Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-14

w ethS. Wii'A % oOC~
the Academy. should be surprise bu
next week will come what Is heraius'
MS the seasons greatest SENSATION
Gertrude Hoffman,. with her weire
internretative calIisthenics and terp-
sichorean innovations. is not nov
e,ty To washington. But her co-stars
Mime. Polaire. the temperamentai frencf
s1anseuse. and Lady Constance Stewart
Richardson, no less eccentric In lns
display of personal charms. promise
the ultima thule of high art IN all It's
rlories. The poet who pictured THE
Pleasures of Anticipation" would have
found much to admire in the press agent
who precedes this protuberant trinity
The public will await its coming with
batcd breath.
F,auopped with an aggregation OF
stars, that might brighten any firma-
ment Fine Feathers" drama that has
been as much talked about as any OF
recent times, will open the doors of the
National Theater for the regular season
a week from tomorrow evening Three
DAYS later the Belasco, with its alluring
attraction, will see the dawn OF It's new
year. This will complete the list of
Washington amusement houses which VIII
cater to the public during the winter
evenings to come unless the old Lyceum
should fulfill It's promises and make the
lily blossom in a thistle field
Under Southern Skies gave the ron
PLAYERS So .endid opportunities during the
week lust closed. IL, in the Judgment OF
the closer critic. they fell short OF their
possibilities. II was more perhaps In the
atmosphere" than in anything eise- L,
was not over-redolent with the scent OF
the magnolia or replete with the CARL
haldi Jacket of ante-bellum days In the
s,uth. Mark Kent's characterization was
J, masterpiece. and Miss Helen Tracy's
IDLE black nanny" not far behind it. A
delightful feature of the play was the
excellent feminine quartet, that might
have bean even more charming had II
been clothed by the management III the
ouaint garments of the time of the play
and been permitted to restrict its selec-
tions to songs of the old days As 1t was
il scored an ovation evening after even
ing.
Al II. Wilson sang and 'dialected has
harmless way through the week under
the pseudonym of "A Rolling Stone. re-
wing the enthusiasm of his followers
and making dry with conversation the
mouths of those who do not ike 'such
trivial plays" But his engagement was
probably a success. 1t did not nur'
ANYBODY and it did amuse great many.
The real delight of the week was the
talented young actress Mary Miles Mint
or In The Littlest Rehel!' Her COM
pany. too. was far above the quality of
those that have been coming 10 the
Academy The famous play, more pro-
nounced in its heart interest than in Its
horrors of war. was well presented and
drew its audiences largely from those
who are accustomed to rely on the big
ger theaters" for their entertainment.
Vaudeville admirers were not over en-
thusiastic in their praise Of B. F. keith
first bill of the season, as good as II was
1t attracted the President for the first
time 10 a vaudeville show and later the
Vice President paid it the honor OF a
visit But Washington has very high
opinion of what Mr.. Keith really can do,
and the hope is as strong as the expec-
tation that he will do it.
WHY NERO TORTURED CHRIS
TIANS.-George kleine claims to pictorial
lie Sienkiewicz's romance, Quo vadis. ;"
rather than history. and whatever devia-
tions from the truth occur. the responsi-
bility. il is said, lies with the author of
the novel The questions most debafable
seem 10 be the cause OF the burning of
Of frn Nt,ytc
tians. In the kleine photo-drama Nero
is held directly responsible for the burn
ing of Rome. and when he discovers the
effect il has upon the people he tries to
shift the blame upon the Christians.
The press agent lis responsible for the
following:
Historians differ as 10 the causes Of
the conhagration. Some attribute 1T to
accident inasmuch as the city had been
partially destroyed upon several occasions
before. and also because IL was liable to
very easy destruction on account OF Its
narrow and intricate alleys and the
irregularity of it's streets. Many claim
the fire broke out in "a business section
OF the city in which vast quantities Of
oil and other destructible matter were
stored and that because Of the vast num-
Der of wooden buildings 1t was easy prey
for fire.
Some authorities accuse Nero or de-
Iiberately firing the city because OF HIS
well known and often expressed ambi-
ton to rebuild IL. But whether this Is
a fact or not seems open to debate. Taci-
tus. the great historian. does not attempt
10 convex the impression that Nero orig
mated the fire or the rumor that the
Christians had started II. Many cntcs
insist that the course Nero took In per-
Knitting the Christians to assume the re-
sDonsibiity was forced upon him ano
tbat ne adopted IL with reluctance.
That he permitted the Christians TO DC
tortured and threw them to the lions Is
true. but other Roman emperors followed
Ills example and. curiously enough. the oes,
OF them we're most hostile to the spread
o. Christianity, because. 1t II argued,
they believed itsteaching would result ~
upsstting the empTA Tacitus detestec
Nero because he was Of tfa Juiian race
In fact, Nero and all of his predecessors
of the line Of Caesars were hated by tns
partricians for upsctting the republic
However, that his heart and nature were
not so black as painted by Sienkiewtc1
and others is partly proved by the fac
that after he died the common people
strewed flowers on his grave and were
apparently devoted to him. while the
patricisn element did everything to black
IN his memory.
TEMPERAMENTALS TARS.-Comstock
and Gest, as managers and directors OF
The international tour OF Gertrude Hon'
mann. Nine. Po,aire and Lady Constance
Stewart Ric hardson. are said to hav'
signed the most temperamental set OF
agreements ever drawn up.