The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-04-17
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BIZ JAY z. HOUSE.
(From rhiladelphia Public Ledger.)
More Grand opern Tor the Masses.

More Grand Opera for the Masses.
I suppose it was because got away |
so good in my premiere. as the say
ing goes, anyhow, the Chief comes in |
Monday evening and hands me two !
tickets and says. You are to do the
opera again." To say was surprised
is putting it mildly, because, while the
Chief is appreciative and very demo-
cratic, he hardly ever flatters US right
to our faces. Well. 1 said I'd go, |
and I'm glad I did. because this here
'L'Amore del Ire Re-" whatever that
is, is the first opera 1 have heard
clear thru since october II, 1911.
heard lots of operas clear thru when
I was a bachelor, but 1 say there is
no use crying over split milk. The
reason I got to hear the opera clear
thru was that Adelaide and me was
hardly speaking to each other. 1t an
come up when we was dressing Ade-
laide had got a letter saying Ella
Wayne was sick again. and she asked
me did I think Ella was tubercular
Well, got facetious, of course. 1t is
always my luck to get facetious at the
wrong time, and I said, How should
II know? I'm not doctor; I'm a
musical critic. You ask me just one
question about music and I'll answer
it, but do not ask me to go outside
my speciality 1t was a joke, of
course, because I don't really know
much about music, but Adelaide could
MT see it, and right away the frigidity
became very extreme. / tried to break
up the ice once after we got to the
opera house, but didn't have much
luck. We didn't have but one pro-
gram, and I had to walk over two
ladies to get that, and Adelaide was
reading it. l stood it as long as 1
could and then I said. IF you are thru
reading the automobile advertising I
would like to look at the program,
because that is the only way 1 can
find out what the opera is about"
Well. Adelaide never did get thru
reading the automobile advertising,
| and 1 never found out what the opera
| was about, but I am glad to say the
| ice went out with a rush right after
the performance was over on account
OF Adelaide seeing a woman with an
| $4,000 or $4,000. Well, she had to
talk to somebody about 1t, and, not
knowing anybody else. she had to talk
to me, and everything was lovely on
the way home, and still is.
You all remember about tiR "boner''
I pulled the first time went to the
| opera on account of me wearing my
dinner coat, or tux. as the royster-
ing young blades call it. I could of
sunk thru the floor and people who
think I am so hardened l can't blush
any more should of sc IN me. I made
up my mind that would not happen
again, so Tuesday night I was "dolIed
up practically regardless. 1 don't
know when I have wore white
gloves before. don't suppose I have
wore white gloves before since the He
| lianthus dancing club broke up. and
that vas the winter after we got into
the war. Well, the first thing 1 seen
when I SET down was bird in a sack
suit. not three seats away from me.
The more I looked the worse l felt,
because everybody seemed to be wear
ing his tux or his tweeds. Soup
| and fish" was practically ostraciseo.
There was one bird wearing a turn
over collar with his tux" which is
very middle west, and made me feel
almost at home. It didn't help me
none, but ! could of cried tears of JOY
when 1 seen that turnover collar. The
| old mill, the kindly faced cows and the
| syringa bush rose right up before me.
1t proves there no longer is any geo.
graphical lines. Out in the old town
they always asked me when it was a
question of sartorial accessories. SO one
day a bird who was q stranger to our
ways called me up and says what shall
he wear to the party. And I says 1t
don't make any difference; whatever
you wear will be wrong. If you go in
full regalia everybody else will be
wearing his Hart Schaffner & Marx; if
you put on your tux it will be the
only one there, and if you wear your
Hart Schaffner & Marx everybody else
will be in full dress or dinner coat. TIC
find out Philadelphia is like thai
makes me love the town.
OF course, everybody is wanting &c
know what 1 thought of the opera
and ara going to be very frank about
it, 1 think such pieces are bad for the
young Maybe ! have puritan notions
but If have come by them honestly
being in New England in 1905 and
again in 1909 and 1914. You let q
young woman go to opera and find Out
she can poison people by just rubbing
something on a dead woman's lips and
maybe the young woman will try to dc
1t some time herself. You let young
man go to the opera and find out he
can choke a woman to death without
even being arrested for it and he may
try it some time. 1 say the young
should be sheltered and taking then
to see such pieces is no way to do it
Another fault have got to find with