Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-29

IONcS W DC guu6O, Uul udtSS 10 ma OQl
that it has been gulled, should by any
means discover the cheat that l was put
ting upon it. Thus, when during nv tri
umphal progress from the station to the
theater the populace admired my teeth
have fine set of teeth, l contest shut
my mouth in mortal fear lest young Joe
Mulkins, Mr.. FOrcep, the dentists assist
ant, should see that double tooth near the
front which he had stopped three days
before, and which still glittered in all the
first radiance of the gold filling. Who
can describe the horror of that moment
when gentle and refreshing shower de-
scended from the afternoon sky, and |
dreaded to behold my complexion bedew.
ing my shirt front, and when my friend
Dicks nervous attempts to shut up that
mysterious vehicle, the fly, were greeted
with the anger Of a ferocious crowd?
"Oh, hang it! let US see UNI: we've
come all the way to see UNI; don't go for
to shoot up t. coach!" cried that unap-
peasable populace.
But the heavens were kind to the de
scendant of a royal race, and shone out
again in that beauty whose only blemish
was its liability to come of.
"Put out your hand,' whispered Wit
tington; ''it looks very natural"
Iplaced that member, adorned with a
property diamond ring, carelessly on the
carriage door, and 10! the admiring
crowd exclaimed as with one voice
"Look at his handp' Indeed, one old
man, determined sight-seer, who had
never quilted the wheels of our vehicle,
laid hold with reverence upon my dexter
paw, perhaps to discover whether that
portion of an Indian princes anatomy
were the flesh and blood of everyday life.
The royal cOrtege reached the doors of
the theater, still followed by the delighted
crowd. The prince alighted from the
stately vehicle, and then gracefully
assembled, on the tips of his patent-leather
Alberts, the green-baiZe covered plank
which the property man, enthusiastic in
the cause of exiled greatness, had placed
to form an impr0mtu bridge leading from
the curb-stOne to the stage door, so that
his highness' gracious feet should not be
defled by the puddles of Slushton. At
the stage door the Oriental countenance
of his serenity broke anew into radiant
smile, and he made a series of graceful
bows to the crowd, which were responded
to by three hearty cheers and ever so
many little ones in. These eliminated in
a deafening shout at he disappeared
within the building, while Mr.. Richard
Wilmington closed the door firmly on the
persevering pOpulace, which Immediately
proceeded to the pit and gallery doors,
there to await, armed with sterling coin
Of the realm, the commencement of the
performance, and the first appearance on
the boards of SlushtOn of prince of the
blood royal.
Within the theater, Rowdedow was
greeted with the bows and smiles from
the ladies and gentlemen Of the company,
who had dressed early for their respect
i've parts in the drama of OBJ, and assem-
bled in the gTeenrOOm for the sole pur-
pose of staring at him. There was a little
attempt at conversation got up. The
prince was asked his opinion of England,
English manners and customs, etc, but
the shrugs of his graceful shoulders, and
the elevations Of his strongly defined eye
brsws, with which he responded, evinced
such an utter ignorance of the English
language as rendered discourse impOssi-
BILE: indeed, when Mr. Spavins, gentle
man who had been in India, actually adj
dressed him in Hindostanee, he still con-
tinued the shrug Of nOn-comprehension,
whereat that gentleman was cruelty
laughed at by his compeers for
having attempted a language he
could not speak. "That's goar
Hindostanee, is it? You see, his excel
lency doesn't understand a syllable" As
indeed his eXcellency did not.
The property-man preceded the Ramji
with two composite candles to the above
mentioned temporary Cressing-room, and
a young man who ran errands for the
company requested to know, both by
talking at the highest pitch of his voice
(stTange that foreigners do not understand
our language better, when we shout it as
through ships trumpetD and by eX-
pTessive, pantOmime, whether he could
be any assistance in the toilet of the star.
His aid was declined and the Ramii
begged, still in pantomime, to be left alone.
About this time the manager asked
with considerable surprise what had be-
come of Mr.. MiffS; and the cry of
"WheTe's MifS?" resOunded through the
theater My friend Dick Wilmington ex-
planned that as / did not play in the first
piece, | had taken the opportunity of
running down to sell some tickets; cor
very likely" continued my friend, che
may be next door, next door was a ia
vorite tavern of the Thespian corps.
Richard, indeed, ran into the bar and
asked if any body had seen Miffs. Mifs
was not to be found. He did not even
make his appearance when, the last bar of
the overture being played, the curtain
rose to a delighted audience, and in due
course the royal Obi appeared upon the
boards The prince enacted the part en-
tirely in pantOmime, applaUded to the
echo, and great was the wonderment of
Slushton that denizen of a distant land,
the wanderer from another hemisphere,
should be so we'll up in every little bit Of
Victoria business and clap-trap, familiar
to them from the performance of the great
Hicks. The curtain fell; the theater rang
with loud cries of "Rowdedow!" the
prince appeared, his hand upon his
breast, his head bent, his jaws working
as if employed in chewing
betel-nut, or repeating to himself inward
p@ans of thanksgiving. This done, he
made a general bow to the company, and
in spite of numerous requests that he
would take wine, brandy, ale, that he
would stay to supper, that he would
meet a party at the Shakespeare (afOre-
said tavern next door, that he would
stop and play for the managers benefit,
and so on, and so on, he insisted on de
parting Immediately, in company with
my friend Mr.. Wilmington. So unassum-
ing was his disposition, so reserved his
nature, that he contrived to elude the
crowd waiting at the stage door to be-
hold him emerge. So secret were his
in the subtlety of his Orien-
tai nature, that it was never known how
he got to the railway station. Nay, the
clerks and porters swore to the fact no