The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-06

VIZ 1tll -
To think there's any real worth i
Sometimes feasts please the cooks ana
not the guests;
Sometimes the guests, and curious cooks
conteInn them, x
Our dishes we entirely dedicate
TO our kind guests; bit since you diff
Some to like mirth without tnxetions
Some to count such works trlfles and ~
such like,
We can but bring you meat. and set
your stools & III 4s5S ~
And to our best cheer say, YOU are ALL
welcome.
These tags, which possess but little
more than q certain crude frankness,
we're always reserved for the opening
night OF d play. They were never TITS
tered at rehearsal, and members OF the
company knew nothing about their
tenor until the fateful night arrived
Sometimes the actor designated to res
cite the lines was not placed In possess
sion OF them until the last moment ow-
Ing to personal allusion which they or
ten contained. some OF them being rath-
es pointed references 10 royalty.
Out Of this custom Of secrecy In res
gnrd to the tag grow tho superstition
Guiding lines Of play at a rehearsal.
and tho tradition is never ovcrstepped
without an apprehensive shudder.
The umbrella superstition Is rather more
urgent on the stage than away from IT, .
and 1t would be retarded as a certain
omen OF failure II mn umbrella should-Da
raised at the outset of rehearsals In
moro than one instance the manager h;a
chucked tho entire Undertaking because
ansunlucky wight thoughtlcssly spread an
umbrella within the precincts OF the
stage. It does not matter at all that thu
business OF the play requires an open
umbrella This must be left TO the inn
aglnation unit! the audience Is present.
when by some hocus pocus rather dtil-
cult to analyze the curse Is removed and
no harm can be done by tho parachute.
| VI 1t scarcely seems necessary to say that
the efficacy OF knocking on wood to &;
counterfeit any possible spell that might
be con3ured up by some self-congratula-
tory&or incautious remark Ia thoroughly
conhded In by stage folk. This, indeed, 81
is often considered an antidote for that
spirit OF optimism which Is Inclined to &
predict q good season or the favorable \
Issue OF any dramatic enterprise Hero
again we find n superstition peculiar to Il
1.-THE histrionic mind, although not abso-
|flutely confined to It. i is something OF
d paradox in Its way. since no one indul-
ges more conspicuously5 IN the pleasures
nope luHIl atIc l1Ou6 AAi9 tI
innermost soul may be illumlned by Q &
joyous $ex pectation OF success. this Is con-
| sfessed only with an active expression OF q
distrust and persistent humping on ~
wood to allnyg any spirit of evil that ma
DO ready to smo Their out his sweet an
It!clpations. Not for the world would he Il
indulge In anything less than the rosiess
dreams of success, yet wild horses could
lgnot drag from him the admission that
no confidently expects success mother
paradox OF superstition3in sconnect Ion will
1.-The stage is the singular q ttitude @
compa ny toward the new Spla y which
Happens to be In rehearsal. Should Mt
appeal to them as n success and excite I
istheir admiration to nigh pitch i they
| immcd lately fall into 20 state OF appr1e.-
hension and distrust. rho old superstt-55
! ton that actors are worst possible Judges
at plays stares them In the face. Is They.
! do not believe any heresy SO disrespe Is Y
| full to their own judgment. yet supers ti-l&
| 5tjon & even St more than conscience IN dotn
make towards OF us all and the con ~ met 4
ling emotions OF the moment result 81 10 = \
| 3HS,comf fart and unhaE'l ancss. 81 Ctl s.la:a
5other hand. and logically enough, once
We accept this point OF view, they are
/ 5comfortable and cOnplacen In the pres
/ ence Of q play that seems TO them ut--sS55
lstcrly impossible. u. fsis "a
The superstition Of the evil eye Is per-.
| taps peculiarly Latin and does not i q Pc Pc
Il 3nea with much force to the Ang saxon,
i Vel - our stage, which Is smopoli Ian
| has contributed many examples o. De-
,lslief in this form or superstition. Colonel
II. Mapleson once related an ~ lue e :.
| to me afterwards incorporate IN IN n !l .Is
4 nemoirs) which illustrates the extent - -
which even the great people OF earth may ma
i Sc influenced by. a belief in malignan nc
1 fate q expressed through some unusual l IVA
4 SYMBOL Ii was 4 in tChica go during that
i mem orabls season OF n warfare between cen
i Abbey and NIapleson which pra ctlcaly
ruined both ann 49,,
i Of the Mapleson or h. Ter Ma5esty's 20
i 5nary.,, as 1t was called. were SIM
j ono night in Les Huguenots. ~ WI pa l.'
Il a as Va lentine and Gerster as the y een.
AT the close Of the first act ~ when =; zen
i valentine has but little music and ger F
stcr great deal, the ushers aa.ars
\ into handing an enormous array q noMe .a
4 across the footlights to 81 l'at tiS y sy9
ware ntended for a later nomen 7 IN the
nerformance, but the audience. 7 linking
ilitaa sign to crush Gerster, y no recei l ,'
4 only one bouquet, e cn s'F. . Nv. NV
sri,1Iy and permitted Patti to leave the
4 stage without anything approaching an
4 Ovnt ton. AZ i n,
N Then YOU may be sure there was q
srow. returning to her hotel. 3t the great g
Il patti went intoS sterics-thre W hersel1
mon 4 he floor, and kicked for dear life,4
II The incident Wrich' gre w out q "
usher's mistake. she attributed 70 ne
4 malignant Influence Of Ger ?te W ~,
possessed as Patti eHpha tica soeciat
d an evil eye. s 55.5
{ u From that moment, said Coionel Ma
/ lpleson teyery mischance befalllhs a, .N'
4 patt, was attributed to Gerster8 and hes
evil. eye. Gerster! was her first ex g! ~. ma
4 ton when she found the earth shaklns
beneath her at San Franclsc ,'6 when
1 ever Gerster's name was ntioned, Nine,
Patti made with her fingers ne !, morn no,,,
a which is supposed to counteraceat the ~
effect % the evil eye . once, accolu-s
to Colonel Mapleson, When .these N.Y., w.
were stopping at the same hotol' M MINIS,
Pat pa ssingS at5night the room occupied
q by Gerstcr, extended her first and l fourth
\ finge rs in the direction Of the allegea
+ sorceress, as IL to ward OF any germs ms
Of evil that may have been SCI loosely.