Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1858-11-04

a week. Now this was great advance up
on our previous gains, and the tavern was
by no means a bad place for the rounding
of a theatrical reputation.
Situated about half way between the west
end and the city, surrounded by a densely po-
pulated neighborhood, and lying in the very
path of the omnibusses, this establishment
was one Of the most prosperous of its class.
There was theatre, and concert room,
and garden, where dancing, smoking and
rife shooting, and supper eating. were go
ing on from eight to twelve o'clock every
night through the summer, which made the
place special favorite with the working
classes.
Here, then, we two were engaged, with
the promise that our salary should be rais-
ed if we proved attractive, and raised it soon
was, for we drew enormously. We brought
out the perche and the ceiling business,
came down in the midst of fireworks, from
a platform higher than the roof Of the thea
tire, and in short did everything that was
ever yet done in our line-aye and did it
well, too, though perhaps it is not my place
to say so. At all events the great colored
posters were pasted up all over the town,
and our salary was increased to fifteen
pounds per week, and the gentleman who
writes about the play in the Sunday ,Snub
was pleased to observe that there was no
performance in London half so wonderful
as that of the Patagonian Brothers, for
which I take this opportunity to thank him
kindly
We lodged in quiet street, on hill in
Islington. The house was kept by Mrs.
Morrison, respectable industrious woman,
whose husband had been gas filter at one
|of the theatres, and who was now left a
widow, with an only daughter just nine
teen years of age. She was very good and
very pretty She was christened Alice, but
her mother called her Ally, and we soon
fell in the same habit; for they were very
simple, friendly people, and we were soon
as good friends as if we had been living to-
gether in the same house for years.
am not a good hand at telling story.
as I dare say you have found out before this
time-and, indeed, [ never satdown to write
one before-so [ may as well come to the
point at once and confess that [ loved her.
l also fancled before many months were over,
that she did not altogether dislike me; for
mans wits are twice as sharp when he is in
love-, as there is not blush, or glance, or
a word, that he does not contrive to build
some hope upon So one day when Grif-
6ths was out, [ went down stairs into the
parlor, where she was sitting by the window,
sewing. and stepped in and took chair
beside her.
s.Ally, my dear, "said I, stopping her right
hand from working, and taking it up in both
Of mine. "Ally, my dear, want to speak
to you" 1u,-. 1-zezss14 90
She blpshed and turned pale, and blushed
again, and I felt the pulses in the little soft
hand throbbing like the heart of frighten-
ed bird, but she never answered syllable
''Ally, my dear, said I, am plain man
[ am thirty two years of age. [ don't know
how to fatter like some folks, and I have had
very little book learning to speak Of But
my dear l love you, and though don't pre-
tend 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. I'll be true husband to
you as long as live.
What answer she made or whether she
spoke at all is more than I can undertake to
tell, for my ideas were 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 nv
arms clasped round my darling's waist. I
scarcely knew when it was that first notic-
ed change in John Grifiths but that it
was somewhere about this time, am tolera-
bly, certain. It is hard to put looks into
words, and to make account of trifes that
after all, are matters of feeling more than
matters of facts, but others saw the change
as well as myself, and no one could help OBJ
serving that he grew to be more silent and
unsociable then ever; he kept away from
home as much as possible He spent all
Sunday out, starting the first thing after
breakfast, and not coming back again until
close upon midnight He even put an end
to our friendly custom of walking home to-
gether after our nights work was over, and
joined a sort of tap room club that was kept
by 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 about the room as if had been
a thief. And sometimes, though I am sure
I never wronged him willingly in my life, I
caught him looking at me from under those
black brows of his as if he hated me.
More than once laid my hand on his coat
sleeve as he was hurrying away on Sunday,
or turning off toward the club room at night
and said, ''Grifiths have you got any thing
against me ?"-or "Grifiths wont you come
home to take friendly glass with me to-
night p But he rather shook me off with
out word, or muttered some sulky denial
that sounded more like curse than civil
answer; SO got tired of peace making at