The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-01-24
ALL IN MY EYE.
An overwhelmingly Funny Incident.
From the Chicago Trbune.l

from the Chicago Tribunel
Down in Caroline county, Md, the other day
| as the Rev Mr.. Walton, of Shepherds Chapel
was engaged in fervent prayer, q hilarious wor-
shipper named Marvel took quid of tobacco II
| his hand and watching for a favorable oppOr-
tunitv 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 a
scene ensued, aud Marvel was taken before a
resident magistrate and fined 30 costs. This
reminds one that a prominent Southern preach
er 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 III the face
of sleeping man in pew on the ground floor
of the church
"Yes," said venerable Briton, Cock
ney of the Cockneyest, to the writer,
who had shown him the item above, at
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
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 could see one admirer of the
drama, fairly wrought up 10y the players
passion and expectation, clenching 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. 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 his mouth and
eyes 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
quid. L traced its fight through the
air. and-kerslap down it comes fiat
i'll the eye of the man in the pit. He
in the gallery started back, awakened
from his trance, and his victim, awak-
ened from his, jumped up, and, turn
ing to the gallery. yelled. III give 95
to any one who will show me the son of
a sea-cook that dropped his tobacco
quid into my eye This incident and
as you may naturally I'M
agine, coming right in the middle of
the extreme tension to which the audi
ence had been wrought up, had ire
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 we're
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,
Catesby, Ratcliff, and the others came
on. Then there was gurgling giggle
heard in one or two quarters, choked off
by desperate effort, till the precise
passage was reached at which, little
while before, the fatal quid had fallen,
when simultaneously every soul present,
the exquisitely absurd in
cident, made ore convulsive attempt to
restrain himself, and burst out in a roar
ing guffaw. The fountains of the great
deep of merriment were broken up, and
people howled, Rugged themselves, 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 smoker,
when one staid old gentleman in box,
who had never smiled through the |
whole ordeal, but had sat in deep dis |
CAST, 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 aloud in still, small voice,
audible in the hush, What
- fools!' This brought back Instant
~ both the preceding scenes, plus the
old gentleman's mental processes, and a
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 gentle
man, refectively, "let man get quid
of tobacco in the eye on any particularly |
solemn occasion, and the result will be