The sun., 1908-01-26

maid. stage and orchestra. II struck the
top note. q
To save your life you could not help won
dering what would happen IL the Plaza
management should take the play on and
Il should have one OF those unprecedented
runs of a couple Of seasons. with fresh
viOlets every performance and two matt
nees. Why, that or any other management
would be wrecked. And IL it is true that
Grace ElistOn is going to produce the play
let, will she have to live up to those violets
or to the shame and humiliation OF paper
onese There is something In that question.
What's the matter NTH violet trust2
Having applaudeE the violets, society
applauded Mrs. Pruyn, who said her few
lines with fervor which recalls the story
that 10 told Of theatrical manager who
once staged a play for society.
He was besieged with applications for
speaking parts, and the play not having
as many as he would like to accommodate
he soon had all the cast filed.
But there was ono debntante who was
very persistent, and 90 one day he told her
he thought he could manage to give her
one line.
She was in raptures
What 10 IL, Mr.. M she gasped.
well, I think in the supper scene you
might come In and cay. I've brought the
ham,"
-Lovelyi And do bring the ham2"
oh, no; you won't have to bring the
ham. You see that is in the nature of q con-
fesSion, and the incriminating evidence
will not have to be shown"
The debutante did her part 90 well that
it is said she is spoken OF now as q Sarah
Bernhardt sacrificed to the eKigenoies of
q social career.
One matron turned her lorgnette, after
/ signing her appreciation OF Mdrte's stage
= French, and said:
my dear. weren't they lucky to get
her instead OF Nordica2'
And when Mrs Gould has Acknowledged
the applause that greets her graceful en-
trance and beautiful appearance the same
critical voice is heard:
MY dear. it. Ia a Paquin corset. Can't
you see those long lines through the satin ?
You can with the glasses
The epigrams of the play prove the as
sertion OF British visitor that while our
country is new our Jokes are not. that one
especially of the careless and happy. with
its antithesis Of hairless and catty, being
especially liked. as society proved by it's
quick response.
Another appreciation was that which
| cut Sioux Falls as a place Of residence
entirely out of the picture and out OF every
consideration. IL was plain 10 see that
dull as Newport is said to be and noisy and
fretful as is New York they are preferable
to the Dakota burg. In fact society had
on an expression which argued that il
Sioux Falls wants to keep New Yorks
divorce patronage IL has got to look up
bit,
This was doubly proved when Mrs. Van
VechtGr told of friend of hers who had
TO go there for a divorce because her hus-
band was so inhuman that he insisted on
seeing his children occasionally. Society
then nearly split its gloves.
Nor is Chicago any more popular. il one
can accept this criterion. When the hus-
band sarcastically casts reflections upon
her originality Of the divorce dinner dance
and says that while that might do for Chi
oago, IL she really wants to be unusual
in method she must go to the ballroom
on the arm of her eX. the applause is all
for the New York idea.
Possibly, however. the great moment
Of the play is when Mrs. Van Vechten turns
witheringIy ON her one time spouse and
says:
-You are a good actor"
Mr.. Bellew does not recover from this
for quite a while, and Arnold DAILY for the
first time looks resigned 20 his obscure
post.
The playlet lasts but fifteen minutes,
and society is unanimous in its verdict
that it should have been longer. One
woman says right out that she would have
been perfectly content to stay five minutes
more. and the rest. as they make a frantic
rush TO the tea table. with Mr.. Martins
smile to act as lighthouse to shipwrecked
mariners, concur noisily.
And II one could quote all the iattering
things that were said in the bread and cake
line that soon formed. with few hundred
on the outskirts waiting to get in. there
is no doubt that the ears OF the trio who
took part in the playlet would be burned
TO crisp II there is any truth in the supersti-
ton that hattery has that effect on the
aural appendages.