The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-03-08
JOHN I. RAYMOND.
To Cincinnati With the Cracked TeapOt-TAe
Man Of Constant Hope.

If Raymond inherited nothing else, he
inherited the bump of Hope, largely de-
veloped. Like Pope's "Universal Man."
he
"Never was, but always to be, blest,"
and he invariably came up smiling after
every round of Fate, no matter how
heavily he had been sent to grass; there
was always q "good time coming" tor
| him. And it did come at last, though 1T
was a long time about it.
Every once in a while, the tall, gaunt
figure of John would be met upon the
street, ana he would approach you with
elastic step, and u bright twinkle in his
eye, and, rubbing his hands rapidly TO-
getner as though he were endeavorlng 10
set fire to himself by friction, he would
greet you with:
"Otf tomorrow. old fellow, good-by-
got 'em this timel All right, my boy
| all right! Bound to cIml. Told you so.
Fortune-surew and then he'd rub his
hands again, and poke you in your ribs,
while his eyes would twinkle brighter
than ever, and he smiled ali over at the
| brilliant prospect his imagination con-
jured up.
"Where are you going, Johnw and
"What have you gotp you would ask.
"Going to Cincinnati, my bOy-open
f, splendid chance, splendid New piece;
| bound to be u go-'Hhe Cracked Teapot
biggest thing l ever sawl GoOd-by (;
see YOU when l come back" and, rub
bing his hands more briskly than ever,
and with a parting dig at your ribs, ned
trot away, putting zero to the right Of
| a unit at every step.
When you next met John his air
would not be quite SO jaunty-hls eye
not quite SO bright, the lines ABOUT his
mou h more clearly defined.
"Why, John old fellow, how dye DO?
Glad to see you. When did you get
back? Didn't so any further than Gin
cinnati, ehW
"Well. no." he would answer. But he
wouldn't rub his hands.
CHOW was business? How did 'The
Cracked Teapot turn outr
"W Well-business wasn't very GOOD
hasn't been good all season. First night
opened against Barnum's Circus-of
course Barnum's Circus nad TO come JUS t
at that time. Barney Macauley knewit
was coming, and THAT'S the reason lie
gave me that week. Barnum's circus
there three nights! OF course every
body went to the circus. Thursday
night rainedl Never saw it rain SO
hard. Friday night my benefit Big
political meeting in FitLn-street Market
square, right around the corner. Van
a AmDurgh's menagerie opened Saturday
that killed the matinee and night tool
Never mind, Pm back again all right.
Fetch 'em YET"
"But how about The Cracked Tea.
pot,' John? How about the piece?"
"Well, was little disappointed In
| the piece. Fact is, you can't always tell
about a piece. Sometimes when they
read well they don't act worth cent.
Don't think my part was quite up to me
-didn't kinder ill.,"
AT last John Mccullough, OF the Cali
| fornia Theater, San Francisco, offered
him short engagement at his theater,
where Raymond aIoretime had been a
| member of the stock company, and
great local favorite, as he deserved to be.
Here one OF the numerous 'aramatists"
with which San Francisco abounds-yoH
meet them on every corner, and they
waylay you at every step as you take
your walks abroad-0tlered him a ssnew
piece" which he had dramatized from
Mark Twain's "Gilded Age"
New pieces was Johns weakness. He
read this one Oh sight, and was delight
ed with it, especially with the character
of "Colonel Seliers"-and well he might
be, for Colonel Sellers" was the rehec-
ton of himself, the very part he mad
been playing ali his life without know
ing it-and lie at once negotiated for the
purchase of the play, feeling assured
that there was "mlllions in ii, )" as there
had been, to MS hopeful nina, in every
piece he nad ever possessed.
But this time there was no doubt
about it. He bought the piece, and was
happy-so was the Californian author,
| for it was very rarely he met with
sale.
At length the good time, which had
been SO long coming, had come! He be-
| came the 1avorite OF the public which
had so long ignored him; the news
papers which had been so severe upon
him now lacked words to express their
admiration. Money came upon him like
| a tlood, and when he returned from his
| first tour nobody was better lodged, or
rode about in huer landau, with coat
OF arms upon its panels, and drawn by
a more spirited pair OF horses, more gay
ly caparsoned, or driven by sleeker
coachman, in more ''stunning" livery,
than that in which John and his pretty
wife were driven in about the city or
through the park; and nobody enYied
him, but every body rejoiced at mis- good
fortune, for all said that his talents, his
perseverance,, his hopetulness under
uluCulb1S0S anu AAo VOitVUHtCO uG66ITGu ~
all!
Raymond has but two troubles now.
He is paying &l ark Twain, he thinks, too
much money for the use OF the medium
to which he is indebted tor sall his sue
cess and the abundancy heinow enjoys;
and he is at the mercy Of the property
man" wherever he goes, for one of Ray
mond's peculiarities is, that he can not
eat vegetables.
He never ate one in his life!
A potato sends a thrill OF horror
through him, turnip sets him to trem.
bling like leaf, and cabbage is his
6ete a0ir. Therefore, in the welI-known.
dinner scene, where he regales his guest
upon dish OF raw turnips, the proper
ty-man is always cautioned to substi-
tute pared apples instead OF turnips.
"Astonishing cure for consumptionlp
as the old lodging-hOnse keeper said
when she spr1nkled her Dnmpkin pies
with aovanna nannoF hofnr.