Smyrna times., 1875-08-11


know, a gentleman by birth. Is father
were a Lunnun lawyer, you've heard of
i'm, old Bytheway, that used to ave the
big cases at the hold Bailey. The hold
man, he made money AN spent it, an this
ERE boy he made none, a. spent what is
father made. f were sent to Hcton, then
to Hoxford, an afterward went where e |
weren't sent-leastways not by direction
to the devil. The young ooman that lived |
an died in that 'ouse were acquainted with |
me. Lucy Burridge, that were her real
name, though she were called Lucinda
Burrinda, the helegant danSe,cS'-she were
in the corpus de bailey at the Varieties
Thesyter in the Strand, l dessay you know
hit? Yes? Well, sir, l were
scenc-shifter in that theayter for seven
years, an five years afore that at Drury
Lane. l could tell you some queer stories
If you want to know somethin' of life, you
get up in the wings night after night, and
watch the stage, you'll see soniethin of the
bad ham the good O. 'uman nature. Why,
sir, I've seen cruelty an wickedness, an
jealousy an revenge, an kindness an
forgiveness an charity played far more be-
hind the canvass scenes | were a-shiftin
than it were on the stage or before it. One
night sec q young girl, which her name
was Sairey Podgc, from dirty little street
i'll the borough; she was but pretty one
to look at, an danced like a sylph, an she
'ad partikler rival, a 'alf Hitalian girl, as
bad a little shrew for temper as hever you
saw. Well, one night hin the Christmas
pantomine-'twere last Christmas ten year
this girl La Rosa, she broke down, and
the people hisscd her. Well, was hup in
the wings an l see it, an she ran behind
one of tile scenes where Sairey was waitin'
to jump out like fairy as she was, an l
says to my mate, Look out for squalls
there, Lorry-them two'll fight, for I've
| seen girls fight behind the scenes before
now. Well, sir, the Hitalian almost
bounced into the others arms. Sairey
drew back minute an looked straight hat
'er. The other was glowin' with passion
an spite, an my fear was that Sairey's face
was goin' to be spoiled, when | see Sairey
odd hOut both 'er 'ands, and | card 'er
distinct-like cry hout, Oh Miss Rosa, I'm
so sorry! an, will you believe it, sir? the
poor ITitalan laid 'er cad on the hother's
an cried like child In a minute the
stage master called out sharp for Miss
Podge,' an she dried her tears an went
hout an danced so beautifully the pit
nearly went mad with 'er. Oh, yes, sir,
there's uman natur behind as we'll as be-
fore the scenes, an the great Scene-shifter
above He watches it.
"Well sir, Miss Lucy, afterwards Mssis
Bytheway, wer' clever dancer an like
wise sometimes took small part, for she
were as pretty girl as | ever seen hon the
!, stage, an I've seen hall the swells you
know. They're very partikler hat the
Varieties, you know hits only the royal
family an two or three very speshul par
ties as gets the he,ttree there. / dunno 'ow
| that young Bytheway got in but p'raps Is
: father ad done the govner good turn
some time. 'Owsomever e were hon the
f stage pretty hoften, an took wiolen
t fancy to Miss Lucy. All, sir, my art useC
:. to bleed sometimes for those poor girls-t'
r see 'ow bold and brazen some on em were
an 'ow gentle others was, an 'Ow many o
e 'em came to grief. No matter. Lucy sh
d took to young Bytheway, an e tried hon
d hold game with 'er, but she were too goo'
d or too KNOWN to be deceived. l beliov
;. she really liked the man. E were a terri
q BILE temper, No one 'ad ever controlled il
n Ed grown up jus like that stalk of mulel
r you see there, as straight an as long as h
d liked, an breakin' out at every stage.
D. " Now you want to know how they com
lie hout to this place? | can't tell you. All
* know is that halter spoonin' about the gil
le for precious long time, and she playil
hoff and hon with i'm, one day she didn
ID come to rehersal, an then hit were rumore
a. among the young ladies she adj run ava
at with Mr. Bytheway. The hold gent an tn
ed young un ad 'ad a row, ham the young Il
in said that rather than kill the old fool he
,is leave him. Well, year after, ! can
,e. across a immigration hagent. r told II
no about Canada an the free grants, al
,ly lookin round on all those hungry childre
to / said, 'We'll try tits worth the We
as tur.' I'd saved little money, an when
wv. got to Toronto applied for land at t
ms government office, an they gave me Il
or concession free. We got ere about t
me first of June, ham lived in the woods
es. some weeks; I tell you the musquitC
ave were awful. But you'll fancy 'ow ] start
len when the first thing l see on the next
md where that 'ouse 'ad lately been built, Y
Oh. young Bytheway in torn shirt an trousC
of hoein' round among the stumps just ha'
ing ed been at it all lis life. Then hout co
uch Miss Lucy-then Mrs Bytheway, for the
tile. got married before they left England
t of loolsin' pale like, has I've seen Mrs. w
ores beloved look oftener than l cared for.
uch was very good friends, an the young gen
gain man, who was smart as they say ere
into put me hup to a great many things,
showed me 'ow to build my 'ouse, an
that the naybours was kind an 'elpful enou