The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 9, 1905, Page 9

nd a bevy mpt Parsit uched by ery and he breaks gives undry, the hed laughed OO oSS D S D S o e e D S S S e S O DL oo ORI SO L0 D0 T0050% (Copyright, 1904 Culloch Wil- “ ¥! but she is ugly!” Mrs. Evans said, her accent d! tinctly one of relief. Bron. son smiled ¢ tly as he answered, “Don't be too sure of that. She bas e Eyes! B tion was al- most & snort it, although breadth of the room be- i the irate matron. She vely across at Bronson, who answered her look with the faint- bumorous nod. Then he strolled her and said in her ear: “It's too easy, Miss Mischief. y had to give that good soul a 1 her face E ore than one be- ting that old Major Gil- granddaughter wouid really so bad looking - If she w how to wear her clothes and do hes hair. This despite hér wed complexion, for she had a straight nose and good teeth, hing of her bandsome eyes. t be bed, else Why was ed up to the ears? Her ) quite swallowed heg, gloved her feet were as much in €ll could be—incased thiree sizes large. BRIV FZNDRT A7 BRFTECIH - W 75 THZY5 ., cross, is now penitent. She is re- deemed before dying. Amfortas’ wound is healed by the now sacred gpear. Parsifal makes the sign of the cross as he touches the wound. The Grail {g uncovered and above in the dome of the temple boys’ heard. in beautiful strai voices are The scene With everybody and tuckers, such g conspicuous, all the more that the gown she wore was grass green, with a bright pink stock and much dead-white braid- ing. Spangles and Leads also lurked amid the braid, so many that there was a color of reason for Estelle's whisper as she looked down at herself. “Do you know, T feel like the court of King Solomon at the puppet show?” This made Bronson frown. “¥You'l give yourself away,” he said severely. “For heaven’s sake don’t spoil sport just when it's getting so much better than a play.” “I won't,” sald Estelle contritely, then in a nervous aside: ‘““When does Adonis come in? Do hurry him along! I shan’t be casy until he comes. Sup- pose, after all, he should be color- blind—able to see only gold and green- backs and old yellow title deeds?” “Suppose nothing so tragi 1 told you in the beginning he was artisti or nothing,” Bronson retorted. “Art is, irdeed, his weak sult—otherwise woul he be in bonds to Miss Adela Evans? “She js so pretty,” Estélle said fer- ventl Broneon growled, “Yes! - Reg- uldr china baby beeuty: Blue eyes, pink and white compiexion and hair always in the latest mode. Out in the Jcbby now, lying in walt for—Adonis. else in party bibs nenting made her They'll be coming in _together—the prettiest palr of puppets you ever saw."” T hope he isn’'t too good looking!” Estelle murmured reflectively. Bronson scowled. . “You’'ll find him disgustingly so. In- T GRALE OF 22 E R o8 T O GAR I A B I, is laid first in the domain of the’ Grail's keepers, Montsalvat, in Gothic Spain, afterward in Klingsor's castle. The costume of the knights is a white tunic and mantle. A soaring dove is represented on tunic and mantle. At Bayreuth one is away from the busy centers; people have assembled RLGSLS ] G %5 < deed, T've heen half afraid all along that when you saw him youd be ndeeq I shan't,” Estelle interrupted eagerly. “How can I be sorry of—any- thing that sets me free from that odious bond?” 5 Bronson did not answer. A stir about the door drew all ey Adonis, ctherwise George Gilbert, Estelle's cousin, co-heir and fiance, entered with Adela Evans' clinging ostenta- tiously to his arm. She had such a habit of clinging there that ‘the sports of Grasshope had been ready to give odds this last half year that she would ere this have written herself Mrs, George Gilbert, but for Grandfather * Gllbert’s absurd will. This instrument decreed flatly “shichever of his two descendants refused to marry the other thereby forfeited all cldim to the big Gilbert fortune. What George thought about it no- body knew. Hé smiled down at Adele as they crossed to Estelle, When he got a good look at her his smile he- came, for a breath's space, quizzical, but it was kind and wholly cordial as he took both her hands, saying: “I know you all right, young lady—if you would néver let me have ' your picture” " “Somebody’s - been telling.” - Ei sald’ solemnly, ~although * her . stell e b 7 ANZON | LRSS 7L L4 B0 WG PHE 177%8 ROZE HERE By Martha McC. Willlams. danced. They had never rested upon a finer fellow than George. He had all the Gilbert look she so worshiped in her father’s portrait. Covertly she glanced from him to Bronson—Bron- son was big and honest looking and had withal an’ air of ‘breeding, but still was not to be named beside her unwelcome befrothed. No doubt he liad more brains—although as time passed she ‘was forc to admit George carried things. off very well indeed. And after supper, when the dancing began, Bronson, the luckless, went into complete eclipse. . He hated dancing, as