FOREST AND STREAM. 
- 349 


Art and Arama. 
GOSSIP OF THE WEEK. 


BY T. B. THORPE. 

66 ED ASTRAY,” at the Union Square Theatre, con- 
tinues a great attraction, and there must be some- 
thing underlying the flimsy plot that has touched the heart 
of the multitude, not dreamed of in the ‘‘adapter’s’” phil- 
osophy. It is certainly not the acting, for with the excep- 
tion of Miss Eytinge, Miss’ Claxton, and Mr. Robinson, 
there is nothing above the commonplace, and much is 
below that point of depreciation. The play, however, 
which is of the ‘‘Magdalen school,” really escapes positive 
condemnation for its association in this particular; in fact, 
what might be condemned isso delicately alluded to, and 
acted entirely before the audience, leaving nothing to the 
imagination, that one ceases to regard the idea of the plot, 
and makes what was supposed to be incidental the great 
absorbing interest. The husband is portrayed as intelli- 
gent, open hearted, and amiable, full of life and sympathy, 
shedding happiness and sunshine upon all around him, al- 
ways excepting upon his wife, who, in turn, isa model of 
domestic nature, attractiveness, and high culture. The 
husband enters the parlor, greets every one with a smile and 
a pleasant remark, jocosely alludes to his pleasures in the 
chase, the club, and at home, and rattles on, while his wife 
sits by as unobserved as if she were notin the room. In 
fact, the gentleman comes in and goes out without greeting 
her with any recognition whatever. This too common- 
place portion of every day life was evidently introduced by. 
the author of the play to get his real hero, the libertine, on 
the stage, and make situations for his performances. But 
the ladies who go to the Union Square, we opine, are not 
much troubled about the unintellectual poet, or surprised 
that his animal rather than his mental composition is in the 
ascendancy. What interest there is, is this—a play, with- 
out intending it, has been produced that teaches, by the 
aid of gaslight, beautiful scenery, and admirable acting, 
and in an inoffensive way, a moral, or rather presents a pic- 
ture that is duplicated, alas! in too many households in 
our busy city. 
The husband is aware that his wife yearns for sympathy, 
protests that from the day of her married life she has been 
in seeking for it; in her infatuation descending to tell her 
menials of her wrongs, that they might afford, by their pa- 
tient listening, some consolation. Yet this man takes no 
hint, but dashes on in hig thoughtless selfishness until he is 
awakened from his complacency to find that his wife, hunt- 
ing for sympathy which was a constant appeal to him, has 
been responded to exactly from the outside quarter it would 
naturally come. Then the lusband’s vanity, not his affec- 
tions, are outraged, and, without pity or remorse for having 
made his wife at fault, he stultifies his conscience by get- 
ting up the excitement of a duel. 
Now this play is going on in New York city in private 
life so frequently that hundreds of married ladies who wit- 
ness the mimic representation are fascinated, and look and 
wonder, and ask themselves, will not our husbands take the 
hint from what is before them, and save us from the shame 
and disgrace that our said husbands force upcn us in spite 
of ourselves. 
How many social firesides in this metropolis are to-day 
mere whitened sepulchres because the master of the house 
has married a high toned, well educated, and noble girl, 
and been content to provide her with a house, parlor, fur- 
niture, and company, and then think his duty performed. 
How many men are there to-day in this city—men by na- 
ture responsive, kind, loving, who would not recognize out 
of the house, their children except by the face of the nurse 
or some odd conception in the structure of the baby’s car- 
riage. Getting up in the morning sulkily and alone, break- 
fasting at their own table asif at a restaurant, hurrying 
down town, and busying themselves with the excitement 
for money with such absorption that the news, the homes, 
wives, and children were swallowed up by an earthquake, 
would not disturb them until business hours were over. 
In time the once young and hopeful couple are estranged 
—the wife’s soul, scorched to a cinder by constant regret 
and temptation, or filled with indifference or degradation 
by sins forced upon her by circumstances that made her 
best nature incapable of resisting—for her husband de- 
manded constancy and yet gave none in return. The strug- 
gle goes on until the wife’s heart and woman’s brain be- 
comes surcharged, in spite of her prayers and agony, with 
rebellion ‘against the cold, heartless imprisonment which 
seems to her outraged and now insane mind the only office 
of marriage. 
