New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-11-07
UGH could be said on the subject. She's

through, this auditor must have thought
the subject changed very often.
A German paper there got "stage-
struck" and the readings and the reader
mixed up in the most ineomprehensible
way.
There was selection, from Dickens in
the readings, and it is to this fact, no
doubt, that am indebted for being called,
in the queer German type of the VolkSbLdtt,
Miss Olive Dickens, desc talentvolle
Dame das elequentesto und schonste
Frauen- thinner in America"
One of the most picturesque towns on
the upper Mississippi is Wabasha, Mime
sofa. Here was engaged to lecture by a
committee headed by the editor of the
local newspaper-a genial and kindly gen.
tleman, as true wag as ever lived, and
known far and wide in the Western coun-
Try by the soubriquet of "642"
1t appears that the editor weighs GAG
pounds-a very snug weight indeed; but
some brother. editor commenting on it
made a slight typographical mistake. SO
that the announcement read, "642
pounds'
The item about the editor in Wabasha
who weighed GAP pounds, travelled all
over the country until it met the eyes Of
the alert Barnum.
6i2 pounds What figure!
The first mail after that carried a letter
to the editor from Barnum offering to ne
| gotiate with the G42 man for his moral mu-
scum.
The great Snowman wrote that he had
had men who weighed 600 pounds in the
museum, but GAP was little the highest
| figure he had ever heard of.
| Well, "6i2 headed my committee when
Stage-Struck was announced in Waba-
sha.
The weather was intensely hot. The
little town lay on the Mississippi bank and
sweltered. The mosquitoes were as thick
| as hops. Windows and doors were pro-
teCted by netting, but the mosquitoes and
the heat triumphed.
| was lying on a lounge, in the after
noon, tanning myself, and wondering who
would be tempted to come to hot hall and
listen TO a lecture on such a night, and
| coming to the conclusion that nobody
would, when heard the brazen blare of a
| brass band laundering on the dead still
ness Of the heated atmosphere the beloved
strains of Yankee Doodle.
What could it be?
Coz II it be circus?
must be. 1 arose TO look at the "pa-
geant.'
There, on the parched lawn before the
door, was drawn up huge cart, iantas-
tically decked with white cotton drapery,
in which were seated a dozen or two Teu-
tonic musicians, blowing away Justify,
while the perspiration rolled off their
faces and on each side of the cart was
hung flaming canvas banner announcing
to the eXpectant world that there was to
be an "Ollve Logan to-night''-a Stage
Struck tonight"
And even while l looked the big cart
creaked over the roasting gravel and sped
away on its mission of drumming up Gus
toners for the evening SHOW"
All that long afternoon it rolled around
visiting wondering people who lived half
dozen miles off, blowing its patriotic
tunes and persistently exhibiting its aston
ishing banners.
At length night threw her sable mantle
over the earth-and pinned it with star
(meaning me.)
There was fine audience assembled in
the close little hall. That is to say fine in
point of numbers.
There were about a dozen really con-
genial and appreciative ones present.
among the rest "G42,' who sat at the door
taking tickets and laughing till he cried at
his first effort in the "shown business.
All, such funny crowd as that was to
deliver such a lecture as "Stage-struck" to
A crowd which had been drawn like flies
to molasses, by the cart and the brass band,
aud which, l truly believe, had no more
idea what an Olive Logan was than what a
"Stage-struck" might be
A funny crowd of farmers in heavy
shoes, and nondescript beings in moccasins.
and women in cotton sun-bonnets, which
completely obliterated them-covered
them out of sight; and the German must
clans, with their caps on and their brass
instruments clutched affectionately in their
arms, sitting on the top boards of some
rough raised seats at the back, listening
earnestly and striving to be amused anu
falling dsmally.
l left Wabasha that same night. The
boat was expected along at about nine
o'clock and | did not think l should catch
it. But after the lecture was concluded
and "642" had laughed again over his
wagon feat and patiently endured my re-
proaches for the brass band Learned that
the boat had not yet come and / might still
leave that night.
SO fastened to don travelling dress and
baggage, and was soon ready on the levee,
where we-a small party of us-sat down
upon the trunks and waited.
The moon had risen by this time in Clio.
rious beauty. The wide Mississippi Law
placid in her light, and the bluffs looked
down like dark, enchanted castles.
And we sat there three hours.
How we managed to kill the time hard
ly know. have dim recollection of fall
ing asleep on the trunk, and waking up
with start, and given an impromptu
reading to my little audience with those
noble Lines on the Mississippi written
by my father:
Sweep on sweep on! thou Empress of
the World
Upon thy rolling tide thou bear,st the
wealth
vi youthful nations-richer far than all
The gorgeous gems which sparkle in Potosi.
Ihou hast gem-a peerless gem
whose eVer'radlant corruscations flash
A thousand leagues along thy sunny banks.
lis brightest in the heavenly diadem,
blood.stained, but dimless. Men call it
Freedom :"
Or did dream it?
AT any rate, there was the Mississippi,
and here was |, and there was
Suddenly GAP brightens up, and points
to two far-of jewels in the distance:
An emerald and ruby, dancing high in
air over the still waters below.
We watch them as they approach. and
then we see weired monster blowing
the water, with dancing torches fiekerip0l9
reflected in the mirror. like river. and
strange black men, half clad, running about