, 1863-12-12
SLAIN ON THE STAGE.

e0ucatlOn, q traueStnoDS B CleTk, anu uuu UeSi
praised at school for merit in defamation.
Awhile, his enthusiasm was fOstered at dra
ttiatc society, and, cOurtiDg fhe acquaintance o
acto,s in his own city, from them he met with th'
usual amount 0f fTiendlS and incfedulous dissua
sion, or lukewarm and fruitless encouragement
till, finding it impossible for him to get chance
for a first appearance in any high part Of hi:
choice, or even an engagement as the humblest
of stock actors, he became somewhat desperately
determined to try his fortune elsewhere; and re
pairing to city where he was wholly unknnwn
he took O room at an actors boarding-house
where bis manners and appearance obtained somt
favor among the professionals who lived there
and where bis ambition excited sympathy. They
had felt his fr nzied glow themselves, and the mOs
talented were the most generous and least jealous
toward. him, whatever their opinions might b(
of bis fitness for the stage.
Pity, doubt, discouragement sly mirth and
sneers, Paul had prepared himself to meet, hav'
ing already borne them where he had friends
but making his aim known, he addressed Himself
patiently and cnergetically to the painful task o.
persuading bis own excusable opinion 6f himself
into the minds Of actors and managers; he being
ready TO undertake utmost any character from the
highest TO- the simplest. that the test thus made
might lead to some kind Of an engagement, which
would multiply bis opportunities for distinction
Tenacious, though unpretending, he found ever
his hihblest hopes so long deferred that his heart
became sick, and his pale humility made him
appear almost like guilty thing. His hopes
however, kept alive; for even those who in kindly
doubt would have discouraged him, had not the
heart to bid him despair. They held sacred the
sensitiveness which in their own breasts bad often
b!ed like his.
TulIv was or Gar Jia;,rent s,o,nt, fro,n tho ras;
uo Io5 moi hoan lon. -, .ta s,as,a L;,.saIe ,,a,
was morb;dIv ;co,ons ~ aII rs,v oor,ors vShor,
he called a ao.,S;Jers :" Rv d;nt Of anime, T goroo
and ;mn,dencs be had oL;a;naJ an ordrarv ,O no
s;iion. which enobled him to exerc;sc b;s iuags nv
w;thout mncb vino b;s memorv. and os bs ~ ~
NIGHTLY secn and heard nv Tho n!b,;c III conco;t %
grew boastIsI uclv and snnercil;ors ''' NO-~''
TJo reo-arla, oS: I;ia poni Ton,ria ne HE ,o0;.
innate enemy and nrev treated b;s Irn;tIesS vOd,n.
ings with rid;cnle INA contemnt and even a; tshle
onenIv asgravateJ AMI hnlI!sj HIN. III n,aon
ni;nI ,sot I.o',h H. i,,t ~ nS.,'
oS Pa"i IL "1,, ,i"naSS assnaJ az ,n"I. ~ s.n
os ,ro,I H., ~ III 'S I;,,' "'s~'~ '"SN " s'N'"se
10 wei 10 Soi'.y
Inc lnonensive disposltlon and denleanor Of
Faul so Tar Invited the taunts and persecution oil
Jerry at inst that ne invariably saluted the dis.
Gorraged asPlrant win Inc nickname OF FIRST
rronIwOoa hoDOer, Implying that sucn wastne
These ebultions Of mingled insoience and
boastfnlDeSs excited the disgust Of the more SEN
sb!e performers and they often retorted in behalf
vokoJ troUI, ysor pS,I S.o,. Io"c. "SS ,,i";, ~
;nO, e.. so,,in L.d eoaj .hos N;
had become vacant, was in arrears with his land
lord, and unwilling to return home, bafied; to
bis regular vocation, saw how impolitic it would
be for him to get into q brawl, and risk the rep.
utation OF being quarrelsome fellow.
Yet he became gradually stung from his self
possession into occasional repartees, which rem
dered superlluous any interposition from others,
and subdued the teInerity Of Jerry somewhat,
though they increased bis ugliness into hate.
"Whatever may be" retorted Paul one day
nj dinner, /" 1 hone / will never be reduced to
base nv claims to notice upon loud lungs and q
brawler's swagger, on boastlulness In 6arroom,
or giving peanuts and popcorn to the nswsboys.
l would not rob nor insult the stage by being q
pensioner upon il, if my wits were more ragged
than the coat 1t gave nie.n -;
Jerry colored under the known justice Of the
cut, and grew less talkative and jocund at the
expense Of Paul, who proved he could crop the
feathers Of peacock when they became too
Haunting but he nursed his hostility for some
safe and convenient occasion.
The detestatiOn in which theatrical ltrGsrado.
cia vas held by his fellow.perTorIhers i6,ihretl
80 VS. .N '-o - N ~, y, .e's 'uuae.u