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Highness. As soon as they appeared the band struck up the National Anthem, the whole audience standing, and after the music had ceased, they gave three hearty cheers, which His Royal Highness and Lady MacDonnell gracefully acknowledged.
4
"The performance was commenced by the Amateur Dramatic Club, who gave Charles Dance's comedy in two acts, 'A Wonderful Woman.' The plot is of a simple nature. Madame Hortense Bertand, a rich widow, desirous of being present on a state occasion, at which she cannot appear unless she holds aristocratic rank, suggests to the Marquis de Frontignac, who has fallen into great monetary straits, the mutually advantageous arrangement of a marriage--he, for money, she, for rank. To this the Marquis assents, signing the marriage contract, without reading it. In this contract, there is a clause to the effect that as soon as the marriage ceremony is over, the Marquis and his bride are to separate, he being duly provided for pecuniarily--which clause, however, the Marquis is not aware of. The marriage is gone through; and, after it, the attention of the nobleman is called by his bride to the special proviso.
"It gives dire offence to the Marquis, who refuses to receive any money from his new wife. Leaving her his title, he takes up with a good-natured little cobbler of his acquaintance, and being driven to extremities manfully determines to better his fortune at the last. The trouble is in the end set to rights by the lady herself destroying the marriage contract.
"The Marquis de Fontignac, the leading character of the piece, was admirably acted by Mr. Hockey (the names were of course assumed), a gentleman who possesses the very high talent of being able thoroughly to throw himself into the part he undertakes. His conception of the character of the Marquis, easy-going and careless, but still imbued with honorable and high sentiments, was very accurate; and his rendering of his conception was full of tact and talent. In the second act, where he appears in cobbler's garb with old Crepin, and pointing to the sign over his door, of 'The Marquis de Fontignac, Cobbler,' succeeds in humbling the spirit of his wife, by proving to her that the pride, both of wealth and birth, may be exceeded by that of poverty, he performed with marked talent and effect; and displayed admirably the high-toned gentleman, when he assured her that, as she had found him her equal in pride, she shall also acknowledge he is her equal in generosity. Crepin, the cobbler, (Mr. Ballanton) was an admirable piece of comic acting; very forcible and humorous, and without a tinge of vulgarity or exaggeration. Madame Hortense, the rich widow, was very well rendered by Miss Mary Middlesex, who has gained many laurels on the Shanghai boards. The character was a difficult one for an imaginary lady to render; but it was done justice to, and in many points, great talent was exhibited. Cecile, her niece, was rendered charmingly by Miss Lucy Vernon, who has a most wonderful power of performing female roles; every look and gesture being natural, telling, and giving evidence that she enters into the soul of the character she personifies. The Visconte de Millefleurs (Mr. P. Saily) was good, but was perhaps a shade overdrawn. Rodolphe acted well towards the latter part of the play, but somewhat wanted fire and 'go' at the commencement. On the whole, the piece went off very well, and did great credit to all concerned.
"The play given by the Amateurs of the German Club 'Concordia,' 'Benjamin in search of his Father,' was a humorous farce in one act, which was very effectively rendered. The servants of Tiberius Zander take the opportunity of the absence of their master and mistress to
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Highness. As soon as they appeared the band struck up the National Anthem, the whole audience standing, and after the music had ceased, they gave three hearty cheers, which His Royal Highness and Lady MacDonnell grace- fully acknowledged."
4
"The performance was commenced by the Amateur Dramatic Club, who gave Charles Dance's comedy in two acts, A Wonderful Woman.' The plot is of a simple nature. Madame Hortense Bertand, a rich widow, desirous of being present on a state occasion, at which she cannot appear unless she holds aristocratic rank, suggests to the Marquis de Frontignac, who has fallen into great monetary straits, the mutually advantageous arrangement of a mar- riage--he, for money, she, for rank. To this the Marquis assents, signing the marriage contract, without reading it. In this contract, there is a clause to the effect that as soon as the marriage ceremony is over, the Marquis and his bride are to separate, he being duly provided for pecunia- rily--which clause, however, the Marquis is not aware of. The marriage is gone through; and, after it, the attention of the nobleman is called by his bride to the special proviso."
"It gives dire offence to the Marquis, who refuses to receive any money from his new wife. Leaving her his title, he takes up with a good natured little cobbler of his acquaintance, and being driven to extremities manfully determines to better his fortune at the last. The trouble is in the end set to rights by the lady herself destroying the marriage contract."
"L
The Marquis de Fontignac, the leading character of the piece, was admirably acted by Mr. Hockey (the names were of course assumed), a gentleman who possesses the very high talent of being able thoroughly to throw himself into the part he undertakes. His conception of the cha- racter of the Marquis, easy-going and careless, but still
(19)
imbued with honorable and high sentiments, was very accurate; and his rendering of his conception was full of tact and talent. In the second act, where he appears in cobbler's garb with old Crepin, and pointing to the sign over his door, of the Marquis de Fontignac, Cobbler,' succeeds in humbling the spirit of his wife, by proving to her that the pride, both of wealth and birth, may be exceeded by that of poverty, he performed with marked talent and effect; and displayed admirably the high-toned gentleman, when he assured her that, as she had found him her equal in pride, she shall also acknowledge he is her equal in generosity. Crepin, the cobbler, (Mr. Ballanton) was an admirable pièce of comic acting; very forcible and humou- rous, and without a tinge of vulgarity or exaggeration. Madame Hortense, the rich widow, was very well rendered by Miss Mary Middlesex, who has gained many laurels on the Shanghai boards. The character was a difficult one for an imaginary lady to render; but it was done justice to, and in many points, great talent was exhibited. Cecile, her niece, was rendered charmingly by Miss Lucy Vernon, who has a most wonderful power of performing female roles; every look and gesture being natural, telling, and giving evidence that she enters into the soul of the cha- racter she personifies. The Visconte de Millefleurs (Mr. P. Saily) was good, but was perhaps a shade overdrawn. Rodolphe acted well towards the latter part of the play, but somewhat wanted fire and 'go' at the commencement. On the whole, the piece went off very well, and did great
credit to all concerned."
"The play given by the Amateurs of the German Club 'Concordia,' 'Benjamin in search of his Father,' was a humorous farce in one act, which was very effectively rendered. The servants of Tiberius Zander take the op- portunity of the absence of their master and mistress to
سلطان
ཀ།
39
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