The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-08-02

At Q recent annual dinner Of the
Royal Theatrical Fund In London. Mr..
!. l.. Toole, the Chairman, told the fol-
lowing story:
IL will tell you Of an experience Of :
stage supper which the name OF Mr..
Charles Dickens recalls to me. and
which is not without It's bearing on the
business before us. was playing Bob
Cratchett In the sChristmas Carol at
the Adelphi, under Mr.. Webster's man
agement, and every night ut eight, for
forty nights, had 10 carve goose and
Q plum pudding-Mr. Webster eener-
ously provided real goose and 4 real
plum pudding, which were served
smoking-hot, for Mrs. Cratchett and
the seven little Cratchetts, Of course in
Guiding Tiny Tim.
"The children always had enormous
portions given them, and they all ate
heartily every night; but what really
troubled me was the conduct of the lit
tie girl who played Tiny Tim. That
child's appetite appalled, me. could
not help noticing the extraordinary
rapidity with which she consumed what
gave her, and she looked SO wan and
thin, and so pitiful, that her face used
TO positively haunt me. used 10 saw
to myself before / began, well. TINY
Tim shall have enough this time. At al
events, and I'D pile her plate more and
more each evening, until ! remember
she had on one occasion nearly half the
bird, and potatoes, and seasoning. and
apple-sauce until hardly knew how
she could carry it away to the fireplace,
where she sat on low stool, in accord
ance with the story, far less eat IL. To
my amazement she cleared her plate as
quickly and as eager As ever, pushing
forward for plum pudding with the
others.
:" l grew alarmed and spoke to Mrs.
Alfred Mellon, who was playing Mrs.
Cratchett. respecting the phenomenon.
= don't like it, l said. Il can't conceive
where poor little delicate thing like
that puts the food Beside, although 1
like the children to enjoy a treat-and
how they kept on enjoying it for forty
nights was mystery-for / got into q
condition that II l dned at q friends
house and goose were on the table, /
regarded it as personal offront. But
said, referring TO Tiny Tim, Il don't
like greediness; it is additionally repul-
sive,' l said, lin q refined looking, deli
cate little thing like this; besides, It
destroys the sentiment, and when l as
Bob ought to feel most pathetic, I'm
always wondering where the goose and
pudding are, or whether any thing seri-
ous in the way Of q fit will happen to
Tiny Tim before the audience in conse-
luence OF her unnatural gorging.'
Mrs. Mellon laughed at me at first.
out eventually we decided to watch
Tiny Tim together. Well. gentlemen.
We watched as well a. we could. and the
moment Tiny Tim was seated and began
. eat we observed curious shutting
movement At the stage fireplace, and
very thing he had given her, goose and
potatoes and apple sauce disappeared
behind the sham fire, the child pretend
ng to eat as heartily as ever from the
'mpty plate. When the performance
vas over Mrs. Mellon and myself asked
he little girl what became OF her food
ne did not eat, and after little hesita-
ion. frightened less she should get into
r0uble, which we assured her should
lot happen, she confessed that her lit
e sisters-I should mention they were
he children of one of the scene shifters
waited on the other side Of the stage
replace, and the whole family enjoyed
hearty supper c.ery night out Of the
lentiful portions to which l. as Bob.
I'D assisted Tiny Tim. When I told
he story to Charles Dickens be replied,
Toole! you ought to give that child
he entire GOOSE"