The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-22
THE UNDERSTUDIER.
A Theatrical Sketch.

The lot Of Siguor Dibini was cast among the
great ones of the earth. His daily acquaint-
ances were emporers, kings, brave men and
fair women. He knew several illustrious capt
aims, and at least five famous cardi-
mails. They were clad in purple and fine
linen and lived sumptuously every day-or
rather, every night They sat down to
banquets that pleased the eye, if they were
somewhat fibrous to the taste. They drank
cold tea out of beakers, called their servants
varlets and performed most daring actions,
sometimes of personal bravery, occasionally
of infinite rascaldom. Murder was a matter
that happened among them six days a week.
They drank poison to slow music, they stabbed
eace other to the heart wi h loud HAL hal"
They smothered their wives with the connubial
pillow and went off with the wives of other
men. A registering, boisterous, crafty
wealthy, impecunieus, murderous, iniquitous,
virtuous crew, whose life was a Short and not
always merry one. A community with
whom the great moral, legal or physical in
fiuences which control the ordinary human
race, worked with surprising rapidity and I'M
erring certainty.
Jonadab Dibbins lived at the blighted end
of Waterloo Bridge road, lean and careworn
man, carrying prodigious height of forehead,
with frontal development like a bay-window,
generally understood in the Dibbins house
hold to porteud enormous but restrained
ability. The Dibbins household was numer-
Gus and select to the extent that the great
majority of its members we're in tender years.
Any one strayng into the little apartment
which served as breakfast-room, dining-room
and drawing-room, might reasonably have
thought that he had happened upon creche,
and if he had remained throughout the day
must have wondered when the children were
to be called for But nobody ever called for
them of late, not even Death, who is more at
tentive on households where there is more to
eat and more liberal distribution of clothing.
All told, there were nine. If all had lived
there would have been eleven. Two had died,
one consequent upon tee hing, another in the
public streets, sacrificed to the Moloch of
brewers dray.
This happened when the Dibbinses lived in
Drury Lane, and it had led to their moving to
the Waterloo Bride road. 1t was necessary for
professional reasons that Mr.. Dibbns should
have his domicile somewhere near the Strand.
A court he held to be unhealthy. Mrs. Dib-
bins, with the fate of her second born before
her eyes, would not live in thoroughfare; so
they arrived at the compromise of residing in
Waterloo Bridge road, one of the main ar
teries of London, which has not yet recovered
frsm the blighting influence of the toll bridge
At first Mrs. Dibbins suffered unnumbered
anxieties in consequence of the Waterloo bus.
This public convenience was, In fact, directly
responsible for the appearance of a seventh
Dibbins at least ten days before he was due
In the earlier weeks of the tenancy the neigh
bors were constantly diverted by seeing pale,
anxious little woman, with her sleeves turned
up and an apron on diving into the middle of
the road and rescuing from imminent peril
<from bus N yet in sight whole handfuls
of children who seemed SO near the same age
that it was impossible to suppose they were all
her own. But they were, and though house.
room was circumscribed, there seemed no limit
to the possibilities of her affection for morsels
of humanity that to the cold eye of the stran-
ger were not attractive.
Jonadab was in his thirty-ifth year, and
mi ht haU OF oil -
He was the sort of man that never grows
old Hooking after the fashion of ordinary NOR
tails. He had neither whiskers or mustache to
turn gray; and as for his hair, his forehead
was SO stupendously high and so aggressvely
prominent that hair was quite a secondary
consideration. Now turn nv mind upon the
subject, rememember he had some, but what
color it was or how worn have no recollec-
tion.
There does not appear at first sight much In
common between Signor Dibini, the associate
OF kings, the friend OF emperors, the witness
OF many secret crimes, and poor Jonadab Dib-
bins with his noble forehead and nine chill
dren. And yet there was the closest possible
relation, for they were one and the same
person. Signor Dbini was Jonadab's pro.
fessional name. He was q member of the
company of the Theater Royal, Wellington
Street, though you might look in vain through
the list of performers for his name. Sgnor
Dibini, in fact, occupied a position in the
company the existence of which is, perhaps,
even unknown to the light hearted habitue
of the theater who takes his place in the stalls
and expects everything to go on right on the
stage before him. Signor Dibinis profess
sional existence was striking proof of the
provision necessary for the carrying on of "a
great theater. He was An unders ander; that
is to say, 1t was his business to understudy
some of the principal parts so that if, in case
OF sudden illness or accident, the actor to
whom part was assigned was not able to put
in an appearance, Jonadab took his place
Often he had learned two or three parts in the
same piece, learning every work, making him.
self familiar with cues and ready to step or
the stage at an hours notice. Every night he
was down at the theater, and saw safely on the
stage the men whose parts he had under
studied.
Jonadab was an ambitious man. He fell
that within him which told him that, give him
the chance, there should step forth on tho
stage such a Hamlet as the world had not We
seen. The same remark applies with only les
degree OF emphasis, to Louis XI., Richelier
and score OF the principal characters on tn,
stage. But Tor Hamlet JoRadab thought tina
in addition TO many graces of mind, nature
had peculiarly gifted him in the matter o
presence. .r... r......
1t will easily he understood, when his man
ner of life is made known, that. quite apar
from the nine ever-open mouths at home
Jonadab had good deal TO make him aool
careworn. When man has the certaint
that, given him chance, he will blaze bef0r
the world in the meteoric flight OF genius
when that chance ever seems within his grasp
and as constantly eludes it, we have the con
ditions OF life thet write wrinkles on tn
brow, lend stoop TO the shoulder, and dal
the brightness Of the eye
JQnadab was OF an Immensely sanguine tenn
peraanent, or he neNerwould have lived for tn
great occasion 10 which, at the time thi
chroE'cle opens he was swiftly tending II
had at his tongne's end all of what NAV b
called dhe stock parts. A glance over tn
promptars books brought back to his mind a
the dark sayings of Hamlet and the 70 un
ntteranaes of the rest. When the sanguin
disposition came especially into play was whe
he had a new part to learn. Thas did no happe
very ofteD, a. the Theater Royal in Wellingto
Street was prosperous, and when a new piec
was placed ON she stage it remained there 10
one or wo hu1dred nights. But new piece
came, and Jonad1b threw himself into the UT
derstudy with uRabated vigor. he felt hi
time would come at last and it behooved hir
to be ready for it,. A false lep in the street
a sudden cold, a carriage accident, and grea
people might be laid low, and modest meri
might step forth on the stage to retire amid th
plaudits OF an amazed audience.
Fortppe, it is written. comes to those VIII