V983R জীবন-চরিত । I should not omit to mention here that the sons and nephews of Maharshi Debendra Nath Tagore, already known to fame as a family of geniuses, have been no less distinguished in their endeavours to resuscitate our Hindu Drama. The representations, which they gave, from time to time, in their house, and in which they themselves took the part of actors could not be surpassed in respect of the excellence of acting, the exquisiteness of music, and the sweetness of the songs. Modhu, although he wrote no play for this theatre, had k an active hand in the success of the performances. It was at some of these early performances in the Pathuriaghatta Theatre that I recollect, while talking with the Maharaja on the aesthetic influence that theatres in general exercised on society, to have anxiously and earnestly dwelt on the desideratum of a permanent public Theatre in our midst to which the poorest as well as the richest could resort at pleasure, and regretted how our speculations on the subject always ended in unfulfilled expectations. At tile time of such conversation how uncertain and doubtful we felt about the realization of our hopes, but we did not know how very near that realization we were at the time. This was in 1866 and in 1872 and 1873 two public theatres sprang up in Calcutta. The first was the National Theatre that had an itinerant career, for a short time, till it found itself housed in a h. LS SLSLSLS LSSSLLLLSLSSLS SLGLLLLSLLSSLSLM LSLLSLLLLS LSLSLL LLLLL L M SL extremely thankful to His Highness for his appreciation of their performance. Different as was the mode in which the Viceroys and the LieutenantGovernors gave vent to their gratification, for they contented themselves with personally complimenting the principal actors, after the play was over, the manner in which the Maharaja of Rewa expressed his pleasure was characteristic of the custom which prevails in his part of the country. Among the Hindustans the idea of amateur music or of amateur singing seems to be somewat different from that which obtains in Bengal. Those among the former who cultivate the art of music for the sake of pleasure do not care to exhibit their accomplishment before the public. They look to dancing girls, and professional songsters and musicians for their private or public entertainments. The King of Oude, the late Wazid Ali Shah, had an amateur company, composed chiefly of his own aides-de-camp, and partly of his own court musicians and dancers, but they were not privileged to perform beyond his Majesty's palace. The Hindustani Ram Jatra and Ram Lila are performed with great eclaf mostly by professional people. The Bengalis, on the other hand, have from time immemorial their amateur (C2S G) Kobis, Jattras, Full Akrais and Half Akrais, in the performance of which they take a delight and personal interest. We have in Babu Robindro Nath Tagore not only a rare actor true to the life, but a singer of superior order, Babu Jotirindra Nath Tagore a brilliant musician, and in Babu Akhoy Kumar Mozoomdar a Jester of no less distinction than Babu Keshab Chunder Ganguly.