The audiences which wait on ‘‘Led Astray”’ are not at- 
tracted by the play, and we don’t wish Mr. Boucicault to 
put that unction to his modest, soul. They are assembled 
because there isa moral in the play he did not think of, 
that has awakened a tender chord in society and set spec- 
ulation afloat; and husbands, by the very presence of their 
wives at ‘Led Astray,” are by them silently, positively, 
though ardently appealed to to be more thoughtful, more 
attentive, more considerate of their households at home, 
that the tempter may not enter, that his base designs may 
not be encouraged, that, indeed, they may be saved from 
the temptations of life and be happy and virtuous’ from 
encouragement as well as from principle. 
Already the ladies are discussing, ‘“Didn’t Armand suffer 
too much?” And here comes in the evil effects of these 
“society plays,” for many good women, who never thought 


of the subject before, have decided already that it would 
have been a just punishment of the husband for his heart- 
less conduct, his self-inflated vanity, blindness, and insensi- 
bility, had he been more severely punished. 
—At Wallack’s ‘‘A Man of Honor” is nightly growing in 
favor. We think it the most agreeable and unexception- 
able of any play now before a New York audience. It is 
certainly a very great relief from the commonplace to wit- 
ness the manner the performance is sustained throughout. 
—The ‘‘Grand Opera House” is now the centre of a 
“orand” success. ‘‘Humpty Dumpty Abroad” has touched 
the hearts of the little folks, and in these holiday times their 
demands for recreation have been, and are being, liberally 
responded to by indulgent parents. It is a sight worth 
witnessing to see the children express their astonishment 
and pleasure at the wonders of the pantomime. The 
whole thing to them is a bona fidereality. Fox is the great- 
est living man in the world, and as for Columbine, we pre- 
sume the little creatures have insatiate ambitions to go and 
live with her the rest of their blessed lives. 
—At the Fifth Avenue ‘‘The Parricide” has been with-. 
drawn to give the present week tothe presentation of 
“Man and Wife,” the especial attraction being the appear- 
ance of Miss Ada Dyas, an English actress of considerable 
reputation. She is painstaking and thoroughly finished, 
bnt is not exactly suited to the emotional traditions of the 
Fifth Avenue. 
—The weather overhead for the past week has been ex- 
ecrable beyond precedent for evening entertainments, and 
the streets and sidewalks are neglected to the last degree 
by the city authorities. These things are drawbacks, cer- 
tainly, yet most of our places of amusement have been 
profitably patronized. The lecturers have been the great- 
bled audiences. 
pees Fa wee 
F CINCINNATI, January 3, 1874. 
—The holiday week just passed has been a most success- 
ful one to the managers of the theatres, every night and 
the matinee bringing an overflowing house. This is not 
surprising when you consider that the amusements were 
amusing, and of a most moral tendency. 
_ WOOD'S THEATRE. 
—At this theatre the little artiste, Lotta, made her first 
appearance for two years. Of course there was no end to 
the people who remembered ‘‘Little Nell, the Marchion- 
ess,” which she produced with such great success at her 
last season; but all were disappointed when that piece was 
not announced. Their dislike, however, did not last long 
after seeing ‘‘Zip,” her new piece. She was ably assisted 
by E. A. Locke. It is not settled whether she will stay 
another week or not, but if she does she will not be allowed 
to act before empty benches. 
ROBINSON’S OPERA HOUSE. 
—A second brief season of ‘‘Little Nell” was inaugurated 
on Monday evening. The cast was the same as before, if 
we except Mr. H. Rainford, who was too ill to appear. 
The ‘‘California Diamond” sparkled before large and ap- 
preciative audiences, who were convulsed at her merry ec- 
centricities. We must compliment Mr. Miles, the mana- 
ger, for the ‘‘fire scene” in the first act. Nothing could be 
more natural, except it was a real conflagration om the 
stage than this one. Flames seemed to burst through every 
crack in the stage, but were soon extinguished by the 
squad of firemen who promptly made their appearance. 
Next week, T. C. King, the tragedian. W.L. 

