The Washington herald., 1912-07-22

Queen Mary to the palace" the Mu-
sic Hall Ian almost obsolete phras0
reaches the summit Of social recogni-
ton in England. Something in the na-
ture of q panoramic exhibition show
ing the evolution of the once socially
SO despised Music Hall into the present.
day fashionable variety theater would
have been appropriate to the occasion.
Although much has been gained across
the water by the elimination Of vul-
garity and the providing of more COM
Portable and artistic surroundings, there
is also a certain undefinable sense of
loss. missing of the old-time genially
democratic atmosphere.
Public memory ir short and doubtless
many have forgotten that the palace"
was built and opened as the English
Opera House." under which name it had
a brief and inglorious career. Sir Arthur
Sullivan's "Ivanhoe" is the only incident
In the first chapter OF its history that
fingers in the recollection. Mr.. D'Oyly
Carte. encouraged by the success of Gil
bert and Sullivan's "Pinafore." ''The
Pirates OF Penzance." "The Mikado."
&C.. at the Savoy. believed he would
sSoit also WIKI ~ StTiouS IuotiI III opNi as
but he miscalculated. Mr.. Hammerstein
apparently is making a like discovery in
his magnificent London Opera House"
In Kingway. VIII history repeat itself?
Covent Garden is kept going. not by Its
brilliant opera, but by fashion and dia-
monds. and there Is not room for two
Covent Gardens In the British metropo-
lis, with its more than 100000 tnhabit-
ants.
Thanks to the royal visit to the Palace
Music Hall "reminiscences have revived.
West end show windows contain striking
series of old-time music hall interiors,
reproduced from contemporary photo
graphs. One shows that there was
music hall In Fetter Lane, now most
dismal thoroughfare at night and about
the last locality to which a Londoner of
to-day would turn in quest of pleasure.
Yet II contains a large but little-known
theater attached to Birkbeck College. II
was for his fellow-students In the Birk-
beck elocution class Sir Arthur Pinero
wrote his first play.
The Holborn Casino. which occupied the
site of the Holborn Restaurant, is another
vanished precursor of the present-day va
riety theater that is pictorially recalled.
There is some interesting information
about the gay doings at this pleasure re-
sort in the late Clement Scotts Wheel OF
Life" which was the last survivor OF the
old-time music-halls attached to hotels
and presided over by chairmen with ham,
mers. Possibly "Deacon's" swept away
in the making OF Rosebery Avenue. There
was only one entrance, and II served
double purpose A turn to the right took
you into the hotel bar. turn TO the left
into the music hall.
This all-day waiting for the nights
theatrical performance is TO new sport.
In the seventeenth century. for in
stance. when Sir George Etherege's She
Would II She Could was produced, en-
thusiasts who would see the play.
couldn't. For over a thousand persons
were turned away from the doors an
hour before the curtain rose. Waiting
deputies. too. fiourished in those days.
Pepys, for one. engaged them Thus
he notes in May, 1858: ITO the Duke OF
York's playhouse at a little past l., to
get a good place in the pit for the new
play. and then getting a poor man to
keep my place. I went out and spent an
hour at Martins. my booksellers. and
so back again. when I found the house
quite full. But ! had my seat"
Visitors to Paris may find II OF interest
to learn that the public is at last allowed
admission TO the "donjon" or keep Of
the Chateau OF Vincennes. which is some
100 feet in height with walls nearly ten
feet thick. A winding staircase OF S27
steps leads up FIVE stories to the plat
form, from which there is a magnificent
view to be had. But. of course, it is the
feature of this ancient building
which remains the great attraction. For
a long period this tower was utilized as
a military store.
To obtain permission to enter the
donton was an almost impossible mat
ter for the public. But all this is
changed now and large numbers of
people are daily visiting the old tower,
in the rooms of which are displayed
of pictures, drawings, and
plans which convey a very good idea
OF the style in which they were orig
inally furnished. Information as to the
events which occurred in
them, and the celebrated prisoners who
languished within their walls, is also
provided.
1t was as far back as 11s4 that Louis
VII conceived the project of building a
royal residence at Nincennes, in the
wood of which the earlier monarchs
often hunted. Philippe Auguste and his
successors improved and enlarged the
chateau, in which many OF them dwelt.
In 17Ss Vincennes was ranged among the
royal chateauN which were TO De SOLD,
but It did not find a buyer. Louis VII.
Philippe V, and Charles " all died at
Vincennes, and so did Henry V of Eng
land, as well as other monarchs.
The children of King Victor Emmanuel
and Queen Elena of Italy rank among
the prettiest of European royalty. Prin- |
cess Yolande, the eldest child and twelve
years old, is remarkably beautiful. Her
skin, of light olive tint. has that deli |
cate peach bloom peculiar to women Of
the southern races. A wealth OF black |
hair, unfettered by comb or other orna- |
ment, falls over her shoulders in profu- |
sion. almost hiding her classic Greek |
forehead. Nose and mouth are chseled |
with a perfection of delicacy worthy of |