The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-09
REMARKABLE DEMONSTRATION.
Lines in "The Lady of Lyons" Furi-
ousIy Kissed by Chicago Women.

A remarkable demonstration took place
Saturday afternoon in Powers's Theater.
Chicago, during a presentation of 1.-THE
Lady of Lyons" which will be seen at
English's tomorrow night. Storms of
Kisses greeted the denunciation of women
which occurs in the fifth act of the play.
The Chicago Inter-Ocean says:
For five minutes the play was interrupted
by the prolonged kissing. The house was
crowded to the doors with a fashionable
audience of a character that seldom yields
to such a demonstration. The majority of
those present were women, and it was the
women who did the Kissing
The outbreak was one or the strangest
that has been witnessed in a playhouse in
this city. Manager Harry j. Powers said
that it was the first time anything of the
kind had come under his notice. Maclyn
Arbuckle, who spoke the lines so realistic
ally as 10 call forth such resentment, said
that he had never seen the like in his ex-
perience.
What aroused the Chicago women and
started them off in their demonstration of
disapproval was this line given with tell
ing effect by Mr. Arbuckle, in the charac-
ter of General Damas:
Yes, a miracle. In other words. a con-
slant woman.
Some women in the parquette began to
hiss. Others took IL up, and the wave of
indignation swept through the parquette,
the boxes and the balconies. few of the
women could not refrain from giving voice
said in a loud tone, such remarks as these
were heard:
'.Oh, the wretch! the wretch.''
"It isn't true.
For shamei"
When the demonstration had subsidized
somewhat Mr.. Arbuckle attempted TO go
On with the rather long speech commenting
on woman's frailties. He was interrupted
frequently. Fresh outbursts were brought
on with each sentence. These are the lines
that caused the trouble
1.-The man who sets his heart upon a woman
Is a chameleon and doth feed on air:
From air he takes his colors-holds his life
Changes with every wind-grows lean or
fat,
Rosy with hope or green with jealousy.
Or pallid with despair-just as the gale
Varies from north to south. from heat to
cold
Oh, woman. woman. thou shouldst have
Of thine own to answer for; thou art the
author
That it would need the tears of all the
angels
To blot the record out"
When asked last night as TO his expert
ence yesterday afternoon Mr.. Arbuckle
ut is the first time ever faced such an
outburst AS a matter OF fact / may say
that when i stepped before such mag
nifcent audience of women a thrill OF en-
thusiasm coursed through me, and / may
have thrown more than the ordinary feel
ing into the part. Surely, II the women
only knew my true feelings for them they
would have better understood. Don't you
see Il was just all assumed? | don't feel
that way at all. / don't approve Of the
sentiment OF the lines myself
''I was surprised, too. at the demonstra-
ton. but when 1 realized that such an audi
ence would not express open animosity /
was nearly convulsed with laughter. II
rather embarrassed US though. and we had
TO sort of carry on a paatomime during the
kissing so as 10 keep the thing together.
don't YOU see? But then we fixed n ali M
for them again along toward the end where
/ confessed that women were not so bad
after all and Pauline had lines that touched
the spot. The applause then proved the
safety valve"