Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-02-11
HIsCELI ANEOUs.
Othello in Utah.

Ala Mormon theatre not long ago, they
PLAYED "OtlIelio." Othello was represented,
as usual, but polygamy demanded more than
ono Desdemona, SO thcro were htteen hlrs.
Othellos for this Moor to DO jealous of. The
consequence was he grew fifteen times as
Jealous as any other Othelo on the stage and
raved and ranted fifteen times as loud. The
actor who undertook the part has been laid
up in bed ever since.
In the first place, there were fifteen Bra
bantios clamoring for their daughters, who
had eloped aud married the Moor. The text
had to be changed little, of course. When
brought before the Senators, charged with
winning fifteen young women of Caucasian
blood by the use Of charms, love powders,
ETC., he said:
''Thcir fathers lovcd me, oft invited me;
Still questioned me the history of my lille.
From yoar to year; the battles, sicgcs, fortunes
That had passed."
Fifteen mortified and rcpeHant fathers
Immediately regretted that they had seemed
TO countenaacc negro equality by inviting the
black man TO their houses, although he had
fought nobly during the war. Then Othcllo
drew touching picture Of the sympathies
which his tale excited in the breasts of the
fifteen young women-how they would hur-
~ through their house work to listen to it,
half washing their breakfast things aud leav>
ing their chamber work until afternoon. He
found at length ga plant hour" when the
fifteen susceptible young women were all to-
gether, and drew from them prayer Of
earnest heart" that he would give them the
story entire in one number, which they got
in fragments from day to day. He consent
cd and often did begule tears from the fifteen
pairs of eyes when speaking of ''some dis
trossful stroke that his youth had suffered"
Fifteen women-power signs rewarded his sto-
ry, and then they swore-ffteen of EN-
They wished they had not heard it, yet they
wished
That heaven Ind made them such a man."
They requested him, if he knew of any
promising young man of good income who
was in love with them, to teach him how to
repeat that entertaining yarn of his and that
would WOO them. On these few hints he
spoke:
.'They loved me for the dangers had passed,
And loved them that they did pity them
Here come the ladies, let them witnesE it"
| Then the fifteen! Desdemonas enter, per-
ccivinG divided duty between their hus-
band and their fifteen paternals, but they
shake off their papas and cling to the Moor,
| thus administering salutary rebuke to the
| opposers of universal suffrage.
Inc ploG progresses. 1dSo cAclteS INC
jealous rage Of Othello by pretending to find
fifteen pocket handkcrchiefs, that the Moor
| had given his wives, in Cassio's bed chamber.
They were neatly embroidered handkerchiets,
| with a butterfly in one corner and his initials,
&C. W. o." George Washington Othollo,)
in red.
1t was hard to make Othcllo believe for
some time that his fifteen wives had gone
back on him. but the sly and treachcrous
| Iago plies his arts SO skiltuly that the Moor
is at length convinced and resolves to avenge
his honor, that had received fifteen deadly
stab5, by making himself widower. This
he accomplshes by smotherng his fifteen
wives in their fifteen separate bed-chambcrs
with fifteen different holsters, being called
before the curtain by the enraptured audi
ence at the death of each of the fifteen Dcs-
dcmdnas.