The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-10-23

!. FULFILLING STORY.


". are sst related. His name souu y, ....u.'
"a an. William waidur; and we called ouf.
ss1yes the patsgoeian Bfothors oecsuse .oVH~.
we'll In the hills and pleased the puons .nns.a ~
nv chance ak years aimee. on toc Iasv sou' 90 :,
n,as.,ter and 50 took sort Of nutuai nhing, ara
:, ~, nartne,s an a tour through the midland coca
y.., fkne~ aothiag OF his past ise.not ne OF mns'
and never asked bim QUESTION on 'ne . ~ =.
-. lar gu hasiag this clear from tae oc
,an,ac. far am plain msp, telling p'siu sto'y,
"a wa.t NJ aae ~ mlsaaderstand q wora OF "nA'
I am about TO say - 49,. =,
Ws made q ,ittie money By our tour. IL was
-, mach Int IL vas Iaorctian either OF W oad
~. "h,a a, earn before % agreed 70 stay to
.'athar sra try oar tSrtano ia London THIS time
s,',t an aagasemcn. at Astleys for the winter,
aud xhea ttS summer caraes aned travelling
eiseas aaa roamed about 40 before.
The ci,.as Was capital tbing--a repablic 90 to
..Y in which oil we're equals. We had usana-
g., 20 whom we paid 6xsd salary, and the rest
wont sha,ss iu the profits There we're tinlss when
we did not even clear our expenses; there were
towns where We made ten aud fifteen pounds a
Right: but the bad luck went with the good; ON
the whole We prcspered.
We stayed with the company two yeaIs and
halt in Ali. and played at every to~n between
York and |. IN Ion. Duriag that time We had found
leisure 60 improve. We knew each Others we'gnt
a nd strength TO a hair, asd grew b0ldeT with ex-
pefience; 50 that there was scarcely new feat
brought GU, anywhere that We did not learn, even
TO the pesche bu,iaess. and the tick OF walking
heal dowp wards on q marble ceiltng. Tho fact 10,
we were admirably matched; which, in our PROBES.
siop 10 the most important OF all Our aeight
Was the same TO the sixteenth Of M ince, aud We
we're not unlike Ia figure. II Griffl,bs possess
cd little more muscular strength, was the
more active and that difference Was In our favur.
bslisse that 10 other respects We sui.ed each
other equally well. aud know, that fer three
years aud . half that We had spent together,
{conuting from OUT first meeting at Doncsster.
down to the times when we disolved partnership
with the circus folkr,) We never bad an angry
word Grifiiths was a steady, ,aviug. silent fell
low with little grey eyes, and heavy black brows.
/ ber once OF twice, thinking he was not
the sort OF person should like for an enemy.
but that was ia reference 70 no act OF his, aud
oaIy f,ncy of my own. For myself can live
with ANY one who is disposed to live with me, and
love peace and good will better than anything in
the world.
We had now grown +, expert that We resolved
to better ourselves, ani return to London. which
We did about the end OF February or the beginning
of March, 1855. We put up at Iittleinn In the bo-
rough aud befJre week Was over, found ourselves
engaged by James Rice ofthe Belvidere tavern, a.
salary of several pounds week. Now this vas u
great advance upon orr previous gains. and the
tavern was by no means bad place for the found>
iDg OF q theatrical reputation.
Situated abou: bali way between the west end
and the city, surrounded by adsnsely populated
neigh borhood, and lying in the very path Of the
ON njhussss, this essabiishne 1t was one of the
most prosperous of its class. There vas theatre
and concert room, and garden, where daucing,
smoking and riffs shooting and supper eating,
were going on from eight TO twelve O'Clock every
night through the sumner, which made the place
. special favorite with the working classes.
Here, then, we two were engaged, with the
promise that our salary should be raised If we
proved attractive, and raised 1t soon was, for We
drew enormously. We brought out the perche
aud the ceiliog business, came down in the midst
of fireworks. from platform higher than the roof
of the theatre, and 10 short did everything that
was ever yet done In our liue-sye, and did Il we'll,
too though perhaps il is not my place {, say So
At Ill events the great c0lored posters were pasted
no eli over the town, and our salary was Increased
10 fifteen pounds per week, and the gentleman who
writes about the play 10 the Sunday Saub was
pleased 70 observe that there was no performance
in London half so wonderful as that Of the Psta-
aonian Brothers, for which take this opportunity
to thank him kindly.
