The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1880-07-03
Uncle Toms Cabin.

During the thirty-fve hundred times
that Mrs. G. c. Howard has played Topsy
she has met with many laughable adven-
lures. 1t was necessary on one occasion
to leave on midnight train, after the
performance, for distant city in which
to play the following Monday night
Hurry as they did, the curtain fell very
late, only giving her time to seize her
| travelling cloak and baggage and reach
this outgoing train. With the Eva of
| this tour by the hand, and her anxious
Howard, loaded with satchels, the party
| boarded the cars while in motion out of
| the depot.
Mrs Howard, who had no time to wash
! up, attracted little attention. being accept
| ed as the nurse of the lovely little Eva,
(. but once ensconced in their section
! the original Topsy seized toilet satchel
| and made for the ladies' dressing room.
A young coored girl, considering this a
! good opportunity to get acquainted with
| the other darky nurse, followed her in
and then she beheld her supposed coun-
| trywoman undergoing transition-the
inky fluid poured over Topsy's face each
time leaving it lighter shade
Then the coto~ lgirl stopped not upon
| the order of leaving, but left at once,
shouting through the ear she's done
| come white; TO- dc Lord dat niger is all
washin' off. Pears like ii was de soap
! Run, boss, an | never will forgin YOU
Only get me some Of dat AZ soap!'
| Thus the excited darky whooped up
and down the car till every passenger
was on end with curiosity and anxiety
| 10 know if a collision had taken place,
and many a hearty laugh was had with
the quiet little lady, who had done
come white" the night before.
During a long run of "Uncle Tom" in
an eastern city, the family of the gentle
Eva went to housekeeping; and during
the occupation of the elder forces small
boy-brother to Eva (the Eva on this oc-
caSion being Miss Lulu Prior r)-straved
away and was lost in the strange city.
Moving was suspended and hunting conl-
menceA; but the child was not found.
Audiences must not be disappointed
however, and SO the poor little sisterwas
forced to array herself for the part, wash
off the tears, and try and forget that her
! little brother was lost But during the
evening the runaway was found, and the
parents, to relieve their little daughters
mind, took him directly to the theater.
The death-scene of Eva was on; Top
Sy, With ItT apron Oh Her Iledu, CIOuGleu
on the floor. Seeing, out of corner,
the recovered youth, Topsy said in a
| whisper: Hold young Northumberland
up
Eva lay ON the coueh-St Clair bent
| over her with the question:
what do you see, Eva, darling2' To
which the dying child was only to reply
Love -joy-pcace,o and fall back
dead upon the pillow.
/ Just as Eva raised her head feeblv
lifted her hand, and commenced the bro,
ken sentence, she spied her rebound bro.
ther With 4 cry Of JOY, she extended
her little arms toward him, and broke
out:
"Oh, see-sce, he's found. he's there
and never thought TO see my little bro
ther yagain;" then rceollecting her part
she gave a great gnlp of fright, fell back
spasmodically TO the studied words, ane
cried out. Love- joy.-peaeew an,
dropped her head upon the pillow
The scene was never more affecting
sobs were heard on all sides The speed
was SO heartfelt that the audience fel
sure it was Il part Of the play-that the
dying Eva was supposed to have a vision
Of lost brother waiting on the mysti,
shore for the launching of the little life
leaving this-and many Of them, ~
doubt, feel cheated to this day Of a eleye
point by the cutting down of Era's dealt
speech to the words, Love joy
peace