Connecticut western news., 1872-02-16

lady or gentleman passed hurriedly in, evidently under the impression that they
 were behind their time, but glance at
 the clock in the hall seemed to reassure
 them, as they made their way more leis-
 urely towards their respective dressing
 rooms. Upon reference to his watch, MT. Whif1es found that the doors had only
 just been opened, and he therefore had
 some leisure to look about him. He 1oit-
 cred at the door for some time, wonder
 ing. as the various members of the com
 pany made their appearance, who this one
 was, and who Mat one could possibly be,
 until small but uncommonly sharp boy
 plucked him by the sleeve and said
 1" You'd better make haste-they' re going
 to ring in."
 MT. Whiflcs then became aware that
 he was almost entirely alone. Without
 having the faintest idea of the meaning of
 " "ringing in," he mechanically followed the
 small boy down gloomy passage, tumbled
 down few steps, picked himself up and
 folnd himself upon the stage. He had
 hardly time to cast hurried glance upon
 the novel, not to say dreary objects by
 which he was surrounded, when an elderly
 individual, in white beard, and wh ose shirt-front appeared to be plentifully be- sprinkled with snuff, beckoned the boy.
 ss Tom," said he, go to the music-room and ask MT. Lovejoy for my copy of Old King Cole"
 The boy at once complied. Rightly coniecturlng that the music-room was the place wherein the musicians assembled previous to making their appearance in the orchestra, MT. Whiffles followed the boy down a score or so of rickety stairs, to the great detriment of his shins, into scantily furnished apartment, situated immediately beneath. the stage, wherein he found several gentlemen composedly tuning their instruments. Upon hearing Mir. Lovejoy, the leader, addressed by name, Mir. Whiflos nervously introduced himself as Mir. O'Leary's substitute.
 "Very good," said Mir. Lovejoy, "he's told you everything, suppose ?"
 MT. Whiffles bowed assentingly, and darted piercing glance into every corner of the apartment, in search of the other trombone. Horror! He wosn't there! The man upon whom he solely depended absent What was to be done? Retreat was out of the question; as, while he was contemplating flight, small bell sounded, and the musicians proceeded to take their places in the orchestra. MT. Whiffles, still beaaing the fatal trombone, despair ingly followed, and, ere long, found him. self in the presence of the British public. The novelty of his situation So confused him that he, for moment, seated himself in the chair belonging to MT. Lovejoy, and was received with prodigious outburst of enthusiasm, the audience supposing him to be the talented Leader himself. This mistake was soon-rectitied by the appear ance of the veritable leader, who muttered something under his breath by no means complimentary to our hero, and motioned him angrily to the seat usually occupied by Mir. O'Leary. The audience, perceiying the mistake, expressed their opinion of Mir. Whiffles in candid and unmistakable | terms as he ruefully made his way to the spot indicated by the conductor. After trying to reduce to something like order | the sheets of music on the stand before him, MT. Whifles gained sufficient courage to look around him. The house was packed from floor to ceiling everybody | was on the tiptoe of expectation, and sun- dry anxious voices appertainipg to impa- tient "gods" implored the musicians to strike up at once, and appease their anxiety.
 Again the small bell tinkled. MT. Love joy tapped his desk-raised his baton looked on each side of him, and-stopped. | He whispered to the First Fiddle, and | then left his seat and the orchestra. MT. | Whifles asked his next neighbor what this might portend, and was informed in | reply, that Pufler, the other Trombone, hadn't as yet put in an appearance.
 "Couldn't they do without him {? asked MT. Whifles- -devoutly hoping in his heart of hearts they couldn't. s....
 "Certainly not" was the reply.
 i" "Wouldn't the big drum do as well?" inquired MT. Whiffles.
 His neighbor regarded him with some surprise, smiled, and continued:
 "Do without him how can they | Don't you know that you and he begin the moment the curtain rises, to bring on old .Russet, the ~ heavy man2 He couldn't | come on without bis music, you know; as he appears at the back at first.-then crosses the mountains from right to left then from left to right, and finally comes down left upon the stage, where he ex- presses variety of emotions In panto- mime, and all to your music"
 At these words, MT. Whif1es resigned all hope, and was mentally calculating the l dangers to which he would be exposed if he leaped into the stalls, from thence to the pit, and fought his way ou out of the theatre; when the leader returned, an ominous. frown upon his brow, followed by short, fat, pale faced gentleman, appar- ently of foreign extraction, who carried trombone under his left arm. Joy! MT. Whiff1es felt a man again. This, then, was Pufaer! Mir. Whifles remembered his instructions, and watched the new conner attentively, who, upon his part, ap- peared to regard him with the uttermost concern. MT. Whifles had occasion to shift his trombone-Puff1er did likewise. MT. Whiffles felt for his handkerchief-Mr Puf1er followed bis example. All this seemed very mysterious, and MT. Whif1es was lost in wenderment when the overture commenced. Luckily the trombones were not wanted until the commencement of the drama. The overture ceased.
 "Now, look out," observed MT. Whif- hes' neighbcr-" you now."
 MT. Whiffles mechanically raised the instrument to his lips, keeping steadfast gaze the while upon the proceedings of MT. Puffler, who did his best to stare Mir. Whif1er out of countenance. Mr. Love joy looked round, and seeing the trombones perfectly ready, awaited the rising of the curtain. It was an agonizing moment. The silence was positively painful. One might have heard a pin drop. The small bell was heard again. Mir. Loyejoy tap ped his desk, and the curtain slowly rose in solemn silence! MT. Lovejoy began beating the time slowly, and had even ac- few strokes before he realized the fact. Turning round to ascertain the of this extraordinary circum- stance, his surprise and bewilderment may we'll be imagined at perceiving the two trombone-players hard at work, dis tending their cheeks to their utmost ca pacity, nervously manipulating their in- struments, and producing not sound And the most unaccountable thing was they never took thelr eyes off one anoth- CT. MT. Loveloy was transfixed with