The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-12-07
Stage Stories.


Mr.. Edward Compton, the Heading
support" Of Adelaide Nelson during her
last engagement in the United States,
tells the following stories:
A celebrated actress, being imbued
with compassion for the sufferers In tine
disastrous 'iCotton Famine" kindly
volunteered her valuable services, and
PLAYED two night Cat Liverpool, think
for their benefit. OF course, the house
was crowded, and many were the ex-
pressions of admiration, both for the
actress and for the woman, bestowed on
the fair performer. At the conclusion of
the second nights entertainment, there
were loud calls for the gifted artist, and,
in response to the applause which
greeted her appearance before the cur
tain, she spoke In accents not unmoved
by emotion the following words, which,
If few In number, were at least thor
oughlY to the point: sLad es and gentle
men, Heaven bless you for coming for
ward In such numbers to aid the good
work I have done my best to promote.
Believe me, assistance is much needed
for the poor sufferers. Heaven bless
youl am here in a good cause, the
cause of charity! Ladies and gentle
men, good-by. Next year hope to be
with You again, and do a little on my
own accountl Heaven bless you!
Exit
was playing ''Romeo" one night at
Birmingham, and we had arrived at that
scene which finishes with the killing of
''Tybalt" by the sword of 'Romeo. !"
As this scene is usually ''closed in" well
1p to the stage to allow outlets" cham
Der to succeed it Immediately, the rep
resentative of the fiery ''Tybalt" Is al
WAYS asked to die in the third or fourth
entrance. e., at the back of the
stage-and lie close until the flats are
run on and he is hidden from view.
''Tybalt" received my sword in the
usual effective fashion, and, treating the
audience to tremendous 'backfall,
dropped down stiff. and stark, and dead!
The prompter at once gave the signal tor
the flats to be pulled on, but alas! the
scene-shifters were pulling at something
else. and did not respond, the only move
ment being the shutting of feet, caused
by the employees rushing ''next door to
fetch the delinquents. Having heard
the whistle, and listened to the conse-
quent shutting of feet, our friend ''Iy-
bait" concluded that all was right, and,
calmly sitting up, he very methodlcally
put his collar to rights, fdgeted with
button at his neck, decently pulled down
his Shakespearean shirt, and, shaking
the dust off his wig, turned round TO get
up. when to his establishment and dis
may. he encountered the amused gaze OF
the large audience fixed intently on HIM!
With a Mortified my G-!' he rapidly
measured his length SECOND time, and
the seene-shifters having returned, the
flats were rapidly run on, amid the mp"
roarious laughter of every spectator be-
fore and behind the scenes!
It's all very well to be "trUe sub
ject." but some persons are apt to be so
carried away by their respect for the
throne that they can never let slip an OPP
portunity of making public their very
Ioval feelings One of this kind was
capital actor Qet us call him Harry Co
bnrn) who happened to be playing
s.Capt. Thornton In Rob Roy, and was,
therefore, required to give out the FOL
lowing sentence: eff / have been de-
ceived by those artful saVages, know
how to die for my error, without dis
grazing the King [ serve or the country
that gave me BIRTH" Just as he was
going On it suddenly occurred to him
that as Victoria was then the reignlng
sovereign. it would be more becoming
to him to substisute the word Queen for
the word King, and wind up with the
speech right royalty with ''the Queen |
serve. " instead of with "the country that
gave me birth. P" Whether, however,
his strong notions of royalty made him
careless of all else, or whether he got
''muddled" by SO hastily attempting
trans1,,, -ition In SO familiar speech, no
one could ever tell, but he certainly pro
duced marked impression by the fol-
lowing new reading, which he delivered
most emphatically and impresslVely::
eff have been deceived by these artfnl
savages, know how to die for my error,
without disgracing the country serve,
or the Queen that gave me b1rth!' l
believe he was dubbed Prince Harry at-
ter this.