Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-02-26

herself stage-struck.
The Reverend Applepy Swete had not haiIet
very eagerly the appearance Of his intended q
Rowena, the Saxon Princess, in q charade
when he discovered that, In consequence o.
the success Of that Mystery, it had been de-
termined that the last scene of the play oI
OthellO was to be represented, the part o
Dcsdemona by Miss Nina lothian, the young
curate looked almost as black as the Moor
himself
~ do trust Nina he urged, with suppress.
Sed feeling, "that you will think again Oi
this"
II mean 10 do so, replied the girl, who
was annoyed that the only eyes which had
not beamed admiration, tho only hands which
had not spoken approval, on the evening ol
her recent triumph, were those Of Mr. Applepy
Swete; the part requires considerable thought,
SIR"
"Nina," he said earnestly, do not answer
me thus. You and |, us hope and trust with
oil my heart, are, at 10 very distant period, to
be one, as man and wife. Our interest, our
sympathies, our actions, are to be similar and
united. III suffered you to take this highly
imprudcnt and unbccOming step Il cannot ap-
ply teym less strong TO your acting in such
scene with such man as Colonel Chowler)
without reproOf, you might, in after life, reas
0nably reprOach me for An UNIV Onted harsh
ness: since, as your husband, 1 should not
surely"
"Silence, sir, interrupted the embryo trag-
edlenne, imperiously, "you are going too fast.
| thank you for the warning you have given
me Of wha. ! am to expect as your wife. You
have not good temper. This bloody pas
sion'-that's what have to say to the Colonel
-'shakes your very frame. These are por-
tents. Have mercy upon INC. Kill me to-mOr-
row, let me live to-day Most reverend sig
nor, you arc very terrible!"
"If you do act that scene" cried the curate
solemnly, and certainly in rage, "you and
I, Miss Ilotham, never speak of love again"
That five minutes Of irritating conversation
probably altered the whole tenor of couple
Of human lives. The lady pcrscvcred in her
determination to play Dcsdemona, and the
young clergyman, upon his part, kept his
word.
lf the charadc was Success, the play was
tremendous Hit indeed. The gallant colon.
el handled the soft cushion as II he had, all his
life, done nothing else but smother people
with that implement; and, rs for Dcsdemona,
she, according to universal testimony, was
we'll nigh faultcss her skin looked whittier
than snow, and smoother than the mOnumen-
tai alabaS.er; while her tones, except upon
one occasion when she got the tasscl of the
cushion into her mouth, were Dcsdemona's $
own. When she desired to he commended
to her kind lord, and died, forgving him so
Sweetly, with an 80, farewell, upon her clos
ing lips, there was not one dry eye in the
double drawing-room.
This second triumph put an end to what
few prudent reflections yet remained to Nina
with regard to her becoming an actress IIcr
admiring brother protested, from the bottom
Of his heart, that she was the most perfect
DesdemOna that ever played, and she would
make her fortune in 4 fortnight, If she were
only to 60 upon the stngc.
81 am glad to hear you sny so much, my
dearest Cecil, was the girls delighted answer.
~ feel the power within me. 1t has been
Numbering long indeed but now is all the
stronger for its rest. have made up my
mind, dear brother, to become an actrcss-to
immOrtalizc mysclf-ayc," she added, in her
deepest notes; but not until after little
pause, "And You also, Cecil"
Cecil Ilotham shuddercd. lie had the most
unboundcd faith In his sisters powers but
oil hts instincts rallied round his prcconceivcd
opinions OF the stage, In arms against this
scheme. He knew his sister well enough to
feel that 1t was something more than one idea
Of the moment engendcred by excitement and
success; and he knew himself too we'll not to
doubt his own ability to persuade her to aban.
don tho resolve.
Remember, Nina, whom you shipwreck
by this course" he urged poor Swete now
dreams that you are his"
Not now" she cried, tive are not 10 speak
1,na II a Al Ill.
act on the stage. SHALL not! am glad to
think have escaped the man. But he shall
hear Of me, as al the world shall hear; and
you, my Cecil, brOther-now that ell familiar
faces will DO set against ne-you alone, look
to now for help"
The two had many moro conversations Of
this nature. There was endless talk and
oceans OF advise, and almost universal censurc
poured upon them from all sides, as well. But
the end was, that Nina had her way.
Their comfortable Brcntfull home was let
and, since It was Of course absolutely necessa.
ry that q trHgic star Of such n magnitude
should make its first appearance in tho metro
pOlitan armament, the IlOthaMs removed to
London.
Nina went through course Of training in
elocution and department, with patience
uStuty w UuNc OCcu cNpcCICu VI HcT uuuO III
six months time, was pronounced by her
theatrical Coach "a gentleman at the very top
Of his profession) as perfect as art could make
her-which indeed was true.
While she continued to occupy herself in
the study Of various characters. Of which,
however, was the most ambitious in its partic-
ular picce-COcil set every wheel within his
reach In motion, to provide her suitable en-
gagement. With money and friends in plenty,
her position was Of course far more favorable
one than that Of many more gifted dcbutatte
Still she did not find the thing she sought
More than one manager Of this and that great
house had interviews with the young lady ct
her private residence without the expected
offer Of the position Of first tragedienne being
made. They saw her, and were oharmed.-
Her face, her figure, her carriage, her action
even, delighted them but the words them
selves were often wanting. and the sense Of
them Il had been out Of the power Of the theat-
rical Coach (whO, perhaps, did not know it
himselfO to convey.
Nina grew sad and heart sick at the lack Of
generous enthusiasm in these persoRages /;
whom she had pictured to herself all eager to
secure her for their own. Cecil vas indignant
beyond measure at their ignorance and want
Of taste. 'h' wv aaV
"ThOse persons who have the leading thea
trss," " said he, kissing away her tears, - are
.s4a