The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-12-17

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back of the pit, elephant! Ele-
phantv That part of the audience
that paid at the door laughed at
this, but their laughter turned to
curiosity when, in answer to the
cry, the curtain was raised, and
The stage discovered empty. Gu
riosity in turn gave way to sur
prise, for the elephant walked on
from the third grooves alone, and
came slap down. to the float. AT
this, the astonished public liter
ally roared at her. But how can !
describe the effect, the amaze
ment, when, in return for the COM
piiment, the debutd1ste slowly bent
her knees and courtesied twice to
the British public, and then re-
tired backwards as the curtain
once more fell? People looked at
one another, and seemed to need
to read in their neighbors' eyes
whether such q thing was real;
and then followed that buzz which
tells the knowing ones behind the
curtain that the nail has gone
| home; that the theater will be
crammed to the ceiling to-morrw
night, and perhaps for eighty
nights alter.
Mr.. Yates fed Mademoiselle
Dick with his own hand that
night, crying, 80 you duck"'
The fortunes of the adelphI rose
from that hOur.-fulI houses with
out intermission.
Mr.. Yates shortened his intro
ductory address, and used to
make it brief, neat, and, think,
elegant eulogy of her gentleness
and affectionate disposition; her
talent 1.-THE public are here to
judge for themselves said Mr..
Yates, and exit p. s.
A theater is a little world, and
Dick soon became the hero of
ours. Everybody must have a
passing peep at the star that
was keeping the thea ter open all
summer, and providing bread for
score or two of families connec-
ted with it. Of course a mind
like mine was not among the the
least inquisitive. But her head
keeper, Tom Elliot, a surly fellow,
repulsed our attempts to scrape
acquaintance. mind your bust
ness, and 1 I'll mind mine," was
his chat. He seemed to be won
dertully jealous of her. He could
not forbid MIR. Yates to visit her,
as he did US, but he always insis-
ted on being one of the party
even then. He puzzled us; but
the strongest impression he gave
was that he was jealous of her,
afraid that she would get as
fond of some others as of him,
and so another man might be able
to work her, and his own nose
loose a joint, as the saying is.
Later on we learned to put diff
ferent Interpretation on his con-
duct Pippin the Italian, and Ber-
nard the Frenehman, used to serve
her with water and straw, ETC.,
but it was quite a different thing
with Elliot. They were like a
fine iady's grooms and running
footman, but Elliot was her BODY
servant, groom of the bed cham
Der, or what not. He used always
to sleep in the straw close to her.
Sometimes, when he was drunk,
he would roll in between her legs;
and if she had not been more care
ful of him than any other animal
ever Was Especially himself). she
must have crushed him to death
three nights in the week. Next
to Elliot, but long way below
him, III. Huguet seemed her ia
yorite. He used to come into her
box, and caress her, and feed her,
and make much of her; but she
never went on the stage without
Elliot in sight: and in point of
fact, all she did upon our stage
was done at word of command
given then and there at the side
by this man and no other,-going
down to the float, courtesving,
and ali.
Being nightly curious to know
how he had gained such influence
with her, l made several attempts
to sound him, but, drunk or sober,
he was equally unbelievable on
this point.
l then eld.avored to slake my
curiosity at No. 2. made bold
to ask NJ. Huguet how he had won
her affections. The Frenchman
was as communicative as the ma
tive was reserved. He broke
plenty of English over me. It
came to this, that the strongest
feeling of an elephant was graft
tude, and that he had worked on
this for years; was always kind to
her, and seldom approached her
without giving her Jumps of sugar,
carried a pocket fall on purpose.
This Tailed with what 1 had heard
and read OF an elephant; still the
problem remained, Why is she
fonder still of this Tom Elliot,
whose manner is not ingratiating,
and who never speaks to her bnt
in harsh, severe voice?
She stood my friend, any Way.
A good many new supers were en-
gagged to play with her, and 1
was set over these, looked out
their dresses, and went on with
them and her as slave: nine shil-
lings a week for this was added to
my other nine which 1 drew for
dressing an actor or two of the
| higher class.
The more l was about her the
more l felt that we were not at the
bottom of this quadruped, nor
even of her bipeds. There were
gestures and glances and shrggs
alwaps passing to and fro among
them.
One day at the rehearsal of q
farce there was no Mr.. Yates.
Somebody inquired loudly for
him.
Hush says another, ahaven't
you heard?'
No"
"You must MT talk oft out of
doors"
Nor
Half killed by the elephant
this morning"