St. Landry democrat., 1878-06-08
UNCLE TOM.

| Play.
During the $500 times that Mrs. G.
G. Howard has played Topsy, she has
met with many laughable adventures.
1t was necessary on one occasion to leave
on midnight train, after the perform
ance, for distant city in which to play
the following Monday night. Hurry as
they did, the curtain fell very late, only
giving her time to seize her travelling
cloak and baggage and reach this out
going train. With the Eva of this tour
by the hand and her anxious Howard,
loaded with satchels, the party boarded
the cars while in motion out of the
depot.
Mrs Howard. who had no time to wash
up, attracted little attention, being &C.
copied as the nurse of the lovely little
Eva, but once ensconced in their "sec-
tions," the original Topsy seized toilet
satchel and made for the ladies' dressing
room. A young colored girl, consider
ing this good opportunity to get &C.
quainted with the other darkey nurse,
followed her in and then she beheld her
supposed country-woman undergoing q
transition-the inky fluid poured over
Topsy's face each time leaving it a
lighter shade.
Then the colored girl stopped not upon
the order of leaving, but left at once,
shouting through the car, "She's done
come white; TO- de Lord dat niger is
all washin' off! Peers like it was de
soap. Run, boss, an I never will forgin
ye. Only get me some of dat ar soap!"
Thus the excited darkey whooped up
and down the car till every passenger
was on end with curiosity and anxiety
to know if collision mad taken place,
and many hearty laugh was had with
the quiet little lady who had "done come
white" the night before.
During long run of Uncle Tom" in
an eastern city the family of the gentle
Eva went to housekeeping and during
the occupation of the elder forces a small
boy-brother Of Eva (the Eva on this
occasion being Miss Lula Prior -strayed
away and was lost in a strange CITY.
Moving was suspended and hunting
commenced but the child was not found.
Audiences must not be disappointed.
however, and SO the poor little sister was
forced to array herself for the part, wash
off the tears, and try to forget that her
little brother was lost. But during the |
evening the runaway was found, and the |
parents, to relieve the little daughters
mind, took him directly to the theater.
The death scene of Eva was On Topsy,
with her apron ON her head, crouched |
IN the floor. Seeing out OF corner the
recovered youth, Topsy said in whis-
Der: " Hold young Nebudchadnezzar
1p."
Eva lay on the couch-St. Clair bent
,ver her with the question:
What do you see Eva, darlingv To
which the dying child was to give only
he reply:
"Love-joy-peace," and fall back
lead upon the pillow.
Just as Eva raised feebly, lifted her
land and commenced the broken sentence,
he spied the rebound brother. With q
ny OF joy she extended her little hand f.,
oward him, and broke out:
ooh, see, see, he's found he's there, ,,
nd never thought to see my little
,rother again." then, recollecting her 1
art, she gave great gulp of fright, fell (
ack spasmodically to the studied words, +
nd cried out, " Love! joy! peace! .
nd dropped her head upon the pillow.
The scene was never more affecting; C
lbs were heard on all sides. The speech p
as 90 heartfelt that the audience felt h
Ire it was part of the play that the .,
wing Eva was supposed to have vision .
a lost brother, waiting ON the mystic p
lore for the launching of the little life Il
aving this, and many of them no doubt 81
ell cheated to this day Of clever point -
: the cutting down of Eva's death :.
eech to the words, Lowell joy "
.ace!" tt