A kind correspondent sends us from Washington, D. C., a 
flower—nothing more than a dandelion picked by him in his 
garden, on Tuesday, 6th January. We havea great deal of 
confidence in the meteorological lore of this friend,our well 
known contributor, Piseco, and are somewhat inclined to 
pit him against the Weather Bureau. Our authority 
states in the most categorical way, that we are to have an 
open winter, and his opinion is backed up by old woods- 
men and hunters. The woodchucks are stated to have 
made their winter houses in a light and careless way, and 
the flight of birds has been late, all of which signs are 
significant, and we make, a la Cap’n Cuttle, a note of the 
same, 
SS a A 
CoRRESPONDENCE.—The publication of the following ac- 
cepted articles is necessarily deferred: Where to Hit a 
Grizzly—Inglenook—Rabbits and Hares—The Flowers’ 
Revenge—Snow Shoeing in Maine—Deer Hunting in 
Northern Minnesota—Duck Shooting in New Brunswick— 
Shelter Planting No. 3—Sorrento Work—Trees and Shrubs 
in Cemeteries—White-tailed Ptarmigan—To a Caged Bird 
—Our Winter Birds—Summer Sport in Canada—Window 
Gardening, No. [V.—A Summer Tramp—Fox Hunting in 
Florida—Snakes Shedding their Skins, two papers—Monkey 
Bridge Builders—Mountain Birds With Closed Wings— 
Fly Tying—The Trout Resevoir In Weston. 
————e 
(as Any persons having copies of November 20th of the 
ForEST AND STREAM, which they do not require, will re- 
ceive full price by sending them to this office. Agents will 
please take notice. 
++ 
—Intending subscribers are informed that we have but a 
few hundred back numbers left, and that these run irregu- 
larly, so that but a limited number of complete sets remain 
for filing. We have endeavored to anticipate the current 
demand by printing an extra edition from the start, but 
find that our estimates have been too low. 
i 
—A convention of the professional billiardists of New 
York, is agitated to straighten out the conflicting codes. 
est sufferers; that is, they have suffered, and not the assem- 

lew publications. 
Sierra iets 
[Publications sent to this ojfice, treating upon subjects that come within 
the scope of the paper, will receive special attention. The receipt of ail 
books delivered at our Editorial Rooms will be promptly acknowledged 
in the next issue. Publishers will confer a favor by promptly advising 
i Abed omassion. in this resnect. Prices of “books wserted when 
esired. 
pore, ie 
A Story of Struggles and Hopes. By 
New York: Dodd & Mead. 
CROOKED PLACEs. 
Edward Garrett. 
* This is, as its name proclaims it to be, a story in which the tempta- 
tions and hopes and struggles under difficulties for the right, and for the 
maintainance of principle are plainly and clearly defined. It is worthy a 
first place in the family library or Sabbath school. Many of our readers 
will recognize in some of their quiet friends whose lives are a living 
transcript, a resemblance to the good Mrs. Harvey. Part first gives 
us theinteresting history of » just woman entering the vale of difficulty, 
and carefully treading the ‘‘crooked path of life; and in the daughters 
of Mrs. Harvey we find two opposite characters, ably struggling for the 
straight path. In the second part we find several chapters showing how 
“God guided a genius,” and in the third part ‘‘Millicent’s Romance,” 
which was more of areality than a romance. The fourth and last part 
sums up the conclusion of the whole matter or end, from the beginning 
made plain. We would gladly dwell longer on this charming life story. 
It is a well written book, strongly exemplifying the crooked ways of life 
in a series of finely drawn, life-hke, every day characters, whose chief 
aims are in seeming to do right. 
Miss DororHy’s CHARGE. 
York: Harper & Brother. 
This is one of the few successful American works of fiction that have 
received praise from our English friends across the water, and some have 
even spoken enthusiastically of it. This isno more than it deserves at 
their hands, for it is, as the Atheneum says, ‘‘a success, both in skill 
as to the manipulation of plots and insight into the delineation of char- 
acter.’ Well may it concedeits superiority to many of their own trashy 
and somewhat unsuccessful novels. No one can read ‘‘Dorothy Conway” 
without admitting the surpassing nobleness of character possessed by the 
heroine of the story, though what some might be inclined to call a strong 
minded, yet she is eminently a very loveable character, if she is too prac- 
tical to suit some. We like heras she is depicted. Well does she un- 
derstand Varley, her charge, the illicit daughter of her brother and Miss 
Lucy Brent, whose great troubles would unseat a far stronger organiza- 
tion. It is asecret, sad history, and not overdrawn; it has its parallels 
in many instances of domestic country life. 
