The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-03-04
The Trials of a Young Tragedian.

A few days ago young Gurley, whose
father lives on Croghan Street, organized
a theatrical company and purchased the
dime novel play of " Hamlet" The COM
pany consisted of three boys and hostler.
and 5lr. Gurley's hired girl was to be the
"ghost," if the troupe could guarantee
her 90 cents per night.
sYoung Gurley suddenly bloomed out
as professional, and when his mother
asked him to bring in some wood he re-
piled:
Though am penniless thou canst not
degrade mel"
"You trot out after that wood or III
have your father trounce you J" she ex-
claimed.
" The tyrant who lays his hand upon
me shall die !" replied the boy, but ne got
the'&ood.
He was out on the step when a man
came along and asked him where Lafay-
cite Street was.
sDoomed for certain time to roam the
earth !" replied Gurley in hoarse voice,
ind holding his right arm out straight.
81 saySyou! Where is Lafayette
Street," called the man.
''Ah! Could the dead but speak-ah ~
continued Gurley.
The man drove him into the house, and
his mother sent him to the grocery after
potatoes.
81 90. most noble duchess ~ he said as
he took up the basket, "but my good
sword shall some day avenge these in
sults!'
He knew that the grocer favored theat-
ricals, and when he got there he said:
cart thou provided with store of that
vegetable known as the 'tater, most eX-
cellent duke?'
"What in thunder do you want!"
growled the grocer as he cleaned the
cheese-knife on piece of paper.
"Thy plebeian mind s..dull OF compre-
hension !" answered Gurley.
"Don't try to get of any of your non
sense on me, or Pll crack your empty pate
in a minute " roared the grocer, and
/" Hamletn had to come down from his
high horse and ask for peck of potatoes.
"What made you so long?" asked his
mother as he returned.
"Thy grave shall be dug in the cypress
glade I! =" he haughtily answered.
When his father came home at noon
Mrs. Gurley told him that she believed the
boy was going crazy, and related what
had occurred.
81 see what ails him." unused the father !;
this explains why he hangs around
Johnson's barn so much"
At the dihner-table young Gurley spoke
of his father as the "illustrious cOEnt ="
and when his mother asked him if he
would have some butter gravy he an
swered:
"The appetite of warrior cannot be
satisfied with such nonsense"
When the meal was over the father went
out to his favorite shade tree, cut sprout,
and the boy was asked to step out into the
woodshed and see if the penstock was
frozen up. He found the old man there,
and he said:
"Why, most noble lord, had supposed
thee far away!"
"I'm not so far away but what I'm 60
ing to make you skip!" growled the
father. "I'll teach you to fool around
with ten-cent tragediesl Come up here y
For about five minutes the woodshed
was full of dancing feet, flying arms and
moving bodies. and then the old man took
rest and inquired:
"There, your highness, dost want any
moreP"
"Oh! no, dad-not a darned bit y
walled the young manager" and while
the father started for downtown he went
in and sorrowfully informed the hired girl
that he must cancel her engagement until
the fall season.-Detroit Free Press.