academic; of course there are exceptional
cases--rare, alas! The ideal seems to be to reach chromo-lithographic
effects and the beauties of the old-fashioned valentine; for the
suggestive, the mysterious, the imaginative little affection is shown.
The real tub has developed into the real tree with real blossoms and
real leaves wired on, not a thing regarded as a matter of form and
colour, but as a realistic imitation of a natural object. Broad effects
are frittered away by masses of irritating detail, the production of
which costs a a great deal of money.

Scenes and costumes are designed without due consideration of the fact
that they are to be before our eyes for a long time. Occasionally we are
pleased by a striking picture for five minutes, during which the play is
forgotten; then the play asserts itself and the money spent on the
mounting ceases to bear fruit, and a little later on the vivid
spectacular effect, charming for five minutes, becomes trying by reason
of its quality, and it reasserts itself aggressively, to the hurt of the
play. We have gorgeous costumes which, when first presented and grouped,
produce beautiful effects; afterwards costumes inharmonious with them
are introduced, the grouping is altered, and the colour-scheme
destroyed; then the question comes into mind, How is it that all these
characters have brand-new costumes, although the circumstances of the
drama show that most of the dresses would be torn or dirty or faded? It
may be an answer that this convention is so firmly established as not
to be absurd; but the convention is constantly violated where it would
be too blatantly ridiculous by somebody presenting himself with torn or
dirtied or faded costume. How much more beautiful as a rule the costumes
become after the play has run a while!

From the colour point of view, it was the blessing of the romantic
period that the ruck and run of people had to wear their velvets and
silks and satins till time and wear and tear had toned down and
harmonized the colours. It must be remembered, too, that in the evening
they were seen under favourable circumstances, for the lights and shades
must have been strong, although the lighting was feeble before the use
of gas was discovered and before the oil-wells were found that have made
half the population of the United States slaves to a few plutocrats.

Also, "shoddy" had not been invented, nor had coal-tar dyes been
discovered by the English and exploit