Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-08-10
00lOrtfster Daily Syn,
THE BULLFINCH.
BY Flrz JAMES o'BRIEN
I.-MR. KAMM.

narrow Fare by inslnuaUng that it smells Of
nothing else because think tits conscious of
stable, and toward the lower end is slightly
tlnctured with tenement-hpuses But the par
tlcular locality to which allude is odorOus of
the buskin and boards. Two of our largest
theatres, if may say so, "back' on this quar-
ter with great unsightly brick-walls pierced
with little Eighties, windows and stage doors,
round which shttless supernumeraries loaf all
day, holding converse with the Cerherus that
serves as door. keeper, whose surliness, al
though proof against music, may be overcome
without difficulty by coin.
AT hight these same stage doors are interest
ing studies Here you may see, in the sort of
watchman's box that serves as chamber
to the theatre, the patient actor out of employ
ment, who has just sent in Ills name to the
manager with view to engagement, and who,
poor devil, is fObbed OFT with message to the
effect that applications can only be received by
letter. You may always see three or four
hObbledehoys lounging about the door and
talking with the door keeper, or writing OH
the walls with pencil almless SANDER on rival
supers or other members OF their acquaintance.
Here at slight intervals take place the rushing
exit and equally rapid entrance of the dress
er" 10 the theatre, bearing on his return sun
dry liquids for the reireshmcnt OF the eminent
artists performing within. Now the door opens
and out comes the gas boy with pan of char
coal, which, 10 avoid danger of fire, has to be
lighted on the sidewalk, and which in ten
minutes more will represent the flaming logs
that blaze in the huge fire place of the tapestry
chamber of the lordly mansion OF the Baron
Hugh de Brass. Here, at a later hour, short
time before the performance closes, you may
behold one or twD young swells lounging up
anu down the sidewalk, smoking cigars and
watching tile stage door uneasily as it opens
and shuts In Il little while you will see Fan
ny Carocle and Mary Paragon, both friends
and members of the corps de ballet, come OUT,
glance up and down the street and presently
be joined by tie swells, with whom they will
go off to supper. If you were i'll the common
dressngroOm OF the ballet women after the
two girls have gone you would be edited by
the remarks nt their companions on their SUI.
perlor style of Dress and the ironica surprise
as TO how they did it on twelve dollars
week.
Here, too, once and again, you may witness
sadder procession than that OF hearty and
reckless young men marching off to oysters
and champagne with couple of theatre~wo
men. For one OF the theatres is devoted TO
circus performances, and it may be that sud-
denly you will hear vague murmur run
through the street. an inarliculate warning of
disaster; and be hurried along to the stage
door by sudden scream of curious lOungers.
and after listening to whispered rumors OF ac
cldents spoken in under breaths among the
ldiers outside, and you Will see the stagedoor
open, the crowd give away, and, tenderly
Doine IN the arms OF his companions, the dy-
ing acrobat pass to the carriage in waiting with
closed eyes, with face shining with the dews
OF DEATH and one leg and one arm hanging
loose aud broken.
Pretty nearly opposite TO one of these Thea
tiers, some time since, there was a small shop, |
which belonged to Mr.. Chas. Kamm, lleatri |
cal boot and shoemaker. Mr.. Kamm's eslass
inserted between two larger houses, that il |
looked as if it had been wandering about for |
a location and crept into the first ohink 1t |
could find. The sparseness Of interior accom-
mediation may perhaps account for such an
amount of Mr.. Kamm's stock splurgng out
on the pavement. 1t seemed as if the little |
shop had been squeezed so tight by tile two
big houses that it had burst. There was a
glass case on the sidewalk which seemed
much larger than the house from which twas
popularity supposed 10 emerge every morning,
and to which it is not too much to presume II
was consigned at night which was filled with
articles of cunning Workmanship. Here it
was that the genius OF Kamm was visible.
Boys spent hours gazing with open mouths al
the treasures contained in that repository OF
art. There were long yellow boots with red
heels, that were so muscular about the calves
that they looked as if they could walk by
themselves, and were SO dainty in the finish,
and high in the iustep, that they seemed as 1t
they were equal to avoiding every muddy
crossing or slushy kennel i'll the city. Then
there were nice little white slippers, em.
broidered with gold, that called up visions
OF consultations OF tiny feet, all flashing into
air at certain chord given by the orchestra,
and gradually alluring the white petals OF GRIN
oline which blossomed about perfect garden
OF rosy faces and budding bosoms. Stalking
grimly among those dainty works Of art were
grim russets. Such are to be found under the
green wood tree carousing in the lawess Sc
curty of the forest, or intercepting the incau-
tious wanderer il: the woodlands and remorse-
lessly plundering him of his money aud Jew
els Neither were the emasculate pumps of
of the male dancer wanting. The fellow with
large feminine hips, .mperiectly disguised by
scanty tunic OF velvet; pasty hair that is Il
revolt against manhood horiid, seXleSs smile
ever sitting on his lips, while lie bounds and
twirls. and whose would be passionate pur
suits of the danseuse is such mock
ery of love that il makes every mans blood
run cold to look at it, All these elegant varl-
cites of the boots and shoes that tread the
mimic world were TO be seen IN Charles
Kamm's glass case. Did you want Roman
sandal, or Turkish slipper, or an Irish bro,
gan Kamm was equal 10 the feat, and would
turn you out either perfectly as II he owned
the book of fashion. plates of the time OF hos.
cus, aud had spent NEST OF his life on the
shores oil the Golden Horn, or digging turf on
the bog OF Allen
Charles Kamm, personally, was fine,
handsome young fellow of the Teutonic type,
although born in this country, with long fair
hair blue eyes, and slender, wellknit figure
which was not disimprOved by the fact of his
belonging to II society o. Turner's. Kamn
did nice profitable business for the theatres
He made boots, for instance, Tor Mr. Belsidere,
the popular light comedian at the Mulberry
Theatre-and Belvidere was not easily salts
fed let me Tell you Belvdere had nice
foot and would no more have had hairs
breadth of his instep concealed than he would
have submitted to decapltaton hamm was
an enthusiast IN his art, and expended himself
on Belvidere, who was moi alone very nand-
some man, but an immense favorlte WIN the
nublic. The boots that he made tor Belvidere
were pictures. The wrinkles came exactly IN
the right place. The heels tapered beautiful
ly. The spring under the hollow OF me IN
step rendered the foot equal to the tulflllment
of The Arab test, and would permit water to
run beneath without wetting it But when he
came 70 embroidery Kamm displayed himself.
He had all the invention of Graun, whose
floral designs for natural intricacy have never
been surpassed The Impossible golden OF
scarlet flowers that wandered over the feet and
ran careessly up the calves OF his boots, were
not 10 be surpassed. On leather lie was
nreal. but when he came to satin, he was
without parallel He created new Flora
The glowing blossoms that crept over hi,
court shoes had no similitude i'll nature, and
think privately, that nature was the worse