r —
CHARLES HAWTREY IN
“A MESSAGE FROM MARS”
THE CLEVER ENGLISH ACTOR IS STARRING THIS COUN
- j t . try WITH A VERY POOR PLAY
K. HAWT KEY, because or
the quiet naturalness of his
acting, has been compared
with Miss Maude Adams
and Mr. William Gillette.
We enjoy Mr. Hawtrey
very much, appreciate the very care
fully studied portrayals he gives us,
but we cannot say we possess any
•wild enthusiasm for the play in
which he is appearing this season in
America. We hope to see this tal
ented Englishman again, but not in
*\A Message from Mars.’’
_‘‘A Message from Mars” was of
„ "Tretl by the author, Mr. llicliard
ffi^BHkCantliony, to many a manager be
0 '^jiore it was accepted; and just why
■J if found favor with Mr. Hawtrey we
1 are unable to state. It is crude, mel
ll odramatic in parts smacks of the
I vaudeville lm others, and has u most
frile an|, weak ending. But, pro
duced Jjy Mr. Hawtrey, it. has had a.
K'JHht run, won favor in London,
N*. i%:w York, and, this season, in C'hi
eago.
What is it that makes it go? Wc
cannot fathom it. And yet the big
audiences guffaw over it, applaud it
as they do not much wittier, better
constructed affairs.
It is the story of a very selfish
man who is converted to altruism by
means of a dream. The idea that of
“The Christinas Carol,” but the work
ing out of the idea, the telling of the
story, very, very different. We shall
//
Charles Hawtrey, the English Actor Who is the Hero in "A Message from Mars.”
lrrr.amber Scrogge forever, but Hor
ace Parker, tlie hero of “A Message
from Mars,” scarcely a day.
The curtain rises disclosing Hor
ii. «-’s luxurious library and Horace, s
mint and Minnie, his fiancee, waiting
for the return of the master of the
house. We gather from the dialogue
that Minnie, who is elaborately
gowned, is waiting for Horace to es
cort her to a ball, and that the aunt
i>- unable to go to the festitity be
c: use of the non-arrival of her new
c -tame. Presently in comes Ilor
tc e, enveloped in a big, fur-lined
overcoat. As a true Englishman
should, he speaks _of the beastly
weather, and at once makes prepara
tions to get comfortably settled in
L.--y1 hi warm, cozy apartment. llis
liiaiden aunt reminds him he better
not settle down, for it is time he or
dered the cab and prepared himself
for the ball. He growls that it is a
beastly night, and he lias no inten
tion of taking himself and his deli
cate constitution outdoors again..
The aunt storms and storms, tells
him lie is a selfish beast, and a few
^- • more pleasant things like that.
" They don’t altogether satisfy the
I girl, but she says nothing. Presently
the aunt comes in, and declares she
will take poor Minnie to the dance
herself >t’ her nephew is too selfish
to accompany her, and she bids him
order a cab at once. He says he will
do no such thing; it is too cold for
him to go out into the snow. To
stop the rumpus, Minpie volunteers
to get the cab, and is just about to
start when a fashionably attired
youth puts in au opportune appear
ance and bogs the pleasure of es
corting the Indies to the ball. Min
nie, who has become thoroughly put
out with her selfish betrothed, gives
(the latter a little piece of her mind
and gives him back the engagement
ling.
Horace feels a shade of annoyance,
hut it is only momentary, and he
soon settles down to enjoyment of
liis magazine. He reads that w,e
shall soon V»e la communication with
the planet Mars, and ponders on this
strange story that some imaginative
scientist lias put forth, ^llis lamp be
fore long shows signs of going out,
and hr, being unable to read, gives
himself up to contemplation of the
l ..
away world. Ul course lie iaus
asleep.
Presently we hear a great noise,
see a strange light, and 'here slowly
comes, into view an eerie figure
dressed in shadowy gray. In a sepul
chral voice he tells Hawtrey, and the
audience, that he is an inhabitant of
Mars, but for a grievous sin has been
condemned to sojourn on the earth;
a dreadful place, named by the Mar
tians, whenever they allude to it at
all, a monasyllabic name, “which be
gins with 11.” The messenger from
Mars says he lias been sent to en
deavor to convert to “Otherdom" the
most selfish man in London, one Hor
ace Parker; and that, as lie desires
to return with all possible speed to
his beloved planet, lie will at once
begin the work of reform.
