The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-04-05
HOME MATTERS.
The Shakspearians Chokcd.

We regret 10 record Il, but facts are facts. The
dls.ections of the great dramatic poet the glgsn-
tic amateurs, who are dcvotees Of the histrlonic
art, the Shakspearan Club in this city, have en-
countcred an unexpected difficulty. Their craft
had sailed smoothly along, until at the last meet
ing, when it struck hidden snag, as it WERE
encountered an obstruction which well nigh
wrecked the vessel
II is well known that Shakespeare was a care
less crittcr-awkward and reckless in the use OF
words-ccrtain ones that were then popular but
have been taboocd from refined society. They
were fashionable then. They were good, broad
words, without the least shade Of double mean
ing. We have improved upon that style of Ian
guage, in these more polished times. We resort
to double entehdrc, and sugar coat an obnoxious
phrase, in a witticism that may mean just rs
little as the readers fancy may desire.
Shakspeare's writings arc full of these words.
They come in at the most unexpected places;
crop out here and there in a provoking manner,
when the least desirable, and have caused the
blood to crimson the cheek Of many an ambl-
tious reader or fine. haired swell whose ignorance
of Shakespeare may have caused him to blunder
upon a passage which he would have preferred TO
read to himself
The society was assembled and dcathless
silence prevailed, every lady having achieved that
grand feat Of holding her tongue, and all were
gazing in hushcd admiration, with their feelings
excited 20 the highest pitch by the efforts of the
orator, who, as Jack Cade, in Hen
ry VII, was doing that hcro's character TO the
very supcrlatiye of perfection. He was reading
in the opening verse or paragraph OF the siXth
scene OF Act ", when he encountered a wofu
upon which he stuck The - ladies, who were
following him along-tracing on their several
copies of Shakespeare with u knife or pencil, the
words he uttered, also found this word, and then
all further proceedings were ended. The intel
lectual feast was brought to an abrupt close lhls
one word had chokcd the orator. Looking up in
Il sort Of frightened way, lie bcheld p pairs OF
eyes blinking at him in the most
provoking manner, and p rosy mouths about to
widen into broad grin, while p threats were
just on the point of breaking out into shrek OF
laughter. The orator hemm'd and hemm'd, and
turned very red in the face, and then remarked,
"rll pass" Then the ladies went into perfect
screaming chorus, and Mr.. Bull, the victim of
careless use of language, sat down.
The club are now in trouble. Some Of the mem-
bcrs have had their hired man (they couldn't do
it, because of excessive modesty) 90 through
the book and paste little black scraps of leather
over all the Objectionable words. Others more
brave have done the work themselves. What is
most amusing is, that no two Of them exactly
agree on what should be pasted out Some Of
the copies of Shakespeare thus treated, come out
looking as though they had been through Kill
kenny fight while others are scarcely touched,
Others, as yet, have not pasted up any of the
words, as they don't know which are bad, and to
hunt them up by the aid of dictionary is slow
and unsatisfactory work, We shall endcayor to
report whatever else the club may do, unless
some enraged sister puts head on us.