New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-03-29
less II be Josh Bilings's maxim, that the best
place for a boil is on the other mans leg.

less IL be Josh Billings's maxim, that the best
piace Tor boil is on the other mans leg.
III order TO differentiate these farccal pro-
ceeolnss from frank opera bouffe Mr. Jones at
tehpts to satirize fashionable life at "a country
mousse and to illustrate wife's defensive meas
ures Tor protecting her husbands honor and
IN TINS way he converts the play into anus
ing variety performance utterly devoid of either
serious intention artistic motive. Bridge is
not introduced. but there are hunting costumes
and episodes and tableaus in costume behind the
scenes. with d professional stage manager boast
ing OF his love affairs. a sentimental girl with
tragic manner, battling village doctor. an
elderly tea drinking gossip, with a talent for
saying malicious things: a worldly minded
baronet. with practical ideas about sensible
wives; a theatrical French nurse and several
silly young men The dialogue IS not without
CLEANS of brightness. but the satire is without
salt, and the representation as a whole is a
vulgar travesty upon English country life As
for the underpot of intrigue, IT is artificial and
utterly lacking in freshness and ingenuity. The
automobile is the only new Bit of mechanism.
and 1t operates behind the scenes. The prince
flirting desperately with another mans wife;
the heartless and unprincipled wife ready to
fling away the devoted brewers affections: the
scandal mongers greedily snatching at crumbs
of tainted gossip; the lady killer bringing It'd
the next breath his suit and the princess
herself jealousy ordering her rival out of the
house and Historically laughing the
riage accident and the bruised nose, are all
ignoble and disagreeable figures and exceedingly
uninteresting. When will playwrights learn
that such things stale, fiat and Improbable
and unworthy of the resources Of dramatic art?
The most interesting feature of the annual
hibition of the Royal Society of Painter Etchers
and Engravers in East Pail Mall Is series of
original Turner mezzotints. with dozen Liber
Studiorum plates etched by him and engraved
finished by other hands. The mezzotint
plates found in the Chelsea house after his
death and had probably been made during his
residence there, when he was known 10 the
street boys PIGGY Booth. and used to watch
the sunsets and river mists from the roof.
Three of the mezzotInts proofs from the
same plate. and disclose gradations in tone and
changes in cloud effects due to delicate manipu-
latiOn OF the darks and middle tints. 1t is
reproduction of effect of moonlight in Shields
Harbor, which is TO be found among the water
colors of the National Gallery, and it Is evil
dent that Turner was experimenting with the
plate and manipulating IL in order 10 obtain
softer diffusion of moonlight. There is another
mezzotint Of a ship in storm with slants Of
moonlight, and another of Boston Stump at
mOOnrise, and there are working proofs of
Festum. with moonlight and lightning. the
Monument and London Bridge and the evening
gun at sea, with moonlight All these mezzo-
tints disclose breadth and humidity of atmos-
pheriC effects and refinement of skill in the DIFF
fusion OF moonlight Alack! how few Acade-
micars of the present day sufficiently in
terested IN art for its own sake experiment
laboriousy as Turner did in reproducing the
most subtle effects in light and tone! l. \. F.