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NEW YORK LETTER.
By Norman.
, New York, May 22. There is
scarcely a city in the country
which does not know David Bisp
ham as a singer. But even New
Ydrk, which is Bispham's home,
knew little about him as an actor
until he burst upon the gaze of a
packed hduse at he New Amster
dam 'Theater in the character of
Beethoven.
The occasion was, the annual
conccrt'of the Musicians' Club of
New York, The second part of
the program consisted of a one
act play calcd vAdeiauie," adapt
ed by Eispham. from th'e work of
a German author, '
The curtain rose on a disorder
ly room, music strewn over the
piano and the floor. Beethoven's
landlady and his washerwoman
are talking him over, their re
marks being the reverse of com
plimentary. The great master enters, in slip
pers and a sloppy dressing-gown.
The two women try to tell hhu
what they think of him, but he
chases them out of the room in a
rage, after first counting out care
fully 24 coffee beans and deliver
ing them to the landlady for the
manufacture of his morning cup
of coffee.
There enters the landladys
young daughter, Clara, whom
Beethoven lvoes as though she
were his own child. Almost 'stone
deaf he has learned to read her
lips, and can even hear her vojee
at times, though his ears are
closed to all other sounds.
Clara confides to him the story
of hef love for a young musician,
who cannot wed her, because they
are too poor. The old man prom
ises to write a sonata which shall
give the young couple the money
they need.
Beethoven, goes to his bedroom
and a veiled woman comes to see
him. Clara tells the woman the
master sees no callers, but she re
fuses to go and the 'girl at last
goes to call Beethoven. She is
tempted to tell the woman of Bee
thoven's deafness, but does not
dare, as he has so far succeeded in.
keeping his affliction a secret
from the world,