The Washington herald., 1909-02-28

New York WIS comparing Ine AUDIENCES
OF to-day with those OF former years.
SAYS the New York sun.
Audiences behave better now than they
used to-" said he Most OF the old nuis-
ances have been absted.
The newspaper 5okesmiths contributed
a lot toward this desirable change They
got the goat of the chap who used 10 go
out between the acts 70 buy a Glove OF to
see a man. Plenty Of fellows still go out
between the acts. it is true but they sell
dom disturb folks now in r>aking their
exits and entrances. A great majority
Of the men who 90 ont between the acts
nowadays for drink or a smoke get
aisle seats. and if they cannot get aisle
seats they stay away
The newspapers get the credit. too. for
making the women remove their hats at
the theater- The younger generation OF
theatergOers can scarcely realize what
their elders suffered on account Of this
abominable hat nuisance. They are 50
accustomed to seeing women remove their
headgear as soon as they take their seats,
or, at any rate. before the first curtain
ascends. that they take the thing wholly
rs a matter Of course
L doubt # a performance could 20 on
al this time IL BY some concerted prear-
rangenient the women decided to keep
their hats on al q thester and did so.
There would be such an uproar that the
women would simply have 20 remove
their hats before curtain rise. Yet Il
seems hardly any time al all measured
in years. since women in the theater
never even thought Of removing their
hats. no matter how big.
There's nothing Ike so much talking
between persons in the audience during
the progress OF the performance as there
used tG be Occasionally q chattery
crowd Of folks arrive al the thester
after a lively dinner and start IN TO be
vivscioUs and gay at the expense Of the
people IN the audience who are trying
20 get their moneys worth out OF the
show. but these chatteTeTs are Kissed into
silence Is often as not.
Wiped Out by testers.
Then. too. the people who having seen
the performance at some previous time
used 10 insist upon telling everybody in
their neighborhOOd about The unfolding OF
the plot-these folks have about given il
up- They were virtually wiped out by
the stings OF the testers
There was a time as folks by no
means Tiddle-sged weu remember, when
they were a positive affection. They told
all hands within wide radius Of their
seats All about what was going 10 come
of as the performance progressed. and
they told IL in a hoarse, raucOus, marrow
curdiing whisper that set the nerves OF
involuntary auditors 10 tingling
Only occasionally does a nuisance OF
this type break out these days. and the
ushers attend 70 such cases. The ushers.
too. have their Instructions 10 touch on
the shoulders and request TO subside those
persOns-happily, there are few OF them
now left-who at a musical performance
insist upon humming all the airs in uni
son with the orchestra and the stage
voices, for the obvious purpose Of letting
all hands know that they, the hummers,
are perfectly familiar with the score
The crying baby nuisance has been
altogether done away with. It was q
genuine affection only a matter OF ten
years ago or less. Nc chances are taken
on outbreaks Of that sort at the theater
OF to-day. The baby is barred.
"One nuisance remains. I refer 10 the
chap who starts 10 get busy with his
getaway quite a while before the cen
clusiOn OF the performance He Is q
positive ache and burden 10 q great
many theatergoers. and some way must
be devised to make him behave
This fellow, you see. IS. OF thinks he
Is. sort OF prophet. He is also a
sooner Along toward the middle OF the
final act he sees. or imagines that he
sees. Just how the whole thing on the
stage IS going to terminate.
Wants 10 Be First at Exit
As soon as the more OF less tangled
sksin Of the pot begins to unwind he
perceives the beginning OF the end and
he wants to 90 away from there He be-
gins to fdget- He wants TO beat EN- all
70 The exit He doesn't want TO be tied
ID with the departing crowd.
He isn't pressed for time. There isn't
2 thing that claims his attention else
where. put al the same he wants 20
get out. and he gets busy toward that end
Just as soon as ne Internally can.
Now. rs everybody knows. or ought to
know. some OF the finest lines Of a uIzv
Or some Of the most beautiful music Of an
opera may turn W. AZ the very end OF the
performance; but the sooner cant help
that He can hear it from the back OF
the house. can't he2
80 Just about the time the folks on the
stage are sort OF lining I'd 70 explsin
how Il all happened and hoE the mis-
takes and Observation-Disclosures Of the plot
came about, and how they want to get
together now and be good and live happv
forever after, why. the sooner. jumps I'd
and makes a Wild grab for his hat and
overcoat. and n he has an aisle seat
Tushes up the aisle as II he'd just heard
by wireless that something uucommonlv
interesting had happened at home.
IF he hasn't an aisle seat he bothers
ana distracts the attention OF all the other
people IN his row who are bending for
ward trying 10 catch the meaning Of the
henouement- He stands CD and puts On
his overcast, and reaches under the seat
for his hat and umbrella or cane. and he
creaks and Wheezes around and tries By
his example 20 get everybody else around
him s-going- He wants them to start
something. too. toward getting their gear
together 50 that they won't be in his way
when he makes his jump for the exit
Now that most OF the other chronic
nuisences Of the theater audience have
been all but abolished. Il seems TO me
that the time is about ripe for an attack
al along the line on this sooner who
bankers and yesrns to best everybody
Else IN making his getaway"
Kept Up the Bluff.
From the Bos.ou Herald
A Young couple entered a railway car
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