The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-04-03
ALL IN MY EYE.
An EKcrucistingIy Funny Incident
from the Chicago Tribune.1

from the Chicago Tribune.l
Down in Caroline county, Md, the other day,
as the Rev. Mr. Walton, Of Shepherds Chapel,
was engaged in fervent prayer, hilarious wor-
shipper named Marvel took quid Of tobacco in
his hand and watching for a favorable oppor-
tunity when the clergymsn's head was thrown
back in earnest devotion, let fly the moist weed,
which struck fair in the face of the human
mark. The prayer suddenly stopped and
scene ensued, and Marvel was taken before a
resident magistrate and fined SIS costs. This
reminds one that a prominent Southern preach
eT has said that the only time he ever felt like
laughing in the pulpit was when he saw man
in the gallery drop quid Of tobacco IN the face
Of a sleeping man in pew on the ground foor
Of the church. -,
@Yes," said venerable Briton, Cock
ney of the Cockneyest, to the writer,
who had shown him the item above, ut
is getting well on to fifty years since L
saw something like that, and quite as
funny. in London theater. The play
was Richard, and the Richard was Ed
mund Kean. The theater was packed,
and every one in it was under the spell
of the actors magic The play was al
most over-in fact they had come to the
tent scene in the fifth act, where Rich
ard bids Ratcliff leave him, and every
body is preparing for the rising of the
ghosts. Well, in the front row of the
gallery l could see one sdmirer of the
drama, fairly wrought up by the players
passion and expectation, clenchlng the
front of the gallery with his hands, and
leaning away ont over it, staring down
ward, with his eyes protruding and his
mouth opening. Blight beneath him, in
the pit, was another admireT Of the
drama and the actor, as intensely
wrought upon by the mimic
scene, who, with his mouth and
ewes wide open, was staring up
ward as intently. And, Just at this
instant, frem the unheeding jaws of the
man in the gallery fell tremendous
ouid. 1 traced its fight through the
air, and-kerslapl-down it comes fat
in the eye of the man in the pit. He
in the gallery started back, awakened
from his trance, ard his victim, awak-
ened from his, jumped up, and, turn
ing to the gallery. yelled, IN give G5
TO any one who Will show me the son Of
a sea-cook that dropped his tobacco
quid into nay eye This incident and
exclamation, as you may naturally I'M
agine, coming right in the middle of
the extreme tension to which the audi
ence had been wrought mp, had a tre-
mendous effect, and every one In the
house fairly shrieked and doubled up
with laughter-even the actors on the
stage could not control themselves
and the curtain had TO come down.
Finally, when every ones sides were
sore, and the audience was too ex-
hausted to laugh any more, it was
rung up again and the play proceeded
perilously but 'decorously till Richard,
Cateshy, Ratcliff. and the others came
on. Then there was gurghng giggLe
heard in one or two quarters, chOked of
by desperate effort, till the precise
passage was reached at which, little
while before, the fatal quid had fallen,
when simultaneously every soul present
remembering the exquisiteiy absurd In
cident, made ore convulsive attempt to
restrain himself, and burst out in q roar
ing guffaw. The fountains of the great
deep of merriment were broken mp, and
people hoYled, Rugged themselves, lay
back in their seats, and grew apoplectic.
Down came the curtain again, and, when
at last the audience was worn ont, it was
once more raised, and the play went on.
This time all went nicely, the fatal line
was passed, and there was not smoker,
when one staid old gentleman in a box,
who had never smiled through the
whole ordeal, but had sat in deep dis
gdst. having been communing with him.
self all this time, and having arrived at
the conclusion that the conduct of the
audience was shockingly ridiculous,
sohloquized slOud in still, small voice,
distinctly audible in the hush, What
- foolsp This brought back instant
ly both the preceding scenes, plus the
old gentleman's mental processes, and q
scream went up to which the Others
were whispers. The end of 1t was they
had to leave the play unfinished and put
on a farce Yes" said the old gentle
man, rehectively, "let o man get quid
of tobacco in the eye on any particularly
solemn occasion, and the result Will be
startling