New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-11

floor. which commanded . glorious view
! over the city. the Palisades across tho
Hudson. the hills Of Jersey. Liberty ana
4 bit Of the harbor. One has no cchc ,tI.
! ton Of the clarity Of the American skies
nor of the electrically pregnant atmos-
Dhore. which plays many pranh on the
stranger. what magnificent sunsets
beautificd the prospect every night. lioW
gorgeous was the effect OF the long twi-
| light. which covered the western htdN-
ems with orange as | have never seen II
| elScwhere' Then when the evening star
arose which appeared much larger than
in Europe. we were again in the pres
enCe Of miracle. II grows dark sud-
, denly. and in the morning when breaks
tardiiy. the process is reversed.
\ single street separated Us from the
Metropolitan Opera House, which Is npt
only a gigantic theatre. but contains
also large halls. an apartment hotel Win
restaurant aud Nils an entire block. Inc
audience room. divided into three gal
leries contained comfortable fduteulls
and boxes with curtains and chairs oi
yellow damask. which made a simple but
aristocratic appearance Wien. al ,I ns
evening performances. the theatre. hlled
with the most elegant and most beautl-
full women that 7 ever saw. gloWed IN
the brillance of their beauty ana the
lights. there was a perfect picture OF
harmony. 4 elasticity snlple plush
curtain, artistically perfect with It's col
ors and decorations, separated the auul-
torium from the stage. and elegant ana
comfortable dressing rooms made the So
iourn in them of the artists most agree
able Com modious foyers. which led al
most directly upon the streets through
wide doors, guaranteed a nasty ext 10
the public in case of danger from nre,
circumstance which only appears to
have particular importance when one re-
fleets uDOn the CareleSsnesS OF Americans
in throwing away burning cigars or Gig
arettes or the eternal playing WIN
matches Of the dear American youths.
The origin of this luxurious place or
art was calculated to remind one OF a
fairy tale from The Arabian Nights.
Luxurious because the italian opera seq
son with the stars Patti, NILSSON Al
! bani and others had dedicated 1t TWO
wears before, had consumed unmentloh-
able sums (probably also brought thcm
in in parD. also because, aslae iron, a e,.v
colossal honoraria, every costume. every
shoe and stocking had been provided ny
, Worth, of Paris.
In TO a short time before the home Of
the opera had been IN the Acauelny Oh
Music. an elegant. acoustically admira-
ble opera house in 14th street. But wnen
on a particular evening one OF me
beautiful milliardesses did not get the
box in which she had intended 20 SHINE.
another beautiful woman having GOV
ahead of her, her dear husband maze
| short work of the matter and called into
| existence the Metropolitan opera House.
in which his better halt could displady
so that the Academy of Music was
! speedily forgotten
Nine. Lehmann's history is Of some
| what questionable validity, but no doubt
she was told such a story about the
origin Of the Metropolitan Opera House
and after all the version does not depart
| far In principle from the facts In the
case. Nine. Lehman now approaches
the performances at the opera. The mat
inees. largely attended by women whose
residence in the suburbs precluded brill
! liant gowns, acted depressinely upon her
! The sober mindedness of the afternoons