-made suit, by all means
Then a little afternoon. or carnage dress,
and an evening gown. with two or 1hreS
uepliges of course, for the morning My
hats as YOU see, also matcn my gowns,
and women who want to pc wen oressSo
| should take not of this. Always W. q
hat that matches the gown. ANA Wnlie ''li
! the subject of hats, please say mere ioi M
| that only the heavy, stout brunette uus sho
| TO wear a hat down over her nose. AL ~
other kinds of women, blondes, leali' tall'
short and of medium proportions, ought 1or
tbe sake of themselves. to wear tneif mas
off the face Especially women WIN guy
brows should never hide them uhoer tNs
dip OF nat ,, &C raI;
"Gloves should match the dress as reh1
riousIy as hose and shoes. Another thlag L
want to emphasize is that black ana white
are the loveliest, the SWEETEST. colors IN d
Woman's wardrobe. With black ana
white dress she is ready for funeral OF d
wedding As for the handkerchief, carry
that up my sleeve. That's the easiest ana
best way to carry that little adjunct TO a
woman's toilet It's both out of the way
and handy. Miss Rush has some masnlt-
cent gowns this season, one lace dress
over orange-colored silk. The overdress IS
made of Russian renaissance in pond lay
erect. The prettiest gown in the actress
wardrobe is one made of crepe de chine
shawl one of those heirlooms found in old
and wealthy families Fringe and all nave
been utilized in forming the bodice ana
dainty little zouave jacket to be worn over
| the sleeveless waist. Miss Rush has a
| penchant for handmade work, and an .he
| embroidery on her clothing, even to the
| daintiest seams, is handmade It's
| a costly fad, indeed. but it's a fad to. which
all gentle women cling If they have the
price to pay for It,
The balancing act by Judge on the unsup-
ported ladder at the New Grand this week
1 nsra