New-York tribune., 1907-04-28

finally he resorted entirely to the kitchen chair
in the wings.
And one evening found him IN a whirl Of shift
ing scenery falling back drops. peasants. ballet
dancers MephIstOpheles Vslentin siebel: and while
the stage hands were setting up MargUerlts's gar
den, asked him the ultimate question. Why
said l. when you can make the money you say
you have out OF cigar machines-anyhow. when you
have the Victoria Theatre paying you handsome
income and ought TO be old enough TO settle down
and play with your grandchildren and enjoy life
peacefully-do you take all the risk and trouble and
worry Of launching this new opera house?''
He smiled. and his eyes squinted they do when
he doesn't wish you TO know whether he's ironio
or not and he said, "Ah. but the tobacco business
IS prose. this is poetry-you know? It's more fun
70 make Aelba sing than IL is 10 make a cigar. To-
night. first she tells its too hot In her
dressing room; then its too cold then she wants
me 10 ring up AT o'clock. when there are only two
people in the house and have nv watch
back and show her it's only 5:30 o'clOck-yOu knOw2
You must handle these singers Just so--t's an art
or else they'll 20 out on the stage and phrase Ike
the devil II YOU let EN- do that you'd have to
admit people to your house on transfers-you
know
Presently Nelba prayer book in hand. stole along
behind the canvas frame that 70 the audience was
q garden wall paused for her music cue. and en-
tered tina gate. Then heard her voice. luscious.
perfectly phrased. and more he spread out his
palms. this with another infection He tiptoed
up to the window OF Marguerite hOUsN-a hole cut
in frame OF with lace curtain over II.
70 behind-and peeped out upon the stage. He
patted the scenery anectionateIy as he did 40. He
was smiling 10 himself when he came back 70 his
chair his hands behind him his head down. like
Napoleon.
s. the boy who ran away from thu parental skate
strappinE at fifteen 20 work IN cigar factory AZ
80 week. 20 invent. TO speculate 10 hang out OF
the balcony when Patti sang. has az last an opera
house of his own 70 play with. and Is happy! He
has no artistic mission. he has no school OF music,
IKE Wagner 90 fight for from the stage: no archt-
tcctural ideals 20 work out in the auditorium: all
the houses he has built in fact. have been archi-
tecturaIy tawdry. Fe has no phianthropic pur-
pose 10 educate the masses musically. though he
always puts plenty OF gallery seats in his houses
lie has no aspirations 20 be leader OF taste, for
he has n sense OF humor. He minds nobody's bust
ness but his own. leads nobody's life but his own.
spends no money on Iuxur.es except opera
housesn. asks nothing OF society but 70 come II
they like 10 his show Hts interest in the opera
house the boy's interest IN toy. long coveted.
long dreamed of. deeply-to-be-desired toy. some
thing wonderful and all his very own.
And that IS what Oscar Hammerstein is, a boy
of nfty-seven He has the shrewdness. the per-
slstence. the humorous wisdom OF the man. but
he has the curiosity. the !nscrutableness. OF the
boy. and who shall say that is greater Wis
dom? The sound OF the tenor's voice the smell OF
the fy lofts and the perfumed audience. the bite
af the strings IN the Orchestra-they have for him
the same uureasoned fascination they had when he
was twenty. And now ne can play with them TO his
hearts content. But il took thirtyseven years TO
get To the goal All or could be happy n we
could GET v-hnt We want. and all OF US could get
it II We wanted il long enough The trouble Is most
or US cannot want the same thing thirty-seven
vears oscar was wiser; he never grew up Peter
D., on, Oscor Famnerstein, There's strange
,, - hodfellov-s at the end,-w. P. Eaton. In The
American for May.