Horace endeavors to make light o"
the messenger from Mars, to disobey
his commands, ridicule his high prin
ciples; but soon learns better than
to fool with his unearthly visitant,
who, l>y simply raising his arm, is
able to give Horace, as well as all
the furniture in the room, a current
from his dynamic . force that sets
them into convulsions. And it is
right here that the vaudeville act in
the play comes in; the couches and
chairs and tables and man jump
about as though they were doing
“business” in a variety show.
The messenger from Mars makes
Horace go out into the cold and
snow, winch, by the way, is the best
stage we have ever seen, can l:e
kicked about and shovelled in a very
real manner. The Martian takes him
to the house where the ball is in
progress, and lets him see himself
as others see him. But. though the
things he hears are not very sweet
to his ears, still the armor c:f con
ceit and selfishness remains about
him. ltis mentor tries another
method of reaching the better self
that he hopes lies within the mail;
he. makes him give gold to a poor
b ggur, and later forces him to part
with the rest of his money to help
a wretched woman whose husband
has been hurt in an accident. Then,
when all his money is gone, he take,
from him his fur coat and compels
him, ragged and cold, to work and
to beg. Little by littc ho begins to
understand the meaning of poverty,
begins to think ol' others. And then
he awakes.
Dazed, he stares about his room,
the same cotnfortabe apartmint he
has so long been accustomed to. He
finds his coat, his money, every tiling,
intact; realizes that he is not a
homeless, ill-clothed beggar, that it
was all a dream. But a dream from
which he cannot escape. He has seen
the picture of his selfishness, and he
does not like the memory of it. And
lie has had a glimpse of suffering and
misery that lie cannot put out of lii.s
mind.
When the aunt and Minnie return
from the 1 j;ill. they find a much
changed Horace. They are amazed
to discover him hustling about, tr\ing
to make comfortable a lot of poverty
stricken wretches to whom he had
given shelter after they were rendered
houseless by the burning of the tt ne
ment in which they dwelt. The ladies
assist him in his work of comfort and
charity, and bog his pardon for ever
having so misjudged hint as to have
thought him selfish and unfeeling. He
says they must not apologize, that he
had been till, and more, than what they
thought him; but that he hopes he is
now different. And then lie and Min
nie tenderly embrace, and then the
curtain goes down.
Of course the moral in “A Message
from Mars’’ is all right, our quarrel is
with the way in which it is pointed.
We can’t imagine an American of abil
ity ever writing if, an American actor
of ability ever playing it.
VEX the humble little spar
row, the familiar feathered
friend of those who seldom
see anything else of bird
life, is not spared by tbe
merciless- demands of fash
ion, The headgear of the eternal fem
inine—that altar of vanity upon which
many a beautiful creature is sacrificed
—when it cannot boast of rarer decora
tive finery in the shape of slaughtered
innocents, has often to be “built up’’
to suit the advanced tastes of ladies
The component parts of the glorified spar
row. All these various feathers are added
to the plain little creature you see on the
street.
who desire to be smart on economical
lines.
Now the common sparrow, as Nature
ha-s designed it, is rather a dull-iook
ingereature, especially when it is dead.
The feminine desire for color and
sharp contrasts which our charming
lady friends have alone inherited from
their disreputably savage forefathers
—or foremothers—is not satisfied by
the shaded browns of the feathery
s-treet arab.
The manipulator of modern mil
linery magnificence is, of course, per
fectly aware of the tastes of bis clients.
Doeshe content himself with “stuffing'’
each sparrow, sewing it on a shape,
and sticking liis “creation” into some
retailer’s shop window? No! lie sees
possibilities in that silent little bundle
of brown feathers, anil acts accord
ingly.
He lias a large staff of workers, some
of whom call themselves artists — in
many cases a justifiable claim and
into tlieir hands he delivers his latest
consignment of dead sparrows. The
latter when they reach their destina
tion, are only worth about a penny a
dozen—sparrows are cheap to-day.
Now, the sparrow—forms the foun
dation, of a brilliant scheme in color
and feathers. It first undergoes the
experience of a hath for cleaning pur
poses. Then the little limp creature
hung out on a line to dry, a com
panion of several in a similar plight.
The subsequent glorification of the
sparrow progresses by rapid stages.
The feathers of more pretentious rep
resentatives of the winged world are
called in frequent requisition. Pigeons,
for instance contribute largely to the
material for building tip the glorified
sparrow, and even the common or hack
garden rooster turns in handy at a
pinch to aid in the transformation.
