The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-09

lie stopped, aWKWardiys
/ have heard several noted actorsthril
their audiences with a single phrase. /
| think / never was as honestly moved by
any spoken word as that "until" or the
pause that followed it. He was evidently
quite unconscious of its effect, for as /
took a seat beside him on the sofa, and
looked more closely in his wa9-n face, ]
could see that he was evidently embar-
rassed, and would have explained himself
further, if I had not stopped him.
Possibly it was the dramatic idea, or
possibly chance, but few days afterward,
meeting a certain kind-hearted theatrical
manager, | asked him if he had any light
employment fer a man who was an inva-
lid. "Can he walk?" eyes" "Stand
up for fifteen minutes !" Yes" Then
I'll take him. He'll do for the last
scene in the Destruction ~ofSennacherib'
its q tremendous thing, you know;
We'll have two thousand people on the
stage" l was a triae alarmed at the
title and ventured to suggest without
~betraying my poor friends secret) tina.
he could not actively engage in the Ode
struction of Sennacherib," and that even
the spectacle of it might be too much
for him. Needn't see it at ALL" said
my managerial friend, "put him in
front, nothing to do but march in and
march out, and dodge curtain"
He was engaged. / admit ! was at
times haunted by grave doubts as to
whether / should not have informed the
manager of his physical condition, and
the possibility that he might some even.
ing perpetrate a real tragedy on the
mimic stage, but on the first performance
of "The Destruction of sennacherib,"
which l conscientiously attended, / was
somewhat relieved. I had often been
amused with the placic way in whichtht
chorus in the opera invariably received
the most astounding information, and
witnessed the most appalling tragedies
by poison or the block without anything
more than a vocal protest or command al
ways delivered to the audience, and
never to the actors, but I think my
poor friends utter impressiveness to
the wild carnage ana the terrible ex-
-
hibitions of incendiarism that were
going on around him transcribed eveD
that. Dressed in a costume that
seemed to be the very soul of ana
chronism, he stood a little outside the
proscenium, holding a spear, the other
hand pressed apparently upon the secret
within his fbFrast, ruimly surveying, with
his waxen face, the gay auditorium. ]
Tenpald Zip thinking that there was a
certain pride visible even in Gas placid
features, as of one who was conscious that
at any moment he might change this
simulated catastrophe into real terror.
could not help saying this to the doctor.
who was with me. Yes" he said, with
professional exactitude, when it happens
he'll throw his arms up above his head,
utter an ejaculation, and fall forward on
his face-it's a singular thing, they al
ways fall forward on their face-and
pick up the man as dead as Julius
Caesar"
After that, | used to go night after
with a certain hideous fascination. |
gut, while it will be remembered the
: Destruction of Sennacherib - had a tire
nendous run, it will also be remembered
hat not a single life was really lost dur
ne its representation.
1t was onlya few weeks after this mod
st first appearance on the boards oil
: The man with an Aneurism " that.
lappening to be at a dinner party of
PRACTICAL business men, I sought to in.
crest them with the details of the above
tory, delivered with such skill and
'athos as | could command. I regret to
az that, as q pathetic story, it for a mo.
nent seemed to be a dead failure. At
ast a prominent banker sitting next to
turned to me with the awful cues
ion: Why don't your friend try to
ealize on his life insurance." / begged
is pardon; / didn't quite understand.
0, discount, sell out. Look here
q pause Let him assign his policy {
J me-it's not much Of a risk, on your :
latement. Well-In give him his ave ]
lousand dollars clear
And he did. Under the advice of this I
'ol-headed--I think I may add warm /
sarted-banker, "The man with an
neurism' invested his money in the (
lme of and for the benefit of his wife ]
certain securities that raid him a
lall but regular stipend. But he stiIl t
'ntinued upon the boards of the theater. a
BY reason OF some business engage P
ents that called me away from the city, o
dld not see my friend the physician n
: three months afterward. When /
4 ] asked tidings of The Man with the a
neurism. The doctors kind face grew i"
!. "Pm afaid-that il, I don't az. b
tly know whether I've good news or q
d. Did you yer see his wife % q,
I never had.
: Well, she vas younger than be. and
her attractive. One of these doll.faced 81
men. You remember, he settled that Ii
] insurance policy on her and the