New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-21

wildly on all sides, begging to be con-
cealed. She helps him to slip behind
the cupboard and begins to spin, and
goes on spinning without thinking of
opening the door. In her fright she
gets the thread twisted, drops the
spindle and in her agitation makes the
gesture of turning it when it is lying
on the ground. Sirotkin represented
perfectly this state of alarm.
"Then the miller kicks open the door
and approaches his wife, whip in hand.
He has seen everything, for he was
spying outside; and he indicates by
signs to his wife that she has three
lovers concealed in the house. Then
he searches them out.
First, he finds the neighbor, whom
he drives out with his fist. The fright
ened farrier tries to escape. He
raises, with his head, the cover of the
chest, and is at once seen. The miller
thrashes him with his whip, and for
once this gallant does not march in
the classical style.
"The only one now remaining is the
Brahmin, whom the husband seeks for
some time without finding him. At last
he discovers him in his corner behind
the cupboard, bows to him politely and
then draws him by his beard into the
middle of the stage. The Brahmin
tries to defend himself, and cries out
Accused, accursed! 1.-THE only words
pronounced throughout the pantomime.
But the husband will not listen to him,
and after settling accounts with him
turns to his wife. Seeing that her
turn has come, she throws away both
wheel and spindle, and runs out caus-
ing an earthen pot to fall as she
shakes the room with her flight. The
convicts burst into a laugh, and Ali
without looking at me, takes my hand
and calls out See, see the Brahmir.'
He cannot hold himself upright, so
overpowering is his laugh The cur
tain falls, another song begins.'
Commenting upon the origin Of the
pieces given at the entertainment Dos
toievsky, in the character of one of
the convicts, says further:
II cannot think that everything I
saw on the stage of our convict prison
was the work Of our convicts. 1t must
have sprung from old traditions hand
cd down from generation to generation
and preserved among the soldiers,
the workmen in industrial towns and
even the shopkeepers in some poor
out-of-th way places. These traditions
have been preserved in -ome villages
and some government towns by the
servants of the large landed propre-
tors. l even believe that copies of
many Old pieces have been multiplied
b. these servants of the nobility.
"The old Muscovite proprietors and
mobiles had their own theaters, in
which their servants used to play.
Thence comes our popular theater, tho
originals of which are beyond discus
sion"
The Story of Ravel's Opera
The Spanish Hour"
There was a familiar ring to the
story. No! Yes! Of course, Turn
pantomimc into opera, eliminate the
clocks, change the setting to Spain,
alter the profession Of the husband
from miller to muleteer. twist to the
intrigue and lo-why not, "The Span
ish Hour?
For the benefit OF those who did not
hear the oper the story is reprinted
as follows:
"The action passes in the shop of
Torquemada, an absent minded clock
maker. 1t is his day for attending the
public clocks in various parts of the
town, the one day in the week when
his wife, named Conception, can enjoy
bit OF complete freedom in which to
attend to her love affairs during his
absence. AS the stupid clockmaker is
going, Ramiro, muleteer, enters to
have his watch fixed, which annoys the