well he might, seeing that he danced so badly. George Gilbert, contrariwise, might have been wing- footed, so lightly did he move, in such perfect time and tune. Music, indeed, was in the Gilbert: blood. * Estelle danced, if anything, better. When they waltzed together other couples stopped to see. Indeed, they kept en and on and on until they had the ! whole crowd staring as ‘alone they whirled and wheeled over the waxed fioor of the hall. “Stop Estelle!” Bronson implored-in - FRANCISCO. SUNDAY. CALL. in crowds to hear the music of our master—Wagner. At one time one went almost with an apology, and was spoken of as a ~ crank. To-day one goes with a seri- ous purpose—pride, pomp and vain- glory are not there. I learned in look- ing over the stranger list that men and women—clever, rich, famous the world over—were there, the fact, however, of Maid| a loud whisper as the couple whirled past him. George smiled broadly. Estelle, dismayed, put a hand up to her face. As she took it awav two pimplés and half a dozen freckles came with it. George saw them and quickly guided her out of the light. “Go wash vour face!” he command- ed imperatively. “And the next time you want to g0 masquerading, let me help you make up. I know heaps of better disfigurements,. besides , grease paint hl,tetar_tuny unreguble, when one es ddnting as we do.” ¥ org 1 ought not to have danced,” Bstelle sald contritely—then with @ .swift change of mood: “But you wouldn’t lhnve known if I had ittle wiser.” M‘sfln:ejd 1 would: I went five hun- dred miles, last summer, just to see you,” George half whispered. “So I ‘understood the minute I looked at you -1 t. You wanted. to disgust me, :g :::l‘:e me lose a wife and a fortune. 1 don’t blame you—women have -to fight injustice with their own: weap- ons. Still I wish you hadn’t done ft— you can sav *No‘ to me this minute if you like, and get back more than all ‘the money. you lose by saying it, ‘to- mgl see. You want to invest in Dres- den china,” Estelle interrupted auda- ciously. “So of course I don’t want to causing no comment. The utter ao- sence of a street car, the quiet that reigns, make it a veritable Sleepy Hol- low, though the population is 10,000. The quaint shups in the marketplace, the walks to and from the Hof-Garten, where all that was mortal of Wagner sleeps, the visit to Wahnfried Villa, home of the family—all were of the greatest possible interest. It was just a pleasant stroll . from Alexahdra strasse to the top of the beautiful hill where the theater stapds truly a shrine. From the balcony that overlooks the village one is called daily by the play- ing oi-the -principal theme or leit-motif of the drama to be given that day. In “Parsifal” it is from the Good Friday music. A ‘quartet of trombonists sounds the first call a half-hour before the per- formance begins, the second a quarter of an hour later. the third five minutes before the hour, and be he Prince or peasant, when- once the doors are closed the late comer cannot enter, Lights are extinguished; there is not tha flutter of a programme, no ap- plause, never a whisper is heard nor the sound of carpenters’ tools, and 1 wondered how the noiseless shifting of machinery was managed. No orch tra is visible and an expectant silence reigns. The opera begins daily during the season of one month at 4 p. m. At the cloge of the second act an hour is given for dinner. - Many go comfortably to their homes In the village and re- turn. In the grounds of the theater are two restayrants. At the one on the right hand light meals of cold meats, sandwickes and beer, tea, coffee and chocolate are served; at the other an excellent hot dinner. Indeed, anything that one <an pay can be had. The last act begins at 8:15 and one is home at 10 o'clock. At that time Anton Seidl was living, and yet Slegfried Wagner from time to time conducted with Seidl on the scene! Among the things in “Parsifal” ever to be remembered, the spectacle of the uncovering of the Holy Grail (a cup -wherein is the Savior's blood) in the first act is one of them. As the knights knelt at the holy supper their red cloaks seemed to palpitate. There iz an atmosphere spoken of at Bayreuth as the “Parsifal atmos- phere”’—impalpable and yet a very real thing. The spectator contributes more than he knows and criticilsm must be advanced with delicacy. And now this great play is almost at our own door; and to the vast num- bers who will go—for no one who can make it possible to go should miss it— a word as to what scenes will espe- cially impress one. Among the things to be forever re- membered- are the scenes introducing Parsifal—after the . wild swan has say it—not now, at least.” “That must be quite as you please,” George said, smiling over her head. “You will have to go straight home,” he added masterfully. “Changing lov- ers would be nothing beside the scan- dal of changing countenances this way in the face of everybody.” “I know it,” Estelle