Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-01

enthusiastic prosperity prophets. janice
Meredith" brought fine cast of characters
to the footlights of the New National The
alter and Francis Wilson held his following
at the ColumDia Theater with THE Monks
of Malabar'' The opera is nothing not
Francis Wilson. 1t bids au revoir if not
goodbye to those aspirations to better
things winch have latterly marked Wilson
career, anu which were the more significant
because only partially confessed. 1.-The
Monks of Malabar" is built after the most
conventional models. Mr.. Wilson's "Cyra-
no de Bergerac" despite its lack of popu-
larity, in a sense an investment. for 1t
impresses itself as assurance that the
comedian is capable of better things than
de does in this opera. Its recollection
serves to hold in line those patrons who
valued Wilson as a man who could be fun
ny without being vulgar. Some of the lines
in THE Monks of Malabar' are below
standard both in wit and refinement.
The business done by Francis Wilson this
week has been very large-such as to fully
attest the fact that the public demands and
enjoys his appearance in the type of musical
performance which THE Monks of Mala-
bar represents.
Madse Leasing terminates her season
with the company this evening and will
Wednesday next sail from New York for
London. Miss Leasing goes to the English
metropolis to take what is known as 1.-The
leading girl part in the Christmas papto-
mime at the Drury Lane Theater. Each
year these holiday pantomimes are a fea-
ture of the Lonuon theatrical and social
season. They are an English institution in
all essentials and are very popular with the
British playgoers Through the pantomime
Miss LEASING VIII be presented to London
ers under the most favorable circumstances,
f-iE f.it for hrtilf IN
success. Her future plans will be deter
mined by the holiday engagement al the
Drury Lane. her delightful lines of work
would seem to coincide most perfectly with
English tastes for stage femininity.
The question of Miss Lessings successor
in the Wilson company is most important
and trying one. Her work has given the
production a great share of it's popularity.
Marie Celeste. now with San Toy which
has Jimmie Powers as its star, has been
consulted in regard to taking Miss Less
ing's place. The Wilson company goes
from here to Philadelphia where it has
been booked for four weeks. Miss Celeste
will be in the Quaker city also and will wit
ness The Monks of Malabar" next Monday
and Tuesday evenings. Miss Leasing has
consented to play her original part on these
two occasions, and Tuesday midnight will
make flying trip to New York to prepare
for the journey which will follow the next
morning. In the event of Miss Celeste
leaving San Toy it is quite likely that
Minnie Ashley, the clever little soubrette
who has been paying the second part, will
be put in the prima donna role.
1.-The Rough Riders Romance" went a
step further than even 1.-The Great Ruby
in the highway of melodrama. 1t was a
pleasure to observe the presence of a good
old-fashioned gallery audience at the Acad-
who feels the touch of ennui descending
uron him, who finds that it is becoming
easier to sheer than to applaud, should
visit one of the unaffected melodramas and
listen to the gallery. There is a tonic il.
the tumult of the gods when the hero
does brave deeds for love of lady, or fools
the bastard who seeks to get everybody into
his power.
Measured according to its own preten-
sicns, 1.-The Rough Riders Romance was
a well-acted performance. 1t was precisely
what it claimed to be, a melodrama In
which everybody worked hard from hero
Inc to supernumerary. This Is the third
melodrama that has occurred in rapid sue.
cession, each representing different notch
in the scale of public taste. First there was
Sherlock Holmes" .'The Great Ruhy y
Janice Meredith, 1.-The Rough Riders
Romance" The last named must be COM
mended as the most candid and outspoken
of the lot. 1t made no pretensions no eff
fort to conceal it's identity by means of
dark changes, or eminent actors in the
cast. 1t stood boldly forth. asked the gal
lery for Its Kind applause, and got it with
out stint There are few playgoers who do
not appreciate few thrills a season. and
II the Academy maintains the standard it
has set. 1t will probably enjoy a prosperous
season under its new management.
Gin a body kiss a body, need a body
cry?"
1. all depends on how 1t Is done.
Katherine Grey has at last divulged her
main grievance against Richard Mansfield,
who. she declares in her suit for breach of
contract. told her that it was his privilege
to lose his temper-an eccentricity Of ge-
MUS.
outlasted all other forms of diversion II
saw the hammer-throWing of the stone age
gradually repudiated by the more cultured
aboriginal circles, and it witnessed the rele-
CATION of croquet to the remote ruraiity. 1t
will be extant when golf is but withered
and Scentess memory
The legal documents submitted by Miss
Grey are important because of the informa-
ties of the kiss. Save for certain dark
hints from scientists, kissing has hitherto
been rcSariad as comparatively harmless
1t entered into the social life of our fore
fathers.
In the old music albums you will find
rollicking strain. entitled John Anderson
or the Old Cushion Dance" with instruc-
tons as follows:
The gentleman takes the cushion in his
hand, or throws il over his shoulder and
dances around the room TO the music, stops
a. any lady he pleases and lays the cushion
al her feet, the music ceases: at the same
time the gentleman says to the musician:
This dance will no further CO."
Musician-"Why, sir, say you so?"
Observation-Disclosures the lady won't come
to-
Musician-"She must and shall come to-"
The lady must kneel down, and the gen.
tleman Kisses her.
II has inspired more poetry good and
bad, than any other subject.
You kissed me. My head sunk low on your
breast.
With feeling of safety and infinite rest.
AND the holy emotions my tongue dared
not speak
Flashed up in flame from my heart to my
cheek.
The above is only a mild specimen Of what
the kiss has done for literature.
This mere approximation Of lip to lip Is
capable of expressing a limitless range Of
sentimental expression. 1t traverses the
in mense boundaries of human regard, from
the frosty nip which two women take at
each other when they meet In a depart
men. store on bargain day, to the honest
and resonant "buss'' with which the rustic
tells the passion which his poor, stammer-