THE Son OF THE ORGAN GRINDER. By Marie Sophie 
Schwartz. Trenslated from the Swedish by Selma Borg and Marie A 
Brown. Philadelphia: Porter & Coates. ‘ 
Some three weeks since we made an announcement of this new work 
and upon reading it we do not wonder at the sale of some two thousand 
copies of the first edition, or of its steadily increasing sale since its first 
publication day. The opening chaptercomprises the boyhood of Paul 
who is the principal character. The tale is marvellously well told and 
some may even say Paul is an impossible character; yet we believe what 
Paul was even tothe end. Any one guided by such an estimate of life 
and such self-examination as he exercised, would work out as pure and 
noble a lifeas his. The first beginnings of a life, as exhibited in the 
humble career of the organ grinder’s son, is an example worth followin 
His was a life of trial, and though entirely innocent himself, hig ce a 
and connection with personages high in position in the great world, was 
often very dark, and he was sometimes ready to sink under accumnlated 
wrongs; yet he triumphed, and the example and noble teachings of his 
humble life was made glorious for good in the end. Instead of giving a 
critical analysis of all the characters of this excellent work,-we reece 
direct the attention of our readers to the same and bid them read it care - 
fully. 
On THE Amazons. By C. A. Stephens. TIlustrated A 
new volume of the “Camping Out” series. 16mo. Boston: J R 
Osgood & Co. tqbel 
Stephens’ last contribution to the public is an illustrateq cruise of the 
“Rambler,” and is called ‘On the Amazons.” This is a carefully ‘writ 
ten record of alifeon shore and at sea, in search of amusement and ade 
venture. The object of the book is a good one. The Fosrsr anp 
SrreAm most heartily recommends the inculcation in men, women and 
children of a healthy interest in all reasonable recreation, We hail thi 
book of adventure and sight-seeing, toil and pleasure, as an accessory re 
our cause. The story of the country through which the “cluibes eed 
the minute examinations they made of the products and characterisiics 
of these countries are valuable as sources of future knowledge and en- 
title the book toa place in any library. be 
PoruLAR ScreNcE Monruiy. January. D 
one a y Appleton & 
Regularly as comes the first day of the month surely, or before the 
very first day of each month, we find upon our table this constellation 
of the season. This number is sparkling in fresh and eleva 
from every department of the scientific laboratory of the wo 
material and the mental pass before us, not like a dream of 
but a series of well related facts of natural or moral science so nicel 
compacted and assorted to the perusal of all its patrons they have te 
to open and read to become wiser for a perusal of its varied and gesaee 
ing contents. Among the papers of deep interest will be found “Past 
and Future of a Constellation,’ by Carmille Flammarian; Mustrated 
“Emotional Language of the Future.” ‘‘An Edisode on Rats.” ave in- 
teresting paper for the perusal of the naturalist, from which we pets a 
few lines, is by no means the most interesting paper of this ever varied 
periodical: 
“This singular little creature is so local in its habits, that, unless under 
the circumstances we are about to narrate, it never leaves the mountain 
regions to establish itself on the plains, where food is more abundant 
The inhuman suggestion of a modern writer that our paupers should be 
packed into rotten ships, which should be sent out to sea and scuttled 
is something like the method adopted by the lemmings themselves to 
avert the famine which threatens to annihilate the entire species. When 
the time for the settlement of the question of partial extermination for 
the benefit of the race, or total extermination by starvation, canno 
longer be delayed, they assemble in countless thousands in some of the 
mountain valleys leading into the plains, and the vast army of martyrs 
being selected, they pour across the country in a straight line, a livin 
stream, often exceeding amilein length, and many yards in Peeadti 
devouring every green thing in their line of march; the country over 
which they have passed looking as if it had been plowed or burned with 
fire. They march principally by night, and in the morning, resting dur- 
ing the day, but never seek to settle in any particular locality, however 
abundant food may be in it, for their final destination is the distant sea 
and nothing animate or inanimate, if it can be surrounded, retards the 
straight onward tide of their advance. 
When the reindeer gets envelopedin the living stream, they will not 
even go round its limbs, but bite its legs until, in its agony and terror 
if, plunges madly about, crushing them to death in hundreds, and even 
killing them with its teeth. If a man attempts to stem the living tor- 
rent, they leap upon his legs; andif he lay about him with a stick they 
seize it with their teeth, and hold on to it with such determined perti- 
nacity that he may swing it rapidly ronnd his head without compelling 
them to loosen their hold. Ifa corn or hay rick be in the way, they eat 
their way throngh it; and on arriving at the smooth face of a rock they 
pass round it, forming up in close column again on the other side 
Lakes, however broad, are boldly entered and the passage attempted: 
and rivers, however deep and rapid, are forded, impediments in the 
water being as boldly faced as those on shore. They have been known to 
pass over a boat, and to climb on to the deck of a ship, passing, without 
stop or stay, into the water on the farther side,” : 
By Frank Lee Benedict. New 
ting thought 
tld; both the 
the unreal, 
