The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-05-18
ESTABLISHED 1859

.
/ lid. "Can he walk?'' 8 Yes" Stand
+ up for fifteen minutesP % Yes Then
/ I'll take him. He'll do for the last
scene in the Destruction of Sennacherib
it's tremendous thing, you know;
we'll have two thousand people on the
stage" l was a trife alarmed at the
/ title and ventured to suggest without
I betraying my poor friends secret that
/ he could not actively engage in the De
struction of Sennacherib, y and that even
( the spectacle of it might be too much
] for him. Needn't see it at all, said
! my managerial friend, put nm "a
front, nothing to do but march in and
march out, and dodge curtain"
He was engaged. / admit l was at
times haunted by grave doubts as to
whether l 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 conscientiously attended, | was
somewhat relieved. | had often been
amused with the placc way in whichthe
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 commando
ways delivered to the audience, and
I =, Int I lroL- my
poor friends utter impressiyeness to
the wild carnage and the terrible ex-
hibitions of incendiarism that were
going on around him transcribed even
that. Dressed in a costume that
seemed to be the very soul of ana
chronism, he stood little outside the
proscenium, holding spear. the other
hand pressed apparently upon the secret
within his breast, calmly surveying, with
his waxen face, the gay auditorium. l
could not help thinking that there was a
certain pride visible even in his 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,
i who was with me. q Yes" he said, with
/ professional exactitude, when it happens
A-''I throw his arms up above his head,
! utter an eJacuiar:e-,, and fall forward ON
his facets a singular thing. they al.
ways fall forward on their face-and
they'll pick up the man as dead as Julius
Cesar"
After that, | used to go night after
night, with certain hideOus fs@sss.,>s:--,
but, while it will be remembered the
{" Destruction of Sennacherib ." had ire
mendaus run, it will also be remembered
that not single lie was really lost dur
ing its representation.
1t was only a few weeks after this mod
est first appearance on the boards of
The man with an Aneurism +" that,
happening to be at a dinner party of
practical business men, I sought to in
| terest them with the details of the above
story, delivered with such skill and
pathos as l could command. regret to
say that, as pathetic story, it for a mo-
ment seemed to be a dead failure At
last a prominent banker sitting next to
me turned to me with the awful ques-
ton: Why don't your friend try to
realize on his life insurance. | begged
his pardon; l didn't quite understand
o, discount, sell out. Look here
(after pause.) Let him assign his policy
to me-it's not much of risk, on your
statement WelI-Tll give him his five
thousand dollars clear"
And he did. Under the advice of this
cool headed--T think 1 may add warm
hearted banker, "The man with an
AnelIrism" invested his money in the !
name of and for the benefit Of his wife
in certain securities that raid him a |
small but regular stipend. But he still |
continued upon the boards OF the theater |
By reason OF some business engage
ments that called me away from the city, |
| did not see my friend the physician
for three months afterward. When | |
did asked tidings of The Man with the
Aneurism. The doctors kind face grew
sad. "Pm afraid-that is, l don't ex-
actly know whether I've good news or
bad. Did you ever see his wife ?"
never had.
swell, she was younger than. he, and |
rather attractive. One of these dolI-faced /
women. You remember, he settled that |
life insurance policy on her and the
children; she might have waited. She
didn't. The other day she elOped with
some fellow, don't remember his name,
with the children and the FIVE thousand
dollars
"And the shock killed him. l said,
with poetic promptitude.
"No--that is--not yet; 1 saw him
yesterday" said the doctor, with con-
scientious professional precision, looking
over his list of calls.
dwell, where is the poor fellow now ?"
"He's still at the theatqr. James, if
these powders are called for, you'll find
them here in this envelope. Tell Mrs.
Blank I'll be there at seven; and she can
give the baby this until come. Say
there's no danger. These women are an
awful bother! Yes, he's at the theater
yet. Which way are you going Down
town? Why can't YOU step into my
carriage, and I'll give you lift, and
we'll talk on the way down ? Well, he's
at the theater yet. and-do you
remember the destruction of Sennach-
crib? Ne2 Yes you do. You remem-
Der that woman in pink, who pireuetted |
in the famous ballet scenel You don't |
Why, yes you do Well, imagine, of
course | don't know; it's only sum-
mary diagnosis; but imagine that our
friend with the aneurism has attached |
himself to her"
Doctor, you hsrrify me.''E
There are more things, AR. Poet, in
heaven and earth than are dreamed of |
in your philosophy. Listen. My dag
nosis may be wrong, but that woman
called the other day at my Office te ask