Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-03-08
From the Picayune.
THE GREEN ROOM.

NATURAL ACTING OF -FOUR SUPERNU-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. II. Barton, now mana
ging the new Mobile theatre with signal
ability and success, has been we'll known |
and esteemed for some years back, both |
in this city and in the scene of his present |
activity. He is gentleman who brought |
classical attainments and ,passionate |
m nd 10 the ass sstance of his early Gra-
matte studies, and with the Kembles and
tn; Talma was he associated during his
first advancement in the art. The tone
of his thought IS linked unbendingly with
lofty things, and his susceptibilities are OF
as fine a nature as the strings of the Roli-
an, or the leaf of the plant that closes at
the touch of aught save Its native sunbeam.
We have undertaken delicate task to tell
this anecdote in manner to avoid wound
ing such a spirit. 1t is one however, that
we cannot afford to lose, nor is it al! right,
that so droIl a Renaissance should be lost.
1t has already travelled across the Allan
tic, and been laughed over throughout the
profe; sion and before some book making
tourist or stroller picks it up and tells ii
wrong, we will tell it right.
About four, perhaps five years since
Barton was gong through starring en-
| gagement at the Emanuel street theatre,
Mobile, then under man lgement of Lud-
low 81 Smith. At the time, Barton was
suffering from an attack Of asthma, which
threw him into nervous irri,abllity, and
made him more than ever feverishly anx-
ious about his pieces. 10 rehearSing VIM.
Tell, he expressed mselfparticularly un-
easy about a tableau at tie end of the Sc
cond ACT, where the guards of GesIer over
powered the hero of the piece. Barton
said he had been repeatedly annoyed by
the bungling Of awkward supernumerarie'
t in this scene, and for once he insisted
= upon having the business well performed
= Accordingly, in the evening four stout
- athletic fellows were chosen from anon;
the supernumeraries, and between the hrs
and second acts they were brought on tn
{ stage for rehearsal. They were show
e how to seize Mr.. Barton at certain mo
ment, force him down on one knee, plnlo
Is his arms in a particular manner, and
N from a lively and plcturque grouping, nI
n on which the curtain was TO fall. III
Il stupid fellows grew excited and cage
70 with these instructions, seemed as 1t the
=. understood all they had TO do, and Pomi
n ed TO perform every thing just as they we
u directed.
IN The curtain rose, and the act went Of
Barton spoke to the four men again at t
IN wing, he getting more anxious aud ner
h. Gus every moment.
. "Don't be afraid of me-do it natural
TO my good fellows-seize me as you we
r. four watchmen capturing a hard>fightiI
rt rowdy-eh! do you perceived Take he
II of me like men. and cr-r-ruSh me do
'u as have shown you! You are the bo
us guards of the tyrant GeStLer, and you 1
. se1zing VIM. TeW-remember that
ar, umhI"
his The men looked desperate resolution
no reply, and stood waiting for their appoi
,gs ed signal to rush on the stage, like f
= hungry and impatient beasts about
nd pounce upon some destined object of pT
The moment came. Never before '
u.s. ,hele such an extraordinary climax
TO a scene as occurred then! On c;
we Sarnem with his reinforcement from
- castle.
'nta "Seize himr'
~ The four selected "supes" ran ali
NH over each other at the word, upsettlng
ace; n dozen of their fellow soldiers in the
try, gerness, and rushing upon William
dies like four Ioosenedj fiends. They hu
me Barton in most rude and ludicrous
A. ner down into a corner of the stage
u" stead of the centre. He Struggled
'o'N Casped with establishment. Once w
huge effort he succeeded in throwing
ach- off. but they remembered what they
made been told, and seized poor Barton
santa with redoubled force, each man stra
rder- every nerve to cr-r-rush the he
and Switzerland to the earth.
and Barton was seized with horror and
+, I tonishment. He became powerless
hin grasp Of his four herculean assalIant'
Unexpected and extraordinary was Il
II NY ture of the dilemma, that he lost eve
reefs. mower of utterance in intensity of ag
lnded and was forced down upon his back,
" our Cling in vain to speak. The super
.pt in raries had grown blindly excited an
vas ace with their novel exercise, and
49,, p!ause they heard from front,remem
~. Of n! they had been told except tina
arin9' were to act naturally, and they diO
ma a vengeance! They got the hero
ely oil his back, and the biggest fellow
rents, four clapped his knee upon poor b
d 9TH asthmatic chest! who, almost in
pres ering condition, gasped "MHrder!
chains derIo as the curtain was falling!
NTH. dience looked little puzzled abe
49, nature of the tableau, but, never
CoHSc aoplauded it roundIy, for certainly
clty I'D could have bsen more natmran
o''iOn, The very next season, the mos
neral'l like and accomplished actress, Mis-
ne ips, that was, played an engageme
treated this same stage, and, in the course
SIS, and merry chat during morning re
loan of she related to the company this vt
While ecdote, as an occurrence which toe
:, 80 upon the boards of one of the ?
III -" theatres in England! So rumor
SOME But the surprise ofthe lady and IL
loaneo of the company formed rare see
e high she was told that upon the vety sP'
:, espe- she was then sitting the strange ev
lphathy ly occurred!
cOmpa- PHYSICAL EFFEcTs.-There is