New-York tribune., 1901-04-07

London April 6-Both good weather and a
rcllicking mood are lacking for the Easter hoi
DAYS The multitude OF trippers. starting on
thursday night for outing lasting until
Tuesday, with Friday and Monday as holidays,
have found cold comfort az the seaside and in
the country for the skies have been lowering.
and to-day copious rainfall is general in and
out Of London. The world of wealth and fashion
has been at a loss to know how to spend the
Easter holiday. Only small number of coun-
try houses are Open and there are family par
ties in place of the usual snowy entertainments
al this time Of year. Brighton. Bournernouth
and other seaside resorts are full, but the
weather is cold and raw. Neither the classes
nor the masses are in a holiday mood.
The South African war has degenerated into
systematic efforts for checking feeble bands of
nlarauders, yet over two hundred thousand SOL
diers required for this wretched police work
The military occupation of the veldt forestalls
any effective intervention by the Foreign Office
in the Far East. and the English people have
the humiliating sense of being Idle spectators
when events are marching fast.
The burdens of taxation are increasing and
the pressure Of industrial competition is felt
with cumulative force. The budget speech may
be the signal for far reaching changes in the
free trade system. The times Of joint,
and holiday recreation is taken thoughtfully. if
not sadly.
While the general mourning will end
April L. there only faint signs Of the Lon
don season The opera seems doomed to slug
gish support. since royalty will appear.
Court functions Will be few and quiet. The
debutantes will be kept back for coronation
year. and there will be no balls, and only few
boz, and girl dances. Dinner parties and
taurant suppers will be the chief attractions for
jaded pleasure seekers. Social patronage Of the
races has fallen off already, since the King
not attend them and the house parties made up
for them are dismal failures. What will be done
with the Ascot incosure this season nobody
seems know. A transition period has fol-
lowed the opening Of the reign. The large
social coterie known as the Prince of Waless
set no longer has any raison d'etre. The con-
dltions Of town and country life will be trans
formed in another year, but the present season
will pass heavily with little occupation for the
smart sets
The house agents IN Belgravia and Mayfair
have started in this year with inflated valua
tions Of West End property, based upon the per-
lnanent residence Of the King in Buckingham
Palace. Premiums have risen on desirable
houses with good addresses, and there has been
an unusual activity in improving houses and
bringing them into the market for long tenancies
at advanced rentals This enterprise is proving
premature, since the demand for houses. fur
nished or unfurnished. is light Owing to the
certainty that there will be dull social season.
these houses will be empty this year but there
will be 2 brisk demand, with rising prices, in
coronation year. Rentals may not go up, for
this would carry I'D valuations and rates, but
premiums viii be buoyant, this being con
venient system for evading taxation by forcing
the tenant to pay an increased rent in lump
sum when he takes the house long lease.
Many property owners viii prefer to have their
houses remain empty twelve months rather than
reduce premiums below what they consider the
coronation year standard
There will be a long series Of West End wed
dings after Easter Thursday will witness
dozen or more. Among these April marriages is
that of Lady Sybil Cuffe to Mr.. Bayard Cutting.
Of the American Embassy. and another is that
OF Lady Helen Craven TO Mr.. Ian Forbes.
The art receptions for the month are already
opening. and are full Of promise. The Dudley
gallery where the friends Of the English
Art Club have gathered this afternoon, is a small
and stuffy place where only rainy day crowd
can be accommodated. The showiest work is
Mr. Charles Wellington Furses portrait Of Mrs.
Geoffrey Buxton, with open air terraces and
roses and q stately lady among them, but a more
Romantic picture is Mr. s. ". Douglass's Rom
ney-like Bridget in gold and grayish black
with hat tied under her chin Mr. Wilson Steer
picturesque
ner anc decorative arrangement Of a girl with
auburn hair. dressed in mauve and silver. and
dangling a string Of pearls before black kitten
among gorgeous stuffs and luxuriant white
flowers. There are landscapes. marines and in
terios here Of marked individuality Of style. and
several brilliant achievements in technique. Not
every experiment Of these younger men is
cessful but there are signs on these walls Of
fresh observation and creative energy.
The only new play this week is "Necandra,"
a. the Avenue Theatre tonight. with Mrs.
Brown Potter as a magically gifted snake
woman in mystic farce which has been revised
Since its original production. Mrs Potters chief
success in England has been her Milady. The
serpentine grace with which she played that
Part has suggested a similar denotement OF
power Of fascination in "Necandra.'
There will be half a dozen first nights next
week. Mr. Esmond's The Wilderness, at the
st James's being the most important among
them. The central figure will be an idealst who
does not become ernbittered when he finds the
eawdust in the doll The play contrasts the
artihciality Of London life with the superior
sincerity Of rural existence.
Mr. Forbes Robertson Is rehearsing romantic
drama entitled Count Tesma," in which the
conditions Of life and adventure in the inagl-
nary province Of Dalmania. somewhere near
Ruritana will be set forth. He has military
part and Miss Gertrude Elliott is the heros
wife
Miss Jannette Steer has recruited q strong
Company for enactlng the second version OF
THE Diamond Necklace" almost simultaneously
with Mrs Langtry's production OF Bertons $ play
based on the same romantic episode IN the iiie
Of Marie Antoinette.