said sorrow- fully. “Fate is playing me tricks— putting all the ° trumps in Adela’s hands—" “Not quite. You forgot I shall make your excuses, and, take .you and Mrs. ‘Warren home,” George sald. “Don’t keep me waiting, either. I'm all im- patience to see—your real self.” s = Grasshope had no end of sensations through the next six weeks. The first came ‘when George Gilbert broke the prearranged engagement, the next when it was seen that he was disputing with Reed Bronson for first place in his coysin’s regard, and the third and greatest was to find the strange Gilbert girl truly a beauty, with rio end of fine feathers and a most enchanting way of wearing them. Adela Evans looked faded and insignificant beside her, al- though away from her she was easily the. prettiest girl in town. But Adela was spiritless these days. She no long- er. had hopes of catching George. He was. eagerly, desperately in earnest about Estelle, although she had given him back, as in duty bound, rather more than half the money. Reed Bron- son was no - leds , S0 between ;hex: they kept public interest at fever ea 3 flutterea feebly sunk dying on the grov sin and penitenc the expression on over the lake and has d; kis growing watch this well— the face of this Fal« parsi—guileless fool—Iignorant of his name and who is to be enlightened omly through pity: I when Amfortas is brought in on r and the veice of Titurel (his >m his eoffin comfmands, “Unec the - Grail,” =& blinding ray of light shoots down from above on th p and Amfortas raises himself and holds aloft the Grail, which - the boys (celestial chofr)y cover ‘and return to the shrine; the sceme in the second act where Kundry tells Parsifal of his mother and of how Y in her lonell- ness amed him Fal-parsi—guileless - d to tempt him and his ain when Klingsor- flings ire resistance; the poisoned spear at Parsifal, who grasps it with exalted rapture. Them with an earthquake the castle of evils the damsels lie Ifke Later in the third act, Parsifal’s feet, 1 with tears as the repentant Magdalene, e tears, taking f ver the place of laught d forth like dew. falls ‘to ruin and Grail king, Parsifal, holds cup - to the assembled knig now freed from the misery of their former ruler, Sin, and in the dome of the temple the mystic dove hovers above the head of“ Parsifal wonderful choral pas- ch the Thoren” (pity) mo- tif and the Liebesmahlspruch (love- feast) occur, and ascending In mys- tic progression from the depths to the heights give to oné who has learned how to seek the sojution of the whole work. The shrine is uncovered, the front taken from it. Titurel, for. a moment reanimated, raises himself im benediction. The drama is now ends ing. From the dome a white dove hovers over Parsifal's’ head — he waves the Grail gently, the knights looking up at him. Kundry, reé- deemed, her eyes on Parsifal, sinks te the ground—dead. The role of Parsifal 13 entrusted. to Burgstaller, a young singer with a meost pathetic voi a special protege of Cosima Wagner. He will look and sing the part well. Our own Nordica will alternate witlt Mme. Frem- stadt as Kundry. The role - of Kundry is said among great dramatic soprani to be most arduous.. .The strain of being the unwilling instru- ment of Klingsor ‘' and her constant inner warfare age enormous. The rest of the cast is equally splendid, all of the principals having that cachet that only repeated Bayreuth performances give to the Wagnerion singers. L] Estelle was nobly impartial. At first she had thought herself really in love with Bronson—that was what had im- pelled her to the masquerading. But somehow George’s grave, hurt face had made her very much ashamed, although she would have died rather than admit love at first sight. Then his freeing her and settling down to court her anew appealed to something in her of like fiber. Altogether she was hard put to it to decide. The strain of it all bore hardest on Brongon. His temper, never sweet, be- came abruot and uncertain. He was barely civil to other women. George, contrariwise, continued to be & butter- fly among the social flowers. Upon one. of those spring days that seem* made for love the three Tode to- gether through blossomy lanes. Bron- son rode but clumsily, so when present- 1y his mount bolted it was«all-he’could do to keep his seat. George, a horseman born, was after the runaway in a min- ute, caught him and checked him so sharply that the mad creature reared, kicked savagely and at last fell back- ward, taking the other horse with it in a struggling, plunging heap. That any. body came out of it alive was little short of a mira But there was noth- fng worse for either than a brokeg arm. As Bronson stood ruefully nursing it he said. looking straight in Estelle's eyes: “You needn’t take the trouble. to tell me anything. I saw your face as we were going dnwn;you found oSut whom you loved just then—George.” “Yel,yGeorge,” Estelle said, flushing - like a rose b