The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-06

stringfellow submitted the views Of Mr.
lnority of the Committee on Homesteads tute
IT. s5es r,-as---4s~--e ---t.-l ------~ .g-" Ell
THEATRICALS AND ANECDOTES.
.".- CONTRIBUTED BY I. s.
HARLEY.
A witty five act comedy, entitled what
VIII the World Say?" was written by Mark
Lemon and acted at Covent Garden Theatre
In the year 1871. The main feature Of the
comedy was a well authenticated story, cur
rent at. the period, to this effect:
A successful grocer died, leaving large
fortune and two sons. To one son he had
given liberal education; the other was
brought up to the business. To the educated
son he left moderate fortune. To the other
he bequeathed the bulk Of his estate. The
scholar was modest In his habits and lived
within his income. The young grocer wasted
his substance In the society Of profllgates, for,
In his attempt to associate with those tar
above him socially, for which his antecedents
totally untitled him, he became prey to black
legs and ended his career by marrying d
woman Of bad character, and lost his fortune
! to swindlers
Mark Lemon utilized the incident, as shall
relate, and having the inimitable comedian
Harley to perscnate the principal character,
Abel Green, the young ex-grocer,it contributed
nightly to the success Of the comedy.
The old grocer had educated his younger
son ut Cambridge. The elder was, as he sup
own heart-he therefore brought him up TO
the shop. Well, the old man dies, and by his
will beaueathes to his younger son and fine
gentleman" as he used sneeringly to call him,
small sum Of money, but to label Green,''
the tradesman, and his favorite, he left the
bulk OF his fortune, together with the stock
and trade, only encumbered with the request
that he would continue the grocery business,
and thus perpetuate the family name to the
end Of time as respectable trades people. But
Abel Green, now no longer controlled by q
plodding father, and inclined to attic farces,"
sells out the shop, quits trade, and determines
to mingle In fashionable life II 30 happens
that Master Green seeks society just at that
season Of the year when, as the phrase goes
call London Is out of town." Green soon
gets acquainted with very questionable char
acters, d class OF persons representing moth
ing more or less than thigh life beloW stnirs,'
such as footmen, Wallets, ladies' maids and
other upper servants, who are left in charge
OF the masters houses during their absence
from town. These worthless assume for the
time the names and titles OF their employers;
and In that guise are introduced to Abel
Green who Is delighted with his newly-fOund
friends. and Is elated at having 50 easily ar
rived at the very summit OF his desire- Abel,
introduced to Lords and Countesses, Ouch
esses and Dukes 1mmemofable, dimes and
Bups them to safety. Before long, as may be
easily fOreseen, Abel falls In love with one Of
the said-to-be Countesses, and after brief
courtship he is eozened into an eiopement and
hurriedly married at "Gretna Green" to no
less a person las he believes) than the Lady
Caroline de Glare, Of Clare Castle county
Galway.
The fun, witness, drollery and inimitabe
acting Of the inimitable Harley can hardly be
do51filea; audience Is kept In high spirit
and hilarious good humor from the Begin
ming to the end Of the play.
l shall endeayor to describe telling serio-
comic scene that was unsurpassingIy well
deliniated by Harley.
The curtain rises and discovers well-ap-
pointed breakfast room; Harley, the bene-
diet, is present IN deshablle. He Is walking
TO and fro, with arms crossed behind him
he Is in reflective mood-apparently con-
founded ,ra p,erplexed and Iewildered
The audience, without q word as yet from
the actor, understands. that Abel Green Is
painfully troubled and knows now that ne
has been fooled to the top Of his bent: the
poor fellow, even In his drollery, taxes your
sympathy. A new light has broken upon the
deluded label" He stops his hurried walk
faces the audience, and, with dexter finger on
nose and his head noddlng significantly, In
q melancholy tone of voice he gives utter
ance to his thonghts-each word Of the fol-
lowing sentence falling, slowly and deiber-
ately from his lips: II have come to the con
clusion that great ladies are not such great
things, after all" The audience applauded
loud and long, not the sentiment, but the de-
lineatory skill Of the actor, who, although
revealing In fun, had created some sympathy
Tor the supplemented Abel Green
John Pritt Harley was comedian Of rare
excellence. He died In harness at the good
old age Of seventy-two.
The manner Of his death is painfully Inter.
e.sting, On the night Of the twenty third Of
Midsummer Nights Dream, at the Prln-
cess Theatre. In the fourth act, first scene
he fell back apparently fainting. He was
quickly removed from the stage; but before
he could be conveyed to his home, he appro-
priately muttered words from the part he had
I been playing: Il have an exposition of sleep
come upon me-" and instantly died.
NOLAN AND BALAKLAyA
Capt. Nolan, who died at Balaklava, was
brilliant cavalry officer. It was he who as
ld-de-camp to the comm ander-in-chief Of the
British forces at the Crimea conveyed YER
bal message to Lord Cardigan, who was In
command Of the Light Brigade, to charge the
russian batteries. The order was, "Charge
Immediately the Russian guns and silence
them
The Light Brigade numbered Id all six hun
dred horsemen. The Russians were in great
force with three batteries, consisting Of near
W hundred guns, also well supported by in