The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-02-15
A TOUCHING INCIDENT.

! went one night to see comedy.
The chief actor was a favorite one, and
the theatre, small provincial one, was
very crowded. The curtain drew up,
and amid burst of applause the hero of
the piece made his appearance. He had
hardly uttered twenty words when it
struch me that something strange was
the matter with him. The play was
boiStcrous comedy Of the old school, and
required considerable spirit and vivacity
in the actors to sustain it properly; but
in this man there was none; he walked
and talked like a person in dream; his
best points he passed over without APP
pearing TO perceive them; and altogether
he appeared quite unified for the part.
His smile was CHASTITY, his laugh hollow
and unnatural; and frequently he would
stop suddenly in his speech, and let his
eye wander vacantly over the audience.
Even when, in his character of a 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 contortions of lu-
dicrous wrath, which had never before
failed to call down plenty of applause,
were now such dismal attempts to por-
tray the passion, that Kisses We're audible
in various parts of the theatre. The
audience We're fairly out of temper; and
several inquisitive individuals were par
ticular in their inquiries as to the extent
of the potations he had INDUCED in that
evening. A storm of siblation and
abuse now fell round the ears of the de-
voted actor; and not content with verbal
insult, orange-peel and apples flew upon
the stage. He stopped, and turned to
the shouting crowd. never saw such
misery in human countenancc. His
face was worn and haggard, and large
tears rolled down over his painted cheeks
saw his lips culver with inward agony
i saw his bosom heave with convul-
sions of suppressed emotion, and his
whole mcin betokened such depth of an
guish and distress, that the most ruth
less heart must have throbbed with pity.
The audience was moved; and by de-
grces the clamor of invective subsidized
into a solemn silence, while he stood near
the footlights, picture of detection.
When all was calm, he spoke, and in n
voice broken with sobs that seemed to
rend his bosom, proceeded to offer his
little explanation =
"Ladies and gentlemen" said he,
"though in my acting tonight / am con-
scious of meriting your displcasurc, in
one thing you do me wrong. am not
intoxicated. Emotion alone, and that
of the most painful kind, has caused me
to fulfil my allotted part so badly-my
wife died but few short hours ago, and
left her side to fulfil my unavoidable
engagement here. i'll have not pleased
you, implore of you to forgive me- |
loved her, grieve for her, and if mysery
and anguish can excuse fault, | bear my
arology-here!"
He placed his hand upon his heart,
and stopped, and burst Of tears relieved
his momentary paroxysm ofgrief The
audience were throughly affected, and
an honest burst of sympathy made the
walls tremble. Women wcpt loudly,
and strong men silently; and during the
remainder of the evening his perform
ancc was scarcely audible, through the
storm of applause by which the crowd
sought to soothe the poor fellows wound
ed feelings. There was something very
melancholy in the thought of that