Punchinello, Volume 2, No. 30, October 22, 1870Various
General
Punchinello, Volume 2, No. 30, October 22, 1870
Various
American wit and humor -- Periodicals
And they go in search of the cold ham and beer which the beneficent GRAU
has kindly provided. Refreshed by much beer, and enlivened by the cheery
influence of the genial sandwich, they return for a few more hours of
soliloquy and dialogue.
Time passes slowly, but surely. At last we reach an act in which SEEBACH
walks quietly across the stage. The curtain instantly drops amid the
sobs of the excited audience.
1ST GERMAN. "Lend me your handkerchief, my friend, that I may wipe away
my tears. I have a sausage wrapped up in mine, but what are sausages
compared with art! How divinely SEEBACH walks. To me, she seems like an
incarnation of Pure Reason, an Avatar of the spirit of transcendental
philosophy. Come, we will pledge her in beer."
1ST AMERICAN. "What are they making all that row about--just because
SEEBACH walked across the stage? Why, she never said a word."
2D AMERICAN. "Let's go round to the hotel and take a quiet sleep till
she comes on again. I've got my night-clothes with me. Always bring 'em
when I go to see German tragedy."
Then ensue other hours of dialogue, interspersed with soliloquies of
half an hour each. Interspersed also with perpetual dropping of the
curtain, whereby the play is made to last some eight or ten hours longer
than would otherwise be the case. Most of the German music that has been
written during the last three centuries is played by the orchestra
during these intermissions. But in course of time SEEBACH gives us the
Garden scene, winning our frantic admiration by her inimitable
tenderness and grace, and finally we reach that grandest scene ever
written by dramatist, that most pathetic poem ever conceived by
poet--the meeting of "FAUST" and "MARGARET" in prison. At last we are
more than repaid for the dreary hours that have gone before. We have
seen SEEBACH'S "MARGARET"--the most powerful, the most pathetic, the
most beautiful, the most perfect creation of the stage.
And as we pass slowly up the tortuous, steep stairways of the theatre,
while the Germans, all talking at once, burden the air with
unintelligible gutturals, you say to me--if you are the intelligent
person that you ought to be--"SEEBACH is the greatest actress of this
century--greater than RISTORI, subtler and more tender than RACHEL."
With which opinion the undersigned concurs with all the emphasis of
conviction; and over our late breakfast, to which we immediately sit
down, we discuss the question, Which is the greatest--the poet who drew
"MARGARET," or the actress who made the poet's picture warm with
passionate life?
MATADOR.
* * * * *
Absolutely True.
For the last fifty years or so the metaphysical thinkers of Germany have
been engaged in seeking for the Absolute. From present indications it
would seem as though they are about to find it--where perhaps they least
expected it--in the imperial reign of King WILLIAM, aided and abetted by
Count VON BISMARCK.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account