The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-12
Surprised st william Shakepeare's
snap. t.H 2f.


Edwin Booth has Just made SO palpable
hit in London in Richelieu calls tn mind
. little story told by our leading star to
the writer during his last visit here,
while taking q look at the Golden Gate
from the Point Bonita lighthouse.
"Once during the days of my early
struggles in the profession" said Booth,
"and while We were barn storming
down in Virginia, an odd thing hap.
pened, which illustrates the shifts to
which the 'pOor player was then put in
order to get along. We were playing
showing they called it then-One night
at a little place named Lees Landing,
and the tobacco warehouse We had inn.
prOWsed into theater was crowded by
the planters for miles around. We had
arranged to take the weekly steamer
which they expected would touch there
late that night, and between the acts
were all busy packing up. The play was
the the Merchant Of Venice and we
were just going on for the court scene,
where the Jew insists on his pound of
flesh, when we heard a whistle blow, and
the manager came running in to say
that the steamer had arrived ahead Of
time and would leave again in ten min
uteS. ..g ......
Gas that was our only chance of get
ting down the Chesapeake, we were nat.
urally in terrible quandary. If we
stop right here and EXPLAIN said the
manager, the audience will think they
ore being cheated, and 60 in for FREQ
fight. The only thing we can do is for
You fellows to get up some sort Of nat.
ural-like. impromptu ending for the
piece and ring down the drop. Go right
ahead, ladies and gentlemen, and take
your cue from Ned here, and he hur.
lied away to get the luggage on board.
"1f it had been in any other quarter
of the country I wouldn't have had the
assurance to do as he said. but the igno.
rance OF the ordinary Virginisns of
those days was something marvellous;
SO, when old George kuggles, who was
doing ShVlock, got to where he sharp.
ems his knife on his shoes, I walked SOL
EMMY up to him and said:
"'You're bound to have the flesh, are
youp' -
"'You bet your life,' said George,
under the impression that he was i'm.
provislpg very skillfully indeed.
"'Now, III make you one moro
dicker,' l continued; in addition to
this bag of ducats, III throw in two
kegs Of niggerhead terback, a shotgun,
az. and a. couple Of the best coon dogs in
a"f'm blamed If don't do it, said
Shylock, much 10 the appreciation Of
the audience, who were tobacco raisers
and coon hunters from the ground M. Z
"":Apd to show that there is no hard
feeling said Portia, tucking up her
regal gown, wen windup with . Wiz.
ginny reel 'o''J i ~ '.Ja.eiI'in0
"And as the prompter struck up
money Musk on his fiddle we danced
q couple of figures, and made break for
the boat as the curtain fell, amid thun.
ders Of applause. @I +" ~ 1taH1"
"When we got on board, the steam.
er's Captain, who had witnessed the
conclusion Of the play with great de.
light, rendered the troupe the compli.
nient OF a hot supper, and remarked, as
we sat down to what was rare treat in
those 'palmy days of the drama:' VI,
:t'I'd like TO- see the whole of thst
playsome time, gentlemen. I'm blamed
II ! thought that fellow Shakespeare
had 50 much snap to him. San Fran.
cisco News letter. 1'.'l'i i-i u = i