The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-25

ment III lie New Ork HeTdfu Tue suD'
stance OF which was that / wantrd ten
dogs--two ch--Newfoundland, BACKYARD.
tan, splfZ, setter, and p00dIe-and that the
doe-mcn should apply at O'Clock In fbe
morning until In the afternoon for three
days at my residence.
"Tbe next morning by 8 o'clock The
street IN front OF my house was crowded
with men and dogs sighting their way around
the front stoop. Aroused by the Internal
noise, I got out of nv bed, went 10 The
window, and as I. drew back the curtain
and exposed my head and shoulders every
fellow In that motley crowd held up bis dog
and yelled, 'Hert,be il. Mr.. Florence; this
IL the one you want l don't know what
else they sa,d, for the bowling and barking
OF the dogs ard the laughter OF the crowd
drowned all other sounds. | was ut loss
TO account for this strange sight. MIS-.
Florence came TO the window, look In the
scene, and With that nice perception Of
things which never deserts the sex in an
emergency, said: why, | see what this
is. II cannot be anything but one of Ned
tbern's jokes, my DEAR and with that she
exclaimed. Look, look. it's he! There Is
Sothern himself,'
81 had refreated short distance from the
window. but when Mrs. Florence said that
the great joker was present In person l
went forward. and sure enough there be
was, looking at q beautiful skye terrier,
which he afterward purchased. lie turned
to nv window, and, with that characteristic
way he has OF adjusting his eyeglass. he put
it on and looked straight at me as II he had
never seen me, and then innocently asked n
boy who was holding an ugly eur, 'WhO
lives in that house? What queer person is
that who is.sbaking his fist at uss' why,
Florence, the ac or, lives there, and he adj
yertised for dogs, and that's what's the mat
ter answered The urchn.
"sGoiny into the dog business, sup.
pose p said Sothern. Yes said the boy,
| reckon he is; be is always doing some
thing for us feIlows.' Dundreary logged
along among the crowd, and he said aft"r-
ward Il was one OF bis most successful
jokes"
UNDER THE TABLE.
Senseiess az the following may appear at
first, it, humor cannot be questioned. On
an occasion Sothern was entertaining at dim
ner eight or ten gentlemen. In the midst
of the meal Mr.. English, SOthern's friend
and agent, was announced. "Now, boys"
said SOihern, "all OF you get under the Ia.
ble-every man OF vou-and don't stir until
give the word. This is the best joke on
English that you ever saw" Suiting The
action 10 the word, down went the guests
and in came Mr.. English. Sitting
by The side OF Mr.. Solhern, he pro-
ceeded to discuss the business that
had brought him to the bouse, apparently
without taking any notice OF the vacant
CHAIRS or the litter on the table. Mr.. Soiifern
on his part said nothing about his other
guests until one by one the gentlemen un-
der the table, weared with their forced re-
tirfment. and uncomfortable position, aud
unable to see where the joke came ln,
craWled up, and TO the astonishment OF Mr.
SotherD's last guest resumed their places.
AS each one appeared Mr.. Sothern gave hlm
a sly wink-one OF those famous Dun
dreary winks you have seen on the stage
as much as to say. keep quiet, old fel'
Iow,v untiI the whole party were reseated,
and the dinner proceeded as usual. DOVE
TO this hour not one Of those gentlemen has
ever succeeded in getting MIR. Sothern to
explain wbere the joke was on English.
Anecdotes OF tais nature concerning the
iavorile comedian abound. and booksful
could be cJlIted which would repay the
reading. In "Birds OF a Feather" Sotn-
ern himself. recounts scores OF yarns that
abundanily illustrate the underlying comedy
of his nature, and in dramatic circles, for
years TO come, hi. jokes will be hashed as
his memory will he hOnored.