The sparrow, limp and bedraggled,
passes through the hands of an artist
whp possesses the knack of brighten
ing np everything he touches. 1’nder
his magic treatment the poor little
bird grows stout and robust, not to
say sprightly in appearance, once more,
as in life.
Now the time has come fora change
of clothing; the sparrow is introduced
to a master of the brush, and he, with
a few swift strokes, transforms the
dingy brown of the bird's feathers
To tha extra pigeon’s wings are added
guinea chick feathers, and tile b gus wings
are complete.
into such brilliant hues that the com
mon little sparrow is a sparrow no long
er in appearance, but rather one of
those beautifully-coated creatures
which we seldom sec except in the
windows of fanciers or at the Zoo!
tVhen the “foundation’’ lias become
“a perfect little beauty,” it is time
that the decorative accessories should
be made to add further importance
to the subject. And the preparation of
the component parts is not a whit less:
elaborate than that of the s-parrow
itself.
Jt is first of all necessary that the
unimposing wings should l>e added to.
Millinery license allows a bird more
than one pair of wings—in fact orni
thology gets a very poor show indeed
when a “leal nice thing" in hat archi
tecture is being produced.
it has been decided by the designer
of millinery ornamentation that a.pair
of pigeon wings, properly prepared,
v*ill add to the dignity and attractive
ness of the manipulated sparrow.
Having previously performed the op
eration of introducing a pair of gray
ish-white wings to a dyeing-dish-—
whence the^ emerge transformed into
' -- 4
something very tasty in color, the
artist proceeds to add to their beauty,
and, at the same time, relieve the dar
ing of (lie color scheme by deftly work*
ing in a few feathers from u guinea*
chick.
In line course the extra pair of wings
is attached to the body of the sparrow,
and in such a way that the real wings
seem to be a supplemental part of the
larger ones, and not vice-versa—a fact
which does credit to the responsible
artist. The little chirper is now be
ginning to assume a more important,
appearance— indeed, it may be said that
the tout ensemble even at this stage
is rather imposing, what with color
and added life. Hut more has to be
done before Hie censor of millinery
wares is satisfied. .Several gosling
feathers have been treated with brush
and pencil until they too loolc “dash
ing.” This is done by the artist, who
rapidly brushes a few strokes of spe
cially prepared colors diagonally on
each feather.
In the meantime, a couple, of goose
quills have been so cleverly deprived of
a portion of the feathers- that, when
the remainder are curled and twisted,
a very fair imitation of it pair of os
m-i'v feathers is morticed, reIIdV for
the artistic manipulator who is pre
paring the feathery masterpiece.
1 have watched the preparation of
these quills with great interest. There
is, 1 believe, a great demand for them
during the autumn and winter season,
and therefore large numbers are
turned out in the factory.
The girls employed at 1 his work have
very deft fingers, and work at a surpris
ing rate; whilst, so cleverly is per
formed the ripping away of superflu
ous feathers, the paring of the “bony”
part of the quill, and the curling of
the dainty imitation of osprey feath
ers, that to the ordinary eye the com
I pie ted article seems quite genuine.
The painted feathers and the imita*
! tion osprey feathers are cunningly
added to the wonderful “creation” by
the artist, who manipulates the various
items at his disposal with a stolidity
and matter-of-fact composure worthy
The glorified sparrow complete.
of 11)o nation to which ho belongs, for
tIte feather-worker is one of the ex
iled children of llnssiu.
Quickness, minus fuss, is the forte
of not only this man, but of almost ev
ery worker- mostly foreign—in the
factory, whose proprietor kindly gave
me facilities for obtaining material for
this article.
By this time the glorified sparrow
has almost reached the zenith of its
splendor. There is not very much
more to do to complete the extraordi
nary creature which, no doubt, will
edify the public when it makes its ap
pearance in its intended destination—
the hat of some lady with a taste for
striking finery.
A fan-like collection of prettily-dyed
feathers is evidently the clou of the
whole thing. This is cleverly added
on to the rest of the multi-feathered
construction, and without a sigh or
u smile of relief, the “artist” !ay*rthe
“confection” down beside liirn in a box
which holds several others of a simi
lar description, and goes on with an
other set as if there was no possible
end to his work.
