Sousa is the most eminent composer for the bass drum and the cymbals that we have, and he can make music with more accents than any other man in the business. His powerful first and third beats set the feet to tapping and the head to nodding, and the American public thinks that it is great stuff. So it is, the finest music for a military parade that ever came out of a brass band. Sousa writes his music with a metronome at his elbow clacking out the marching cadence of 120 to the minute. Every time the machine clacks he puts in a bang on the big drum and a clash with the cymbals. Then he weaves a stately moving melody around the bangs and the clashes, marks the whole business "fortissimo," and lets it go. He does not bother much about originality. His strong point is marches, and he knows it. In "The Bride Elect," he gave us marches--shall we say "galore"? The score was undoubtedly catchy, and the tunes pleased for the moment. As for the book, which was also by Sousa, it was nothing to boast of. It served admirably as a ringer-in for the marches. Miss Clark's work in "The Bride Elect" was thoroughly satisfactory. She sang the music with splendid effect and with much brilliancy. Her acting, to be sure, was hardly all that could be desired, but, fortunately for her success, the book did not call for any great dramatic force. Miss Clark's career has been somewhat unusual in that she took at once a position of importance on the stage and has continued in positions of importance ever since. All this has happened because she could sing; and so busy has she been with her singing that she really has had no time to learn to act. In other words, in spite of her five years behind the footlights, she still lacks experience. The woman who starts in a humble capacity in the chorus and who climbs slowly to the heights of calciumdom may have at first very crude notions regarding action, but she learns as time goes on to be non-committal in gesture at least. She may not develop into a histrionic genius, but she does acquire facility in the conventions of light opera that so often stand for acting. It is of just this facility that Hilda Clark is most in need. Index "Algerian," Tempest, Marie, 222, 232. "All the Comforts of Home," Hall, Josephine, 47. "American Beauty," May, Edna, 152. Russell, Lillian, 32. American Opera Company, 98. "Amorita," Hall, Pauline, 247, 248. Anderson, Mary, 245. "Apollo," Russell, Lillian, 32. "Aristocracy," Hall, Josephine, 47. Aronson, Rudolph, 247. "Artist's Model," Tempest, Marie, 232. Ashley, Minnie, 134. Atherton, Alice, 40. "Babette," D'Arville, Camille, 217. Barnabee, H. C., 19. Barnet, R. A., 82, 83, 140, 141. Barrymore, Maurice, 190. Beaudet, Louise, 251. "Belle Helene," Hall, Pauline, 248. Hopper, Edna Wallace, 112. Lessing, Madge, 82. Russell, Lillian, 42.