Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-03-29
ALL IN MY EYE.
An Excruciatingly Funny Incident.

An Excruciatingly Funny Incident.
Down in Carolina county, Md, the
other day, as the Rev. Mr.. Walton, of
Shepherds Chapel, was engaged in fer
vent prayer, hilarious worshiper named
Marvel took 1uid of tobacco in his
hand, and, watching for favorable ep-
| portunity when the clergyman'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 en-
sued, and Marvel was taken before a
resident magistrate and fined IS COST
This reminds one that prominent
South ern preacher has said that the only
time he eve: telt like laughing in the
pulpit was when he saw man in the
gallery drop quid of tobacco in the face
ola sleeping man in the pew oil the
ground floor of the church.
eyes," said venerable Briton, Cock
ney Of the Cockneyest, to the writer, who
had shown him the item above, ait is
getting well on to fifty years since saw
something like that, and quite as funny,
iE London theater. The play was
Richard and the Richard was Edmund
Kean. The theater was packed, and
every one in it was under the spell of the
actors magic. The play was almost
over-in fact they had cume to the tent
scene in the fifth act, where Richard bids
Ratclitf leave him, and everybody is
preparing for the rising of the ghosts
Well, in the front row OF the gallery |
could see one admirer of the drama, fair
ly wrought up by the players passion
and expectation, clenching the front OF
the gallery with his hands, and leaning
away out over it, staring downward with
his eyes protruding and his mouth open,
ing. Right beneath him, in the pit, was
another admirer of the drama and the
actor, as intensely wrought upon by the
mimic scene, who, with has mouth and
eyes wide open, was staring upward as
intently. And, just at this instant, from
tho unheeding jaws of the man in the
gallery fell a tremendous quid. l traced
its fight through the air, and-kerslap
down it comes fiat in the eye Of the
man in the pit. He in the gallery start
ed back, awakened from his trance, and
his victim, awakened from his, jumped
up, and turning to the gallery, yelled,
IN give &5 to any one who will show
mo the son OF a cook that dropped his
tobacco quid into my eye.' This Incl
dent and exclamation, as you may natur.
ally imagine, coming right in the middle
of the extreme tension to which the
audience had been wrought up, had a
tremendous 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 exhausted to laugh
any more, it was rung up again and the
play proceeded perieusy but deeorousIy
till Richard, Catesby, Ratcliff, and the
Others came en-. Then there was gurg-
ling giggle heard in one or two quarters,
| choked off by desperate effort, till the
precise passage was reached at which, a
little while before, the fatal quid had fal,
len, when simultaneously every soul pres
ent, embering the exquisltely absurd
incident, made ono convulsive attempt to
restrain himself, ard burst out in roar
ing gutfaw. The fountains of the great
deep of merrment were broken up, and
people howled, hugged them selves, lay
back in their seats, and grew apoplectic.
Down came the curtain again, and, when
at last the audience was worn out, it was
once more raised, and the play went on.
This time all went nicely, the fatal line
was passed, and there was not a snicker,
when one staid old gentleman in box,
who had never smiled through the whole
ordeal, but had sat in deep disgust, having
been communing with himself all this
time, and having arrived at the conclusion
that the conduct of the audience was
shockingy ridiculous, soliloquized aloud
in still, small voice, distinctly audible in
the hush, 'What--fools 4 Th. brought
back instantly both the preced ing scenes,
plus the old gentleman's mental process,
and scream went up to which the others
were whispers. The end of it was they
had to leave the play unfinished and put
on farce. Yes said the old gentleman,
refectively, let a man get aquid of to-
bacco in the eye on any particularly SOL
smn occasion, and the result will be start.
ling. Chicago Tribune.