The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-06-04
MArHEWs,S OTHELLO.

II
MIR. Editor-The following is an ex-
trac. of letter received from New York
by gentleman in this city. In the abb
sehce of more useful and interesting
mstter it may serve to vile away few
moments of some of your readers
had hardly put my feet out of the
door this morning when | was saluted
with "what do you think, Mathews is
going to perform Otbello." .'lmpossible."
|"Iis really SO, in consequence oil bet
this day with ----. l was still in
credulous, but soon found ii was really
as had been informed Bills and papers
announced him in that character for the
next evening. Wherever wen, j, was
the topic of conversation, nothing was
heard but: ''are you going TO see Ma.
thews's Othello. Surely you'll go and
see MIR. Mathews" Having heard so
much, determined to see the novelty
offered.
The evening arrived, and set out for
the theatre at least half an hour before
the time ofthe curtain rising, intending to
avoid the crowd, but on my coming to
the door,I found that SO many others had
come with the like intention, that Unjust
either give up seeing Mathews in Othel4
10, or encounter the crowd. / deter
mined on the last. BY dint of squeezing,
pushing, edging and taking advantage of
every undulation Of the crowd, succeed
ed IN getting about the middle of it, but
with all my continuance could not make
an inch farther, either to retreat or add
vance.
What followed was inexpressibly ri>
diculous. Near me stood large tun-
beilieG fat man, fancy a second Lambert)
whose breath informed me he had been
making large alterations to the Jolly
Godi pushing and squeezing with main
| and might, while the sweat rolled off his
lace in torrents. In front of him was a
tall wboned looking fellow in his shir,
sleeves with his coat tied by the sleeves
round his neck. Behind the fat man.
stood finely DRESSED, bold looking dam
sci, IN great fury, because the fat man
took up so much room, thus nobody else
could get forward, while he, poor man,
was continuing his labors with all his
strength, but like myself was constrained
to remain in statu quo.
Here were collected dandies, COACH
men, apprentices, chambermaids, and
Cyprians all pell nell, pushing, squeez-
ing and kicking TO get tickets, all screams
Ing and no one attended 10,
By great movement among the
crowd got a pace or two nearer the
ticket office but had no cause for exul-
tatlon; while beside the fat man | had
room enough to stand pretty comfortably,
his large body, being the means of pro-
tectIng mine, but now was with people
as slim as myself against whom / was
pressed with force almost equal to the
patent screw for packing cotton. But
though thus situated, could no; restrain
laughing at my fellow sufferers. AhI
Pauvre moi pauvre moi ! exclaimed
Frenchman near me with visaee as
slim and devoid of flesh as if he had fed
always upon soup meagre. sts wish T
was home safe, | shall be STONED
breath" No notice was taken of the
poor FreBchman's pathetic words. every
one appeared to be yelling out to the ex.
tent OF their lungs and endeavoriBe to
drown his Deighbor's voice by the power
OF bis own. "Fiye tickets for me %
Here mister you have given me 6 no
DILL "fou mister ahead, take this here
money will you, and pass over ticket TO
me. "Do as do, buy your own tick
et' "f eho yeho here | come" 81
say, take your elbow from under mv
ear "Holloa where's my coat tail,new
coat cost me the moppiBg yesterday.
"here's tail SIR" 'Pshaw that's black.
mines blue" "Ksep your hands off me
MISTER "Stand off Of my corn. will
you" "Be asy my jewel, arrah now do
you think nobody has corns but vour own
pretty self" "Keep your hands cut of
my pocket" 81 say you mister ticket
seller, ii take ten tickets won,t vol,
make deduction in price :" "Could'nr
SIR IL YOU'D take all we haye.'' "Wherefs
my nat g "Here it is under nv feet"
"on ord'how the people push shall be
squeezed to death between this man and
me WALL 'Iet me get out" "Let me
OUT "Jim, Jim just look they are lift
ing that boy over the peoples heads
"heep your feet out Of my face" "CaDt
nelp u, indeed, sir" "Where the devil
did this blood come from" "It is my
nose Monsieur was squeezed so tight
that u did bleed" "D--n your nose
couldn't you find any thing else to bleed
on but my Coat "Pardonnsz moi mo1t.