Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-11-19
4 Practical Joker.
From Leaves from an Actors Eose-Book," by George
., VsudephoR.

There was low-comedian, familiariy
| called Dick Hoskins, whom occasionly en-
countered at several of the small country the.
| atres in the North of England, and who was
an inveterate and practical joker on the stage.
He was always very well behaved with me
but when he came in contact with tragedian
for whose talents he entertained contempt,
| or whose persons or manners displeased him
woe to the unhappy subject of his fun All
his tragedy was turned into farce, when Dick
was in the humorous vein. Thus, he played
the Grave-digger, one night, at, think the
Rochdale Theatre, in Lancashire, to the Ham
let of Mr.. c., most solemn and mys.
terious tragedian, of the cloak-and- dagger
school. This gentleman's tragedy was in
Dicks eyes much more intensly than his
own brOadest strokes of farce, accordingly,
Dick held no terms with it, and showed the
unfortunate object of his merriment no quarter
on the stage. When, therefore, Hamlet ap-
preached the grave to hold his dialogue with
Dick in it, the latter began his antics, and ex-
temporixed all sorts of. absurd interpretations
in the text-which he spoke in his own broad
Lancashire dialect There was not good
house, and Dick allowed himself full license.
Mr.. C-scowled fearfully; but Dick was
unabashed. At length he put climax on
his audacity, that topped the infinite Of in
suit"
The theatre was built on the site of an old
dissenting Chapel, which had formerly stood
there, in which preacher named Banks had
held forth, and in the small graveyard at
tached to which, the Doctor-for he was pop
ularly dubbed Doctor Banks-had been bur-
led twenty years ago; and his name was
familiar yet. So after answering Hamlets
"How Long will a man lie in the earth ere
he rot?
Dick proceeded in due course to illustrate
his answer..by Yorick's skull; and taking it up,
he said, in the words of the text
"Now here's skull that hath lain you in
the earth three-and-twenty years. Whose
do you think it was 2"
Nay, know not" replied Hamlet, in his
sepuichural, tragedy-tone
"This skull, Sir" said Dick-pursuing the
text, thus far, and then making sudden and
most unlooked-for alteration
I" This was DoCToR BANKs's skull ~
And the word skull he pronounced like
bull
of coarse the house was in an uproar of
laughter and confusion. The victimized TRACE
uHil Stalipcu anu luuleu dcOut tie SIstSc, dS
We'll he might, eyclaming. "Yorick's, sir,
Yorick'sr'
No." said Dick, coolly, when the tumult
had subsided, taking up another skull and re-
suming the text
I" 7his is Yorick's skull, the kings jester
but (going of AGAIN. "tother's Doctor
Banks as told you,''
This was too much;;this was the last straw
on the tragedian's back! He jumped into
the grave, seized the (very) low-comedian by
the throat, and a most fearful contest, never
beiore-or since hope,-introduced into the
play ensued, in which Dick held his own
brayely and succeeded at length in Overpow
ering, in double sense, the worsted TRACE
dian, whom he held down in the grave with
one hand while he fourished doctor Banks
skull'' in triumph above his head
The curtain was dropped, amidst roars and
shrieks Of laughter; in which king, queen,
monk and courtiers-who, in the vain hope of
arresting the row, had been sent on with
Ophelias empty cofin-were compelled to
join forming tableau, which finished the play
for that night.