Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/280

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crowd as  ever  gathered  in  the  foreigners'  gallery  of an  Athenian  theatre  in  the  days  of  Euripides. An English sailor  might  be  seated  beside  a  Boston  mer- chant ; a  hybrid — half  Aztec,  half  Spaniard,  beside  a French  nobleman ;  a  Sweedish  consul  beside  an Italian  fisherman ;  farmers,  mechanics,  and  miners  all together. Among the  men  and  women  of  the  stage time throws  a  glamour  which  softens  their  ruder parts, and  heightens  the  charm  all  feel  in  their  tragic and comic  fictions.

The effect  of  the  drama  on  California  was  most beneficial. The cravinsx  for  excitement  had  become to the  people  a  second  nature. Business gave  the mind employment  during  the  day,  but  at  night  recrea- tion seemed necessary. In the  absence  of  home  and social ties,  the  gaming-table  and  the  glittering  saloons of prostitution  were  too  often  the  resort  of  men  too good for  such  places ;  but  when  theatrical  performances of the  better  sort  were  offered,  there  was  a  marked decline in  the  patronage  of  the  gaming-table  and liquor saloons. The tastes  of  the  community  were not so  low  as  circumstances  had  hitherto  made  them appear. As amusements  of  a  higher  order  were  intro- duced, those of  the  baser  sort  lost  their  charm. As early as  1851  there  was  scarcely  a  mining  town  of  a thousand  inhabitants  without  its  theatre.

To the  homeless,  houseless  wanderer  the  theatre was a  blessing. And notwithstanding  all  that  has been said  of  San  Francisco  looseness  and  immorality, there never  was  a  time  when  a  licentious  drama  was encouraofed, or  even  tolerated. Far above  the  averao^e theatre-goer of  New  York,  London,  and  Paris,  in refined  taste  and  appreciation  were  those  of  San Francisco.

Lovers of  tragedy  who  attended  the  Jenny  Lind on the  night  of  the  14th  of  January  1851  to  witness Flzarro, were  regaled  with  a  recital  of  real  life  which equalled anything  they  might  have  seen  upon  the stage. It appears  that  Mrs  Hambleton,