The sun., 1904-12-09
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT T0WN.

The itinerant musicians have put winter
clothes on their horns, flutes and other
instruments. The prevalent style OF cold
weather toys Is neither fitted nor semi
fitted, but Is a cross between mother
! hubbard and an automobile coat. Inc
! .baglike garment Is open at each END 70
| let the wind go In and the music comes out
! There are Sits at the side through which
/ the player puts his hands to clutch the In
/ strlment and wiggle the keys. The COM
I bination suit serves to keep the Teuton
/ tootin without suffering from frostbitten
fingers. Incidentally. 1t gives warm tone
! To Die Wacht am Rhein' and other airs
I of the Fatherland.
There's one Of the sample hogs,' said
the salesgirl in the grocery department Of
2 one of the department stores. ITS
| week or more since he's been here for a
square meal. ! guess be goes the round
him? Do | know him? Well, say! He's
tThere he goes; he's had clam bouillon
and a salt wafer and cereal and cream.
r passea- AND then he'd try two or three
/ different kHids Of sweet crackers and wind
up with cup OF the easy made chocolate
we're pushing OF a brew Of our speciality
in tea. b. the time he's made the rounds
| guess he'll be solid till breakfast time.
. It's my belief he lives on the stores, and
only wonder what he does Sundays
Olive Fremstad.. the last of the Kundrys,
has appeared in .Parsifal" in the most
beautiful costume that any singer so far
has worn in that roe Mime Ternina had
her dress for the second act designed by
famous London co stumer. Nine. Nordica
. got her dress from Worth of Paris. Miss
fremstad's lovely combination OF color
and drapery came from no such costly de-
ei Che salartaI harsa1f In
parts of Europe last summer the materials
/ from which the dress was made and banded
them over to costumer with eNpnGt
directions as to what the gown was to look
like. The result has been costume OF
surprising loveliness at cost which the
ordinary prima donna would pay for
single detail Of her costume.
One of tn e sure signs of Christmas is the
outbreak Of book auctions in al! parts Of the
city. Vacant stores are secured here and
there and big stocks Of showiy bound and
catchiy illustrated works are carted in.
The windows are filed up with these, the
red flag is put out and the sale goes on day
and nj ght.
Thousands OF such books are sold to
persons who are fond of books, but don't
know much about them. Uniform sets
of standard authors go at so to IS cents
voume-sometimes less, and huge quartos
with numerous full Ta;e plates, fancy
borders and moulded and gilt bindings fetch
from couple Of dollars to five.
The books are occasionally remnants OF
editions which have not sold well, but
usually they are Of vintage cooked up
for this special market, The plates are
reproduCtions of standard illust rauens used
in fine editions the letter press is often from
.electrotype plates that have seen their best
DAYS and the bindings are cunning repro
ductions in cloth Of specially designed
covers that have outliyed their proud
morocco epoch.
At recent song recital the soloist was
50 determined to safeguard the artistic
effect that he allowed no sort of interruption
between the numbers in each OF several
groups in which he divided his programme.
Not even applause was tolerated. The
doors leading to the floor OF the hall were
closed the moment the singer appeared on
the stage, and as result couple Of
hundred persons lost the first half hour
of each recital.
TO catch something of the music all
who could trooped up to the gallery stairs,
to which there are no barriers. As the wait
heightened out, song after song, one woman
after another succumbed to fatigue and
seated herself on the steps. Invariably,
couple of minutes after sitting down, each
woman would look uneasy and stand up.
II she had an escort. a whispered word
made him take off his overcoat. fold il
into cushion and lay it on the steps. Then
the woman would sit down again.
Some women who had no escorts took
off their own coats and sat on them. Women
who had verv fancy coats or wraps re-
mained standing.
- Hard seat?r uueried one Of the escorts
when the singer ended the group of songs
The stairs are OF polished marble.