St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-04-10

The pantomlme opened on Boxing Night
and the business of the harlequinade was
pretty much the same as that to which
we had been accustomed the year before
There was one scene in which Harlequin
had to jump through Il trap to avoid the
pursuit of Clown and Pantaloon, who
had captured his wand. This occurred
towards the close of the scene, and Just
before the '.rally'' or general fracas,
which takes place at the end of each
scene of the harlequinade.
The ''fiat' through which Harlequin
had to jump was in one of the front
grooves, and behind it another scene was
set, so that when the first fiat drew off it
should disclose that behind it. 1t is the
custom for two or four supers to stand
behind the flat through which 4 panto-
mimist jumps, and to enlace their arms
SO as to receive him and break his fall.
The signal for them to prepare Is a tap
with Harlequin's wand on the fiat, tech
nically termed giving the bat"
1t was my duty as clown, to give the
bat (Which L was supposed to have
wrenched from IIarlequin) 50 us to pre-
pare the men behind for the jump. A
couple of minutes after the leap had been
performed, Harlequin was supposed to
re-cnter, regain possession of his wand,
and strike the stage as signal to the
carpenters beneath to lower a trap and
elevate table which belonged to the en-
suing scene.
This trap was situated Immediately
behind the first fiat, and occupied the
spot on which the.supers had TO stand to
receive IIarlequin's leap.
| therefore knew that if | gave the
second signal first, the men below would
lower the trap, and present yawning
cLasm in the place where Harlequin
ought to alight in the arms of those
whose duty 1t was to catch him. I'm
prepared for the leap, these men would
not have their arms ready; Harlequin
would thus jump into the open nap, and
break either his neck or his back.
One night | resolved on misgiving the
>ignals Andrews behavior towards
Mary during the evening had ncrved me
to it, determined to kill him. The
scene in question proceeded, the rally APP
proachcd AS usual, Pantaloon and
seized Harlequin, and wrcsted his wand
from him. He started oft. Pantaloon
and Clown in pursuit. | affected to NV,
the first cau,ionary signal, but withheld
it at the moment when | should have
struck the fiat for the second signal
struck the stage. Andrew had com
mcnced his running leap. In another
instant he would plunge into the open
trap. Eut instead "t continuing IN th,
run, he slipped and tell heavily, rollin-
on the stage. | lie had sprained his too
in the start. That sprain saved him hi:
life.
The accident, however, put an end It
lii engagement, though it did not part
him and Mary for long in the spring
they were married against her father:
consent accepted 1t a, a part of til,
injury which Andrew had done me, tina
| WAS now doomed 10 see her constantly
as INV brothers wife. Though she die
not share our subsequent engagements
and though her husband kept her ont 0
active employment, and endcavorcd him
self To earn sufficient to support then
both, and though | held a, much aloo
from her and him as | could, still | WA
necessarily brought into contact with he
sometimes. Sue would come TO the hal
at which we performed, and sit i'll from
waiting for Andrew to finish his perform
ance and 90 home with her. The con
stant evidence | had OF their affection TO
each other added daily fuel 10 my hatrc'
OF them both.
1T the time OF which | speak the Chi
nrse .iugglcrs had come into vogue an,
their feat of knife throwing was tricI
especially attractive with the public. |
may he remembered how this trick wa
done. \ man placed himself against
board or wooden partition, and anothe
performer took number OF heavy blade
knives, and hurled them like .javelins a
around his colleague, transtiXing tn
board in every direction-to the right {
him, and the left, and between his fin
gers. The feat. dextcrously performed
drew immense crowds of spectators ther
was sufficient danger in it to attract tn
vulgar. persuaded Andrew to practic
| with me this throwing business wv
called it ''impaling" in the bilIs,) whic
| foresaw would increase our value Z;
, the music halls lie readily consented
, and we practised the trick till we gre,
: proficient | could calculate to the eight
of an inch in hurling the weapon c>
, ercised myself on everything that cam
: in nv way-a fly ON the door, sparro'
t on the window-slll-and | seldom mis-.
ed. This dexterity, knew, would CON
= i'll useful some day.
: In a short time we were advertised ;
e the Brothers Eustachio, the Original Or
entail Jugglers and Knife -throwers to ii
e Khan of Tartary. The Brothers Eust;
= chic $50 ran the bills) would appear
h their well-known teats of JuggIery an
. Asiatic Acrobatism, and introduce ii
Y Celebrated Act of implement, practise
: with enormous success among the \,
i bility of the Court of Cathay
i As Il purpose on which l had lol
: brooded took more definite form in IL
= brain. | drank deeply and frcquentl
Y The end was coming at last - the er
: which had planned at the Bath The
). tire, and which only an accident Ii;
d averted. He never suspected me the
+ nor did he now he trusted me to h
y doom. Sometimes my wild bursts
o excitement startled him; sometimes
l. demonstrated with me on my PARTIAL
for the brandy-bottle. L turned it ,
l. with laugh, and he knew that w
N never SO drunk as to be unreliable in IL
| performances. What he did not kno
Is vas the fierce hatred that kent me sob