Litchfield enquirer., 1879-09-11

AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE. To describe the peculiarities of an American audience is much like describing afevel country; the latter rich, bonnets and drapery, but both monotonous and without vari, tv.s Tie fashionable first night" audicncein. New York has one iaterest- ing pecuiarity worth noticing. It is good natured and kindly to a. degree, which utterly destroys it's value as a j6ry for the trial of new actor Those interested in the result must watch it very closely aRd with tiie eye of experience, to fddgeswhether tiie applanse is merely conventional, given as a matter of etiquette, so to speak. or the true expression of aroused feeling. Every one, excepting, Of course, the critics seems to go on with plac- i'd determination that he or she will do his or her duty in making the occasion successful, whether the author, actor and managers have aone theirs or not. The persstency with which this determination is sometimes dog gedv adhered to, like the forced smile of the bored guests at fashionable dinner party, is amusing, and almost quaint in it's .peculiarity. A member of New York first night audience makes the French expression liberal-he as- sists and it is not his fault if his assistance is in vain. This characteristic makes an abso- lute failure in that city the most ghastly and formidable thing of it's kind known to the civ iized world. An author or manager can brace his neves against the noisy indignation of disgusted and demon strative audience. He can endure less easily, but still endure, the tender silence of grieved and disappointed audience. But what amount of writhing and gnashing of teeth can express his feelings when an audience (as have seen in New York; calls up the curtain on the first, r6 nf a and two-thirds of it quietly walk out of the house before the curtain rises on the fifth act /? In such a case there is hardly an expression of dsproval heard throughout the evening in any part of the house, except in the subdued tones of private conversation between the acts. The gallery boy in the back row mentions his im- pressions to his neighbor, but joins the gentle man in the paraquet whenever there is chance to applaud. As the curtain falls, the hands that have just been going through the form of respectful approval reach for hats and eloaks, and the last act is left to it's fate with remnant of the audience. more patient than the desert CTS, but not more calm, serene, and placid.- Bronson Hoaoard, tu the 7heGtre.
 Sir Rowland Hill, who died lately, when on one of his phianthropic and discovery tours through England, stopped one evening at north county inn. While sitting with other
 
 the postman brought in the mail Among oth: eEpersons who received letter was akitchen lassie. She took the letter from the carrier, turned itover and over in her hands, looking wistfullygM it alEthetfme. .sand at lasthanded it back to the postman, remarking: '1 have no money to pay the postage on letter from India" Rowland Hill stepped forward, and said: '1 will pay the postage rather than have you deprived of the pleasure of a letter." aud hnr Tod kn~ kl,n ,iroIo ,x,b; nh, oI,o ceived with evident gratitude and surprise.
 After she left the kitchen another traveller said; ''That is her game; she knew all that was in that letter from certain marks on the outside. It was from her sweetheart in India and before he went off they agreed upon some | signs by which she was to learn if he was we'll prosperous, and when coming home, and when a letter is brought to her she examines the outside and knows all that she wants to, but makes that excuse in returning it.
 MT. Hill went in search of the girl and by adroit questioning found his fellow travellers guess to be correct. Theesglrl also showed hMThow sue deciphered the signs, telling him at the sanle time that she was too poor to pay { the postage, and that was the reason that she and her lover had agreed upon this plan
 From these facts Mr. Hill inferred that the government must annually be defrauded by such artifices of large sums, and he began planning a system of stamps which would se- cure to the government certain posta reve- nue. The present postal system is the result.
 A correspondent of the St. Paul (Minn) Pioneer Press has been looking over the work ing of the prohibitory law in Maine. This famous statute which bears the name of the state where it is in force prohibits the sale of liquor by any person for aay purpose but re- quires cities and towns to keep a supply on handpand run anoiIicial liquor shop, in order to furdsh, the public. what is Iecu'cd for me chanieal or'medicinal purposes. It is not law ful te sell liquor, but thereis no law against it,. Any personmay bring all tue whisky he likes into the state t6T his i6divdual consump- ton, or to give away. The correspondent says: ''The Maine law was supposed by me to be a myth before came here, but find that it is not and on the contrary is rigidly en- forced throughout thcee- -fourths of the state. in the larger towns aud cities absolute proh,- btioa is practically impossible, but theoretl- cally this is enforced as well as any particular law in Minnesota or any other statc.'