The sun., 1918-11-24

Time IL became cieaf tnaC an lnte
but surely winning the supremac,
TeZcucans. II the latter were the
former were the Romans, and it wa
cloister to succumb to the eagle of
The Aztecs thus became the s
finer art superseded that of-the Att
dor of their creations that brought t
when they fell upon the western C
feat of transporting their ships upC
TO that other upon which stout Coz
The Aztecs, as We have been SO elo-
auently informed by Mr.. Prescott, were
destroyed by the ruthless conquerors,
who slew and wrecked mercilessly
while they solemnly bore high the
cross and glorified God. With the
A1tecs persisted a period of art and
architecture OF which too little is
known. But some important informa
ton has come down to us and we
know not only the type of architecture
but also much Of the domestic orna-
mentatiou OF these admirable people.
Feathers! Feathers!
Manuel Ramirez painted striking
picture entitled Victory Of Cortes
Over the Aztecs at Otumba." From
this we learn that the battering bow
Of the Greek war galley had much the
Same kind of figurehead as the
chariot CT the Aztec chief. We fur
iherInore learn that not even Null
vaney in his grand incarnation as
]Irishna. emerging defied into the
midst OF the queens praying at
Benaree. ever saw more feathers in
n headdress than those bedraggled in
The mire under the heals of the slain
warriors of the vanished race.
Feathers.
From Broadway's shattered pave
Inents 20 midas coral strand they
adorn heads and hats. The noblest
cliieftain of a Buffalo ELL Wild West
hnd the most expensive moving picture
actress that ever advertised her salary
alike find in feathers the expression
of a'vast and Unsuitable appetite for
personal decoration of the sort that
conpels public attention.
But we must retrace our too eager
tteps toward the golden realms of
alexandria. How came the headdress
Uf the Aztec grande dame into the
midst OF that strange medley of life in
which Greek and Egyptian ideas
were melted into a glittering mass
OF unstable sophistiCdtion? Strangely
enough no poetic line OF Shakespeare,
TO immortal dream of Gautier, no
scientific research OF Champollion has
suggested to us the surmounting OF
l,,I- .,
vast and coruscating confusion of
glory as that which shone refulgent
over the complacent smiles Of our own
That's a week ago yesterday.
Where did she get that haiti
Only the ancient Aztecs superimpos-
ing the burly aSgressiveness Of con-
querinG Romans upon the cultivated
art OF the declining Athenians bf
Mexico could have devised such q
superbly audacious corona OF blazing
gold and scarlet feathers.
Gorgeous, but Not sonsbirds.
Before Il the foolish trappings oil
fhe effete AleXandrian Greeks faded
as white rlolets in the presence Of
gladioll II was as IL by some miracle
Of anachronism the staggering Aztecs
had descended upon the degenerate
Grecians. driven all the hetairai
clinging and diaphanous peplum in
Guided, from the lean shadow OF the
Pharos into the engulfing waters o.
the Mare Internum and set up a prin'
cess OF their own in the ancient cap,
i,al Of the Ftolemics.
Feathers!
tod 90
plumage are noted the quetzal, blrt
Of paradise, golden pheasant, red AND
blue macaw, European jay and pea
COCK.
They do not sing well.
We are threatened witha new Rus,
Fian invasion. The Russian Symphony
Society settled the dark shadow of II!
lroad wings over us years ago anc
Under them from time to time VI
gathcr to brood upon the mysteries o
strange trifies orchcstrated in TIL
seven colors OF the rainbow. But thi
is no longer an agitating experience
For some II induces sweet sleep.
Beware Of the Muscovite pianist
He is the new danger. There wer'
" llO biuI AAeNN
heavy hands, but behold! beside Serg'
Prokofieff he is as the rumble of |
distant airplane. Much excited com
ment followed Mr.. Prokoflen's mrs
recital on Wednesday. There wer
rhapsodies in several keys. but injus
tee was done to our own.
PrOkoncR - Composer.
arise to the defence OF Leo Orn
stein. Yes, Prokofefr is bigger an,
stronger and can hit piano mucl
harder than Ornstein. But when 1
comes to composition, our own lIttl
kongbird can make mock OF him. Why
l'rokofieff Is an humble follower o
Scriabln, who is an humble follower o
tho theories of Busoni. In fact, tn
whole kit and crew OF these Russial
'nnovators are followers and expert
fnenters. Did you ever see a foolisi
little dog chasing his own tail? Wei
some % them are followers like that.
The trouble which lies heavy upo
their souls is inability to get any
thing out OF the familiar major, mino
and chromatfc scales. They hunge
and thirst after scales with deml- semi
tones. Melodic smears without tons
basis and chords made OF haphazar
groups succeeding one another withou