The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-07-21


I You may be sure that Mrs Dibbins and
4 Sprouts were early at tine theater the next
night. The opening prt of the play was.all
dream to prOuts. He knew that it was not
until the last act his father come on, but be-
4 fore the first act was over he had forgotten
/ him IN he excitement OF the play. lie heard
I sometimes hum OF voices near him. He was
1 conscious OF a faint smell of oranges He fau-
/ cied his mother spoke To him now and then.
I Bnt il was all as in dream. With elbows
leaning on The edge OF the gallery, and his
( head supported between IA hands, Sprouts
! looked dOWu on the real men and women NOV
ing about on the stage below, his mouth wide
open for the better taking in OF all that passed
Sprouts heari had ceased to beat when he
watched the gay vel dressed man who had
been so mas and had killed the other man.
now himself fall back. whilst the red blood
glished from the wound on his left breast and
stained his white shirt Bat his heart leaped
up wi a great hrob when he saw familiar
figure enter and walk slowly across he stag.
His father was splendidly dressed; fine black
hat. real black cloak, aud such stately tread,
with just a little drawing of the left leg, as if
it were paralyzed. Sprouts fanced he had
seen the same gesture somewhere before in
the play, but he could not at the moment
identify the recollection.
He knew it was a play now, for here was his
father ON the stage, and all this great crowd
TO liox at him. Were they exciteds Could
they believe that gentleman in the black cloak
aud the line hat was his fathert Mrs Dibbins
was dissolved in tears She began to cry the
moment Jonadab appeared. But Sprouts was
too much accustomed TO this phenomenon TO
notice it. lie saw the great crowd behind
him ranged tier after tier, and every man and
woman with eyes fixed eadfastly on the stage
upon the stately figure in the black cloak
Sprouts certain
Jonadab suffered himself to be lie up to the
place where the wounded man lay. He knet
on one knee, took his. wrist between his
fingers, and producing watch-a real watch
provided by The property mamie looked
straight up at the gallery, fixing his eyes upon
Sprouts precisely as on the previous day he
had paralrzed the unfortunate Teddy. But
now il seemed it was his own turn o be para
lived. A fearful silence fell upon the stage
and pervaded the use. There knelt Jonadab
with the dying mans wrist between his fingers.
The resiof the players stood grouped round,
the next man waiting Tor the cue which jona-
dab's exclamation WAS to provide him with
Here was he long-looked for opportunity,
aud Jonadab was dumb Sprouts noticed
with growing error that the muscles OF his
fathers face wor sing convulsiyely- His
eyes we're fixed and glazed. His lips moved
as IL trying to orm words, but no syllable did
he utter. Then the truth flashed upon Sprouts |
His father in tie deadly excitement of the |
moment. had forgotten his speech The |
memory that had served him through the long
est speeches in Hamlet now played him
false.
Tegs 4 innumerable speeches crowded upon !
the unhnppy mans memory He felt he must |
say something, and the words that seemed ;, |
form them selves upon his lips and to free his /
articulation were Hamet's solioquy on death. |
In another second he would have commenced, |
To be, or not to be- when a shrill voice COM
ing from the gallery filled the house:
= He has but five minutes TO live"
It was >prou s How he came TO utter the |
words he knows no more than his father can |
explain how they froze in his recollection |
However this may be, Sprouts saved his father. |
The spell was broken, Jonadab's tongue was 1
loosed, and in solemn accents that filed the /
house and rolled through the dim recesses of
the roof, calling forth a distinct round of APP /
plause, he said as he let the dying mans hand |
fall:
. He has but ive-minutes-to live"
The play was immense success, and when /
the newspapers came out the next morning it (
was founl that the critics had felt constrained |
to spare a few words of recognition OF the I
st rikingiy original manner in which Sig. Di- |
bini had played the comparatively small part |
of the doctor.
ssSign0r Dibini, a Inorning journal wrote, |
lis. II we mistake not, new TO the stage. But |