It may be said that duplicate “birds”
of this description are seldom-produced
l . . ■ 1 l)il 1- II I'll'ltl 111 tllltl/l U' fl t* I if
other an alteration of color or posi
tion of feathers suffices to produce
a slight difference in appearance, but
the result is the same tlie construc
tion, from cheap hut attractive ma
terials, of a creature which is a crpss
between a bird of paradise and a pea
cock!
Loolc at the final photograph and
compare the sparrow with his appear
ance in the first photograph, remem
bering that his- complexion has also
altered. 1 think it safe to say that,
even his maternal relation would fail
to recognize hint. P. LANDER.
L«r«eMt Anchor Kver Hculf.
What is said to be the largest and
heaviest anchor ever made was recent
ly forged at the Charleston (Mass.)
navy yard. It weighs over eight tons
and cost nearly $2,000. L is 15 feet
long over all and nine feet six inches
wide over the points. The palms are
U2 inches wide. The cable for this
anchor is unique also, as regards
weight, each link weighing 60 pounds.
Three hundred and sixty fathoms
(2,160 feet) of it are to he supplied.
The Reply I'nUImJ.
l!lla—How can one grow oil grace
fully?
Stella—I don’t know: how do jo\
manage it?—N. Y. Herald.
' PRINCES ABE SLAVES
Queer Political Conditions Prevail
ing All Over Java.
SnltmiM nnd Clilt-ftalitfl, AUliouah
Snrronndcd liy tVeallli nnd
liunry, Are I’rlAiinm of
Their Dutch Mnnle-rn.
[Special Foreign Letter.]
CCONSIDER ABLE i nt crest has latc
j ly been aroused among Ameri
can ethnologists by the an
nouncement that Hon. John Barrett,
the well-known American orientalist,
had persuaded one of the many na
tive princes of the island of Java to
make an exhibit at the St. Louis ex
position. The Javanese village at the
world's fair at Chicago proved a
great attraction to thoughtful vis
itors, although it was a financial fail
ure. The mistakes made by the pro
moters of the Chicago enterprise will
not be repeated by those who talk of
taking charge of the 11)04 venture,
which will combine educational with
business features.
Java has frequently been called the
pearl of the orient, and owing to the
magnificence of its natural beauties
and charms many students have come
to consider it as the cradle of man
kind and some have gone so far as to
call it the site of the Scriptural para
dise. Very few Europeans or Ameri
cans are familiar with the tribal and
domestic life of the Javanese; and
Mr. Hugo V. Pedersen, the famous
Danish author nnd artist, probably
is the only foreigner who lias ever
enjoyed the complete confidence of
the chiefs of all the numerous chiefs
of clans, sacred to their subjects as
“princes.”
A Javanese prince is an autocrat in
every sense of the word. 11 is subjects
approach him with reverence nnd his
will is their law. He commands great
wealth, maintains a luxurious estab
lishment, can satisfy every desire, ex
cept that of free movement. In the
latter respect lie is to all intents and
purposes a carefully guarded prison
er. lie cannot step outside of his
— 1 ^ - * ** ' / - •—*-—•• * “^-■————-**
AN ORDINARY 2T.iI.AV DWELLING IN JAVA.
palace without the consent of the
Dutch governor of his province.
Neither can lie receive visitors with
out a permit from the same official,
and when he desires to take an out
ing in tlie country he is escorted by
a detachment of dragoons. Should he
ever nurse an ambition to throw off
the gulling yoke of servitude, a peep
at the citadel, which is so situated
that its gnus command the palace
gate and every avenue of escape, i
ealculated to soothe the wrath and
indignation of the rebellious chief
tain.
The governor general, who rules
over the East Indian possessions of
the Netherlands, is clothed with ex
traordinary power. He can declare
NATIVE JAVANESE l'EDDI.ER.
war against (lie native princes, in
flict the death penalty and issue de
cree* of exile. Under him are dis
trict “residents,” who also exercise .
great authoiity. The native princes]
and chiefs eall them “father” in ]
public*; what they call them in pri
vate has never appeared in print.
Each of these princes lives in a com
plex palace, consisting of a residence ,
proper, a number of small houses, |
barns and outhouses. Opposite the
palace is a Dutch fort whos * gnus, I
as has already been mentioned, arc
trained upon tV? princely domicile.
