Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-08

The Decadence of the Dramatic Art.
young man, whose dress shirt was so sadly
rumpied that he appeared to have been
Sleeping somewhere in IT, calmly In
forming the bunch CT men and women with
him that suicide, and quick suicide was
about the best thing after all He was
for that. Yep. him for suicide. Nepenthe.
Wanted to reach the Plutonian shore.
Wanted to battle in the waters of Gilead.
Whole thing on earth was a nuisance and
a bore. Nothing in it. Yep. he going
down to the river and jump off the dock
sure thing, he was.
We'll. that's right Archie" observed
one of his companions. politically. and
it's good thing. at that. But it's raw
out and you re liable to catch cold. You're
going to have another before you go. aren't
you?''
The despondent-looking man thought
that. after all. he would have one more.
He sat down in his place. and he was one
OF TIN last to leave when the wan yellow
sunshine was sinking around the head
lands of Labrador.
Jollying the Johnnies
Six tall, handsome girls from one OF the
Broadway extravaganZas were iollyfng a
pair of vacuous Johnnies at one of the big
tables in the center of the main room.
"They are iends in humng FORM thus to
break the hearts of poor working CELLS
declared No. of the girls.
Blu they are more than huming in
beauty. pronounced No. -
Such cute pink hair. don't you Think
ecstatcally observed No. 2. daintily strok-
! ing the spitlock OF one of the Johnnies.
And he's raising mustash. the dawl-
ing!" fervidly declared No. 4. pointing to-
the Johnnie nearest her
Yes. and it's color to match the ton
neau of his new uzz-wagon-yellow, the
dear" said No. 5, abiding to the mus
tash."
Talking about buzz-wagons. let's get
couple Of 'em and go somewhere" sug-
gested No 6, and the suggestion was no
sooner made than the Johnnies fell for 1t.
The buzZ-wagons were telephoned for and
presently they were out In front. and the
whole gay bunch piled in, and away they
were frisked out 10 Claremont or else
whittier.
ten-twent-thirt playwright for the
popular price" houses, who is said to
write plays with both hands and to turn
out no less than four of them a week was
explaining the decadence of dramatic art
to his circle.
Il could write the straight junk II the
managers 'ud see it," lie was saying. "but
nix. They don't want it. They want this
| unhand-me line o stuff They want the L
am here t save this woman honor with
me life kind Of drool. What's the use OF
handin' them the real stuff IL they can't
see it? The public don't want ii. either.
They want hot action and a bunch o.
thrills every set. and so whats the use?
I'm out for the kale in this business and
I'm givin' 'em what they want and ask for
Fame don't get anybody anything. When
get bank wad of the size | want well.
maybe then I'll roost down omewhere and
reel OFF bunch of legit. plays, but until
then, watch little Sun-Locks go after TIL
dust in bundles, writin junk. That's me-"
Somebody sent the request to the leader
Of the orchestra for Tosti'S Goodbye"
and then a flushed tenor of minstrel
show appearing here began to sing the song
to the music. He didn't rise in his seat
but just leaned back and watched the cell
ing in a vague sort of way and sang the
song beautifully. Wild acclaim from all
hands greeted him when he had finished A
dozen people raced over to his table and
clouted him enthusiastically the back.
though they had manifestly never seen him
before and possessed not the remotest idea
as to who he was. and they made him sing
the song again and then another one and
when he had finished all of the walters in
the place seemed to swoop upon him with
bottles of champagne and cigars and boxes
of cigarettes and things, sent to him by
the people at the other tables.
Il guess they think I'm working this
thing for graft" said the tenor to his
companion. but Ne didn't send the gifts
back.
Music by Request.
By O'Clock in the morning the man in
charge of the orchestra was submerged
with demands for request music, and the
orchestra tipped and doomed increasingly.
The women. letting out additional reefs in
their posing as the hours waned, began to
look sad and sweet when the violins walled
with muted strings, and some of them be-
gan to tell their real names and to MUIR
muir about the old farm. and the scent of
the clover fields and things. The men.
the other hand. generated hilarity with the
flying of the hours and had only jests for
the sadness and sweetness of their senti-
mental-growing women companions. and
demanded the hot music. Some of thsm
got into grouchy clashes with the walters
sharp faced, hawk-eyed walters. and muscu.
la ones, too-and two or three sullen young
men in evening clothes. who expressed
their hankering for the gore of walters had
to be led out into the air by their friends.
BY 4 o'clock the crowd had pretty well
thinned out. but the strident laughter still
filled the heavy air, and the orch 5tra
worked on and on. sustained by the bottled
things that the guests never ceased send
ing up to their fiower-em uncovered gallery.
The young men. in their vinous enthusiasm.
We're not scruDlng to bes.ow more or less
chaste salutations upon the brows-not al
Ways the brows-of their frocked guests,
and two or three lovely young skirted
things. with gorgeous clothes and weak
faces were weeping softly in.o their hand
kerchiefs over their m.sspent lives and get
ting themselves guyed by their companions
for their PAIN.
well, this is life, all right" de ghtedly
observed callow young man at one of the
tables the eXhiliration of youth and fresh
ness rife within him.
"Life?" Well, maybe. New York life:
Life for neurotics and their collateral
mates But life" as normal humans
know and understand it?
Vhew, But it was good to get out into
the chill brisk air-as good as crawling out
of a bed of fever to smell a warm June
rain on hedge of honeysuGkies i,,
CLARENCE l.. CULLEN! ...