We lodged in a quiet street, on hill near Isling-
ton Tho house kept by Mrs. NORTON, re
spectacle, industrious woman, whose husband
had been a gas filter at one OF the theatres, aud
who was now Left sswidow, with an only daughter,
Just nineteen years of age She was very good
and very pretty. She chrsteued Alice, but
her mother called her Ally and we soon fell in the
same habit; tor they were very simple, friendly
people, and We we're soon az good friends as 1t We
had been living together Ia the same house for
years.
am not a good hand at telling story, as dare
say you have found out before this time--and, in
deed, never sat down to write one before-so l
may a. well come TO the point at once and confess
that / loved her. / also fsncied before many
months was over, that she did not altogether dis.
like me; for mans wits are twice as sharp when
he 10 in love. there is not blush, or a glance,
or a word, that he does not contrve to build some
hope upon. So enc day when Griftiths was out,
went down stairs into the paror, where she was
sitting by the window, sewing, aud stepped in
and took y chair beside hor.
ALLY, my DEAR" said |, stopping her right hand
sk 18th. e
"Aly, MY dear, want to speak to you"
She blushed and turned pale, and tiushed again,
and felt the pulses in the little soft baud throb
bing like the heart of q frightened bird, but she
never answered syllable.
"Aily, my dear, said l. am plain man. am
thirty.two years OF age. l don't know how 10
fattsr like some folks, and have had very little
book learning to speak of. Bnt my dear, love
you, sad thong h don't pretend that you are The
first girl ever fancied. can only say that you
are the first ever fAncied to make my wife. So if
you'll take me, such as am, TIL be trae hus-
band to you ~ long a. live"
What answer she made whether she spoke at
all ia more than / can undertake to tell, for my
ideas wers all confused and only remember that
kissed her, and felt very happy, and that when
Mrs. Morrison came into the room she found me
with my arms c,ssped round my darling's waist -
scnrcely knew when IL WAS that first noticed a
change ia John Griffiths but that il was sume
where about this time, l AM tolerably certain. 1t
Is hard to put looks into words, and to make &C.
count of trfes that after all, matters Of feel
Ing more than matters of facts but others saw the
change as we'll as myself, and no one could help
observing that he grew TO be more silent and un-
aociable than ever; he kept away from home as
much as possible. lie spsnt all Sunday our, start.
ing the first thing after breakfast, and not coming
back again until close upoa midnight. lie even
put an end to our friendly custom Of walking
home together after our nights work was over,
aud joined sort Of tap room club that was kept
bya dozen or so Of Idle fellows belonging to the
theatre. Worse than this. he scarcely exchanged
\ word with me from morning till night, even
when We were at meals. He watched me ab tut
the room a. il hal been q thief. And sometimes,
though am sure l never wronged him willingly
In my life, caught him looking at me from under
those black brows OF Ais ~ II he hated me.
More than once laid my hand on his coat
sleeve as he was hurrying away ON Sunday ON turn
ing off toward the club room at night aud said
''Grfi,hs have you got anything against e;'-or
''Grfiihs woI - you come home to take friend 3
glass with me Tonight" But ne rather shook me
of without q word, or muttered some sulky denial
that sounded more like 4 curse thaa civil answer
30 got tired OF peace making at last and left him
to 90 his own way and to choose his own {. mpsny
The SKINNER was already far advanced, and chr
engagement at the Belvidtre had well nigh ended
when began 70 buy furniture, aud Ally TO pre
pare her wedding things. Matters continued the
same with John Griffiths; but when the day VAS
fixed, made up my miad to try them once again
aud Invite him to the church and dinner The
circumstances of that vitaton are a. clear in NV
memory IS fthe whole affair had taken place this
morning
ltwas 90 the t.enty-ninth Of July, II am par
tieuar about dates, aud there had been general
call to rehearsal at one o'clock that day The
weather VAS warm and hazy, aud start. Il early
that might not go In late or tired, for knew
that with the reherrsi and the new piece and the
1etrinc Descent, should have enough to do before
my days work was over. The consequence was
that arrived about twenty minutes too soon The
gardens had dresry look by daylight but they