The National tribune., 1907-06-20

yersal enthusiastic approval among mu-
sicians. Mr. Hammerstein, manager OF
the Manhattan Opera House, of New
York. thinks there is no demand what
ever here for Il continuous performance
of Wagner's operas, and he hopes NINE
NorCica will not put all her money INTO
what he considers sheer dream, the
purchased land being the only solid
thing about il Several Germans, all
musicians of note, when approached on
the subject said that the idea was good
enough if carried out on scale oi slif1l-
cient bignesS, but that any Seconu-faic
imitation of Bayrcuth would be absurd
and make America appear ridiculous
A second Bayrcuth would be impossi-
bile without a second Wagner, who at
preseut does not exist. The site chosen
by Nine. Nordica was pronounced a
mistake in being too distant from the
Far and Middle West, where reside lhc
less moneyed classes and those less
likely to go 10 Europe Tor miSiT''
education. One of the chief drawbacks
TO the idea is the probable inability to
keep European teachers permanently III
this country. and also the loss of CLAM
or and prestige TO such which would
invariably follow permanent resi-
Gence.
IL is becoming quite common oc-
Currence in this nerve-Stralnlng, rush
ing life of the 10th century for society
women and all women of many activl-
ties to take what is called the tranquil
lity cure This differs somewhat from
the rest cure, inaSmuch as even more
stress is paid to resting the mind than
the body The person taking the tram
quillity cure must surround herself with
everything tending 10 tranqu!liZe the
mind She must also first. last and al
WAYS do exactly what 1t most picaSeS
her TO do cat when she wants to. sleep
when she feels like it, rest when 1t
pleases her and work when the notion
seiZcs her. AS colors are supposed TO
have q good or bad effect on the nerves,
blue and white have been found to be
the most rcstful and soothing colors.
When, therefore, the society woman,
either during OF at the close OF the gay
season, feels that she would rather COM
init suicide than attend another func-
ton, when the club woman interested
in many enterprises finds herself for
getting her engagements or the tired
mother realizes that she just must get
away from everything for while, they
each take to quiet spot somewhere.
where of course, depending upon their
means and go into absolute seclusion
for from three or four days TO week
or more. There, in a blue and white
room, if they can get it, amid surround
ingS tending to cheer and entertain
them, with a little agreeable work and
plenty of interesting books and maga-
zines, with strict orders that they are
TO see no one, except the servant who
brings their meals. unless they SO desire
it. they give themselves up To this period
of absolute bodily and mental rest. 1t
acts wonders and in many cases saves
a big doctors bill. Whenever a woman
has that tired feeling in her head she
should at once take the tranquility
cure. If the necessity for this were
more generally recognized our sani-
tariums and asylums would be cheated
out of many hundreds of their inmates.
OF course, Ii is just as necessary for
men as for women TO take this rest, and
large numbers of the sterncr sex are
doing so even if it is only from Satur-
day to Monday. A very hard worked
New York man goes once a year, e1IS,ial-
ly in the Spring, off on little yachting
cruise, taking with him only his wife
and man who acts as Captain and
cook. They lie around on the deck
looking at the water. talking and read
ing when they feel like it, and both re-
turn 10 their labors feeling years young
er and fit for anything
Puccini, the italian composer, says he
will give US next season an opera deal
ing with certain incidents in the life OF
the unfortunate Marie Antoinette, wife
of Louis XVI. This does not promise
to be a much more cheerful work than
Mime. Butterfly" that exquisite work
of Puccinis, the music of which is the
most beautiful and the story the sad
dest of any opera of modern times.
The modern hat can be traced bach
to the ancient Greeks and Romans, thC
il was not until after the Norman con-
quest that it began to be worn in Eng
tf,a &C hot i,
as {. saiutation first came into vogue i,
somewhat uncertain, but il is a custom
which nearly every nation has observed
the Turks being a notable exception
The French. who have always had the
reputation of being the most polite peo.
pie in the world and having the moSt
elaborately finished manners, have re-
duced hat-dofiing to an art, and to q
student of human nature it is a mosr
interesting sight TO watch the delicate
graduations in the bows of the polite
Frenchman by which he discriminates
between Nine. Duchess plain Made,
moiselle Somebody and his tailor who's,
bill of long standing he had not ye
found IL convenient to pay. This time
honOred custom has. however, been as.
sailed by Count John Harrack, {
wealthy Bohemian noble, who has start.
ed, recently, an association in Austria
and Germany for the suppression O
hat-donlnR as Salutatlon. The Coun
claims that influenza, which has caused
so many deaths especially during the
last 20 years is directly due TO this Gus.
Tom, and that the Turks. who neve
unGer any circumstances remove tn,
turban. have alone of the European ma
uons escaped the malady. The Coun
proposes 10 substitute the military sa,
Lutte for the barring of the head and call.
attention 10 the fact that soldiers. as
general rule, never have the influenza
While standing with the head uncov
cred for any length of time, as is III.
custom on certain occasions-funerals
for instance-surely endangcrs III,
health and should be abolished yet j
hardly seems possible that the few sec
ondS exposure of the head in the ordi
nary salutatiOn could have the leas
element of danger i'm it. and the custom
is so firmly established. anyway, that
VIII undoubtedly keep on in the evei
tenor of its way undisturbed by Coun
Harrack or any other reformer. so Ion.
as hats are worn and society remain
unchanged.
Mrs. Ayres puts a money value o
100000 OH her outraged feelings an
wounded dignity. and has brought sui
against several officers of the AIilitar
Academy for that amount II is sal
Mrs. Ayres also intends TO sue Secretar
Taft, whose letter 10 her husband for
bidding her the rights of the West Poin
reservation, she pronounced "insultin
and despicable." This suit seems AT
sufd in the face of the facts which hav
been placed before the public. and non