New-York tribune., 1912-04-01
LONDON NOTES
A Modern Masque-The Chelsea
Mystery "A Modest
Millionaire.
London, March IA

o 'oh 'oiiSon MI. Henry Hamilton
supplies the text and lyrics for "rba
Crown Of India; Mr.. Percy Anderson "a
the substitute for lingo Jones as the IA
slgner or scenery and costumes. Mia.
Nancy Price and company of actresc.,
and dancers declaim the blank verse and
march up and down the Coliseum stage
whereas the great ladies Of the Restora.
tion period posed, snirked and STAN.
mered while their sovereign looked on
and smiled. Times have changed ,,oo.
the great fetes of Whitehall Garden.
and there is now a democratic audience
taking Its pleasure without ceremonv
watching the performers through drifts
Of tobacco smoke and retiring for coc,,-
tails at the bar when the final tab,eau
Is seen. Yet the music is superior To III.
oldtime arias and dance measures. for
Sir Edward Elgar has written the scores
and he is without doubt the only great
composer In England
Certainly the song, The Rule Of Eng
land was spirited and patriotic as II
was interpreted by Mr. Harry Dearth
and the orchestra; Hail, Immemorial
Ind" was rich in Oriental coloring, and
the marches for the King Emperor and
mogul princes and the dance measures
were excellent examples of the com
pcsers art There was, however, a COOL
deal more Of Mr. Henry Hamilton than
| there was Of Sir Edward Elgar. The
| spectators wanted a splendidly staged
costume masque. with an abundance ot
| limelight and movement; and they were
not disappointed. Was not India re-
srlendent In cloth of gold, and were not
all the chief cities represented by hand
some women while Calcutta and Debit
were striving for supremacy Was there
not dance by Nautch girls in slow
| tempo and maddening whirl and wa.
! there not a Durbar scene, with fanfares
and professions, the sumptuous retinua
OF the mogus and the magnificent cere-
monsl of the reception of the King and
Queen? Allegory, symbolism Oriental
romance and inspired imagination might
be lacking, but it was a brilliant show
for crowded music hall, and that was
| the modern idea Of masque, with or
| without EIgarish marches and dances.
An empty house Is not a novelty in
| London, where no rates can be levied
unless there be an occupier to pay them.
II easily becomes a tangle Of traditions
! and romance when II is in a conspicu-
Gus corner OF old Chelsea and there has
been behind it an eccentric owner with
withered face and Druid's white beard.
For thirty years or more mansion OF
mystery has been the talk OF the staid
residents Of Oakley street. A high and
massive garden wall has barred ap'
, proach from the street; the door has
been boarded up and complicated lock
has defied burglars invasion; the bizarre
front has been decorated with twisted
columns, terra Gotta lions and mermalds
and marble chimeras, cupids and god-
desses: and the garden In summer has
been a neglected rubbish heap OF time1
stained statuary and weeds OF rank
growth. Once in a while the owner,
who lived in a large house on the oppo'
site side OF Oakley street. has entered
the grounds with one Of his gardeners
and wandered through the house where
the walls and ceilings were fantasticaly
decorated with pictures Of ancient tenn
pies. Possibly if the day were bright
he would slt for an hour in the deserted
garden, and after halling his servant he
would lock the door and retire as silently
as he had gone in. These furtiye yisi'
tations TO the imitation French chateau
have gone on for generation ana tne
blackened old building, with its grimy
ornaments, remnants OF scatfoldng ana
fluttering tags OF saiclOth, has acquired
the sinister reputation of haunte'
house. Equally mysterious has been
the adjoining house in Upper Cheyna
Row, which has also been tenantless fot
a long period subject 10 the same owns
ership.
There will be no more OF these excur~
sions from the big house over the way
for the graybeard hermit. DR.. Fhene. has
died in his nnetieth year, and the gar
dener, who used TO accompany him, IS
wondering whether he has been remem-
bered In a legacy. In little while sur
veyors and house agents will be RUM
maging the old mansions and estimating
what the mermaids and goddesses VIII
fetch at auction for the benefit OF heirs
and next OF kin. Meanwhile, Oakley
street rejects the plausible explanation
that the houses were kept empty for the
avoidance OF rate payment, and insists
upon making up romantic story about
a bride who died either before the wed-
ding or so soon after it that the brlde'
groom was never able either to live there
himself or 10 allow any tenant TO De-
come the witness of the faded beauty OK
the garden and the decorations. AS De
phene married the lady for whom the
house was fantastically decorated ana
named Margaretta Terrace after her, ths
legend that the bridegroom received
fatal letter from her on the weddins
morning and was as inconsolable as MIS-
uaversham in Great Expectations
must be dismissed as myth. Iher"
,,oe a tragedy of some kind TO whiten
tho amiable doctors head and beard pre-
matureIy; and il the clocks We're not
stopped as at Salts House. daylit ut was
sbut ont and the goddesses and lions III
garden and house front were leit 10
grow yellow and black with Thames
eide Crime. Perhaps some penniIess ro-
mancer around the corner in old ChelseS
uiu tell. the true story Of the aOah-
doned house.
In these days, when privacy AMONG
. =. q, , Iost art the story OF MT.