The “eratons," as the establishments
are called, have now. been located
upon their respective sites for 200
years, although the religious leneta
of the Javanese provide for their re
move.' once in every century. but 4
that its fortifications would ...
be removed whenever the location
the palaces was changed, their High
nesses suddenly lost ail desire for the
traditional change.
The princely residences contain but
few private rooms. They consist
largely of open ball*, without walls,
resting upon pillars of precious
woods. The floors are usually of mar
ble, and the,furniture and lamps are
of the common European variety.
Everywhere the eye encounters huge
brass cuspidors—ugly things which
are needed, however, as the Javan
ese are inveterate sivih chewcrs.
The stuff they masticate is composed
of lime mixed with various leaves and
herbs, which composition stimulates
expectoration even more than the
vile plug tobacco used by sailors.
The birthday of Queen Wilhclmim*
was celebrated with great ceremony
in the Djohjakarta sultanate while Mr.
l’edersen was visiting Java. Ihe so/- .
tan was conducted to his throne. i*V
tlie rear of the great hall by the
Dutch governor. Behind him stood ^
' a page boy wielding a monster pea
cock fan and in front of him wa*
another page who adjusted a gilt stool
for the feet of his august master. For
ty musicians produced an unearthly
noise, and then 12 truly beautiful
dancers, called bedojas, princesses of
pure lineage, appeared and marched
toward the center of the hall.
It is the duty of these dancing girlg
to amuse the prince whenever his high
ness may be pleased to require such en
tertainment; and they offer the most
perfect performance to be seen any
where in tlie world. In order to attain
the utmost grace of motion the girls
destined for dancers are selected with
Ihe greatest care from the families of
the highest rank. Fingers and elbow
joints must be almost incredibly pli
able, and tlie artists must learn to as
sume unnatural poses so as to form
tableaux of rare delicacy. Each per
former is endowed with natural beauty,
■which is enhanced by rich costumes,
1 elaborate hair dressing and costly
gems.
Tlie sultan of Surnmarta is perhaps
the most extravagant prince in Java,
llis importance is due to his chancel
lor, Baden Adipati, who is married
to a sister of tlie sultan and us con
sidered the most progressive ami
amiable Javanese gentleman. lie ha*
been called the ‘'liismarek of Java.’*
and perhaps not without reason, for
he rules his master us well as bis
subjects. No one can obtain an audi
ence with the sultan, first without
an order from the Dutch governor
and, next, without the consent of th*
chancellor. Ail leases and contracts,
which are of great importance to Ku
ropenns living in central Java, ar«
made in the chancellor’s office; and it
is also liis duty to prevent hostilities
between the minor princes und chief*
and the Dutch government, lie h*
the right hand of the governor und
of the Javanese court—surely not au
easy task, lie is without doubt, liko
his lute father, the most highlvj»*av
teemed native statesman ia^utriii
Java. In view of this,#irt*Tit is no%
surprising to learn that the chancel
lor's residence -one of the most hos
pitable in the country—is the center
of Javanese high life. Once a week
he has an “at home” night which i»
..i...i i... 4-._j i » .
... ‘ * **•' "J <1 UVC Hi.
court or diplomatic restraint. Th*»
“official" part of the evening is cut
down u» absolute requirement and
then his excellency provides a sumpt
uous meal for his guests—a feast
that far surpasses the banquet*
served in the sultan’s palace, where
scores of oflicial/ arc employed who
make his majesty pay euormou*
prices for inferior viands and wines.
The chief f unet uni of the thousand*
of court officers wiV> prey upon their
masters may be s.\d to consist in
stealing and eheatirf&v a French
gentleman once de^crib^. 11|(, stato
of affairs obtaining at all or th
anesc courts by saying that for
cigar a stranger received from
five the latter stole an entire
'l’lie moral of the whole story is:
■‘It’s an expensive pleasure to be a
Javanese prince.”
The common people of Java live in
a frugal way. Their homes are of
the plainest construction, as i,* shown
in the picture, which is a copy of oua
of Mr. Pedersen’s drawings. The
architecture is of the simplest Malay
order, and the furnishings would he
despised by the poorest European
peasant. The cut of a Javanese
street, vender, also made from a*
original sketch by Mr. Pedersen,
shows what sort of appearing men
the natives ure. They art of small
stature, have bright eyes and u bus:
ness sense which would be a fortnu*
to the average white man. They ar«
excellent traders iu whose U-xieoi*
there :t no such wort! as honesty.
WILLIAM WALTER WKLLflk t