New-York tribune., 1908-11-01
AS OTHERS SEE US
Goldsmith on the Drama.

manner Of conducting them We play our pieces
in the open air. the English theirs under cover vs.
act By daylight. they by the blaze OF torcnes Cns
of our plays continues eight OF ten days success
sively; an English piece seldom takes up aoovs
four hours I'm the representation.
NV con1paSfon IN black. with whom 7 am nov
beginning to contract intimacy. introduced ne
| a few nights ago 10 the playhouse, where W.
| pIaced ourselves conveniently at foot OF th5
| stage As the curtain not drawn before ny
| arrival had an opportunity Of observing the be-
havfor Of the spectators. and indulging those
| nsctions which novelty generally Inspires
The rich IN general placed IN the 1owess
seats and the poor rose above them IN degree pro-
portoned to their poverty The order OF precedenes
| seemed here inverted; those who we're undermoss
| all the day enjoyed a temporary eninsncs.
and became masters of the ceremonies II was
they who called for the music. indulsing every
noisy freedom and testisyiag all the nsoIencs ot
| beggary in exaItation-
They who held the middle region seemed not 20
( riotous those above them. nor yet 81 tame a.
| chose below: 70 Judge By their looks. many %
| them seemed strangers there 81 well a. myself:
| they chiefly employed. during this period oc
expectation. in eating oranges reading the story
| of the play making designations.
Those VINO sat IN the lowest rows. which ars
called the pit. seemed to consider themselves a.
Judges OF the merit Of the poet and the performers:
they were assembled partly 70 be amused and
partly show their taste: appearing 20 labor under
that restraint which arectation Of superior DIS
i
ever informed me that not IN a hundred %
| them knew even the first principles Of criticism:
that they assumed the right OF being censors be-
cause there was none to contradict their preten-
sions: and that every man who called himself
a connolsseur became such to al ints1ts and pur-
poses.
Those who sat in the boxes appeared n the most
unhappy situation OF all. The rest Of the audience
came merely for their amusement; these.
rather 70 furnish part OF the entertainments
ft,o nat old
as acting parts irl dumb show-not a courtesy
nod that the result Of art; not look or
smile that not designed for murder Gentle
men and ladies ogIed each other through specta-
ces for my companion observed that blindness
was Of late become fashionable: all affected indif-
ference and ease. while their hearts at the san1o
time burned for conquest Upon the whole. the
lights the music, ladies' in their gayest dresses
the men with cheerfuness and expectation IN their
looks, all conspired TO make a most asreeabls
picture and y iii a heart that symDathizes az
human happiness with inexpressible serenity
The expected time for the play TO begin at last
arrived; the curtain was and the actors cons
on A woman, who personated queen, came IN
courtesyfng to the audience. who clapPed their
hands upon her appearance ClapPing OF hands IS
it seems the OF applauding IN England; the
manner is absurd. but every country. you know
has its peculiar absurditles- 1 was as much sur
prised however at the submission Of the actress.
who should have considered herself a queen as az
the little discernment Of the audience, who gave
her such marks of applause before she attempted
10 deserve them PreIininaries between her and
the audience being thus adjusted the dialogue was
supported between her and most hopeful YOUTH
who acted the part OF her conhdant They ooth
appeared in extreme distress, for It seems the queen
had lost child some fifteen years before. and
stfu teeps ifs dear resemblance next her heart.
while her kind companion bore part Of her so-rov
Her lamentations grew loud; comfort is offered.
but she detests the very sound: she bids them
preach comfort to the winds Upon this her hls-
~ a.
fected. can himself hardly refrain from tears or
avoid partaking in the soft distress After thus
gieving through three scenes, the curtain dropped
for the first act.
Truly. said I to my companion. thess kings and
queens very much disturbed at no very great
matter: certain I am were people OF humber sta
tons to in this manner. they would be thought
divested Of common sense 1 had scarcely finished
this observation. when the curtain rose and the
king came on, in a violent passion His wife had.
IT seems refused his proffered tenderness. had
spurned his royal embrace; and he seemed resolved
not to survive her fierce disdain- After he had
thus fretted through the second act, the curtain
was let down
Now. says my companion. you perceive the king
to be a OF spirit; he feels at every pore: one
OF your phlezmatic Of clay would have given
the queen her way. and let her coma 10 her
self by degrees: but the king is for immediate
tenderness or instant death: death and tenderness
are leading emotions OF every modern bUskined
hero This moment they embrace and the next
stab. mixing daggers and kisses in every period
/ was going q second his remark when my atten-
ton was engrossed by subject: man came
in balancing upon his nose, and the au-
dience were capping their hands IN all the rapt-
ures of applause To what purpose, cried L does
this unmeaning figure make his appearance: IS he
a part of the pIot7 Unmeaning do you call htra1
replied my friend in black: this is OF most
important characters Of the whole play: nothing
pleases the people than seeing a straw bal
anced: there is a great deal OF meaning in tbs
straw; there Is something suited to every appre-
hension IN ths sight; and g fellow possessed OF
talents like these is OF making his fortune
The third now began with an actor who cans
to inform that he the villain OF t,s play
and intended TO show strange things before ell
was over He was Joined by another. who seemed
as much disposed for mischief as he: their IN
trigdes continued through this whole division II
that be villain. said 7. he must be a very stupid
one to tell his secrets without being asked such
soliloquies OF late never admitted IN China
The noise OF clappinz interrupted me once more:
child Of six years old was learning TO dance ca
the stage. which gave the ladies and the man
darins infinite satisfaction I sorry said L
to the pretty creature early learning SO haA
trade. dancing being, presume, cOntern ptfols
here in China Quite the reverse. interrupted
companion; dancing IS very reputable and
gehteeI employment mere men nave q greater
chance for enCogr2gement from the q their
heels than their heads. one who jumps up and
nour1SncS MS toes three tunes before he comes
to the ground may have three hundred a year. hs
who aourtshes them four times gets four hundred
but ne VINO arrives al Ve Is itsStiuable, and may
demand what salary re thinks proper The female
dancers, too. are valued for this Jumping
ana CROSSING 1hd IS d cant word among thenl
that she deserves most who shows highest But
the fourth act is begun. let be attentive.
In tile fourth act the queen finds her loug-IOst
child, grown up into a youth smart parts
and great qualifications; wherefore she wisely
sders that the crown VIII MT HIS head better than
that OF her husband. whom o drfV-