The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-05-03


occasion, and it was quite q Cheerful
sight to see her lightly tripping ovel
the pools of mud, aud picking her way
along the damp thoroughfare, hum
ming the last new polka air, with the
rain acting as kind of Ob6ligdtO ac
compartment on her umbrella.
On this particular Christmas eve
there happened to be a rather unusual
excitement at tie NOnpareil. Ofcourst
it was all about the pantomime. The
gentleman who welded the baton in
the orchestra had declared himsel
satisfied with the manner the music
"went; everybody in the theatre was
delighted with the transformation
scene which those eminent artists
Messrs. Gilt and Glitteur had prepar.
cd the scenery worked well the SUI
pernumeraries did their work satisfac-
torily trust their chief, Joe Blimber
for that); the principal ladies-the
NOnpareil pieces were always strong
in female parts-declared themselves
pleased with the respective characters
assigned them; and the splendOr OF
the dresses and the decorations was
universally admitted, from the lady
who played the prince, down to the
boy who fetched the beer for the scene
shifters, to far excel any thing in that
way the Nonpareil had yet done.
Notwithstanding all this, there was
something wrong. The last rehearsal
but one (the final being fixed for Box
ing-day, 10 a. IN. sharp had taken
place ON Christmas eve, and every
thing had passed off well, with one eX-
ception. Though at the first blush
there was endless cause for eOngratula-
ton, still nearly every body shook their
heads and hoped it 1.-THE pantOmime)
would do well. The truth of the mat
ter was this: Mile. FOpar happened
at the last rehearsal to be very late in
her attendance-sO late, indeed, that
the ballet-scene in the Opening-in
which, of course, she had pas seul-
had to be gone through without her.
When she arrived, few words of re-
monstrance, polite but firm, had been
addressed to her by the manager. She
made no remark to him at the time,
but did the columbine business in the
harlequinade as though nothing had
occurred to ruffie her temper. How
ever, she had been heard TO murmur
to Mrs. Grumple lone of the dressers)
that THAT sort of thing" wouldn't suit
her; and as Mile. FOpar was known
to be as high-spirited as the horses that
nightly conveyed her home, the worst
anticipations were formed of her words,
which had been duly retailed all over
the establishment by the person to
whom they were addressed. The rumOr
Ofthe theatre found its way to the house
of-call before mentioned, and being
duly debated in the parlOr thereof, and
the meaning Mile. Fopar attached to
her observations regarded from. every
possible point of view, considerable eX-
element was the consequence.
When Joe Blimber left his cOmpani-
ions, of course his mind was filled with
the prevailing excitement, and when
he reached home and sat by the cherry
fire which Nelly had both laid and
lighted, he found his daughter ready to
commence the much-debated topic.
Whether it was that the savOry supper
(tripe and onions, prepared by Nelly
as surprise for her father, and quite a
success), or that the joy-bells announc-
ing the advent of Christmas drove the
matter out of their minds, it is impossi-
bic to say, but when Joe Lit his pipe just
before going to rest, he brOached a
topic far more interesting to him and
his laughter than even Mile. FOpar'S
capriciousness.
The conversation was somewhat after
this fashion,
JOe.-When is the next mail due
from? Here pause, perhaps huski-
ness through the effects of the colored
fire i'm the last scene; but Joe does not
finish the SENTENCED.
Nelly busily putting away the sup
per-things, and making an unnecessary
clatter with the plates quite unusual
for her, but serving OH this occasion to
divert attention from the bushes that
cover her cheekSl-NcXt Wednesday,
father.
Joe.-You didn't hear last mail, did
you, Nelly?
Nelly.-No, father.
Joe. TvOice a little tremulOus, perhaps
through the persistent pulls he is max
ing at his pipe, as though it wouldn't
draw Nor the mail before?
Nelly.-No. father; but then, you
see, perhaps Jem was up. the country,
and couldn't get his letters posted OF
he might have mistaken the day the
mail went out. And you forget how
hard he is at work.
JOEL hope so, my dear; though
think if he was working his fingers tO
the bone he ought not to neglect writ
ing, more especially after what we did
for him.
Nelly kissing her father You
mean what you did for him.
Joe.-NO, dear; l consider that the
s75 we let him have was as much yours
as mine. Why, was it not put in the
savings-bank as soon as my old aunt
left me the money, and there kept tC
serve you as marriage portion when
the time came that you should leave
your father? Voice very tremulOus
and very, very hard pulls at the pipe.
| should never have let Jem have the
money to pay the debt for which Inc
become responsible IL you had not con
sented.
Nelly.-Oh, but father, you knew ]
loved him.
Joe.-Well, my dear, hope he will
prove worthy of you.
Nelly.-Can you doubt it, my darling
father? When Jem made a LITTLE
money, and was about to send it ovel
to us, and it was lost by the wreck O
the vessel, didn't he write to release mt
from my engagement if L wished, anG
send you additional securities for the
money you had lent him?
JOe.-Well, my dear, I don't think
he could do less.
Nelly.-Dear father, you mustn't
talk like that; for you know how much
he loves me, and you know how love
him. Although haven't heard from
him for the last mail or two, yet dc
not feel any concern, for l know his
'eart Nelly dropped her his at time:
in the most reckless manner] is as true
as steel. If the next letter L received
from him was another offer of with
drawal from the engagement between
us, should answer as / did last time
that was faithful if he was.
A loud peal of bells from an adjoin
ing church put an end to conversation
regarding Jem's epistOlary shOrtcom
ings, which was not particularly pleas
ant to either father or daughter. JOt
was naturally anxious about Nelly's
happiness, and his daughter didn't like
her father to suspect her betrothed 81
the break i'm the conversation, causet
by the strenuous efforts of the bell-ring
ers. was not allowed to be bridged over
as Nelly wished her father goOd-nigh
and tripped off to bed.
If the reader has from the foregoing
taken it for granted that Nelly's hear
| was in the possession of one of tn,
| onnor;ta GOV IN yOunp carDenterl. VIII,