The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-05-10
A Touching Incident.

The chief actor was favorite one, ant
the theatre was very crowded. Th'
curtain drew up, and amid burst Q
applause the hero of the piece made hi
appearance. He had hardly uttered
twenty words, when it struck me tina
something strange was the matter witt
him. The play was boisterous comedy
Of the old school, and required consider
able spirit and yivacity in the actors t
sustain it properl y; but in this man there
| was none; he walked ard talked like &
person in dream: his best points he
passed over without appearing to per
ceive them, and altogether he appeared
quite untitled for the part. His smile
was ghastly, his laugh hollow and ua.
natural; and frequently he would stop
suddenly in his speech, and let his eye
wander vacantly over the audience.
Even when, in his character of silly
husband, he had to suffer himself to be
kicked about the stage by the young
rake Of the comedy, and afterwards to
behold that careless individual making
love to his wife, and eating his supper,
while he was shut up in closet from
whence he could not emerge, his con-
tortions of ludicrous wrath, which had
never before failed to call down plenty
of applause, were now such dismal at
tempts to pourtray the passions, that
Kisses were audible In various parts of
the theatre The audience were now
fairly out of temper, and several in-
quisitive individuals were particular in
their inquiries as to the extent of the
potations he had INDUCED in that even
ing. A storm of sibilation aud abuse
now fell round the ears of the devoted
actor; and not content with verbal in
suit, orange-peel and apples flew upon
the stage.
He stopped, and turned 10 the shout
ing crowd. | never saw such misery
in human countenance. His face was
worn and haqgard, and large tears roll
ed down over his painted cheeks. |
saw his lips quiver with inward agony,
and his bosom heave with convulsions
of suppressed emotion, and his whole
mein betokened such depth of anguish
and Distress that the most ruthless heart
must have throbbed with pity. The
audience was moved: and by degrees
the clamor of invective subsidized into a
solemn silence, while he stood near the
footlights, a picture of detection. When
all was calm, he spoke, and in a voice
broken with the sobs that seemed TO rend
his bosom, proceeded to offer his expla-
nation. ,n, rs,,,aman4 s,,a ~.
though in my acting Tonight [ am
conscious of meriting your displeasure,
in one thing you do me wrong: am not
intoxicated. Emotion alone, and that
of the most painful kind, has caused me
10 fulfil my allotted part so badly; my
wife died but few short hours ago, and
left her side TO fulfil my unavoidable
engagement here. If have not pleas
ed YOU, | implore you TO forgive me
I loved her, grieve for her, and if mis-
cry and anguish can excuse fault, |
bear my apology-hereW p
He placed his hand upon his heart,
and stopped, and burst of tears relles-
ed his momentary paroxysm OF grief.
The audience were thoroughly af-
feeted. and an honest burst of sympathy
made the walls tremble Women wept
loudlv. and strong men silently; and
dnrine the remainder of the evening
his performance was scarcely audible
through the storm of applause, by which
the crowd sought to soothe the poor
fellows wounded feelings There was
something very melancholy in the
thought of that wretched man coming
from the he'd of death to don CAV attire,
and utter studied witticisms tor the
amusement of a crowd, not one of whom
dreamed of the anguish that lay tester
ing under the painted cheek and the
stage smile. And in the great theatre
of life, how many are there around Us
like the poor actor, smiling gaily at the
multitude, while at home lies sorrow,
whose shadow is ever present with them
in busy life.