Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-05

conclusion that nobody will care to try the
cap 10 zee il u righl possibly fit. Not even
the gsFed jade will vince. You perceive I
am saturated With HamLetl- sob, my~
The American people have always been &C
credited wIihsa sense of broad humor pecu-
Iarlg thejf, own. Since making the dis
coFefyi RsJ did the other night, that food
for ssef friH' sutcould be discovered in HaBllet,
:, am ready 10 accord them the palm as pos
SCISSORS OF the most comprehensive sense of
| humor conceivable. All the SINE, glancing
from the smiling visages of some near theater
neighbors OF mine t'other night 10 the tragic
! counteR snce OF Mr.. keeiie, thence upward TO
the dimly visible portrait of the immortal
bard over the stage, from the drama 10 the
cfeator, 1 ielt sort of satisfaction that the
i-grsBd origiuaf Of fhzr iusehssIs picture Was
safe beyond the reach of the bumiliation that
would have overpowered him al the sight OF
HQmitt provoking broad znniIss-snd- -isrs-=
presslble chuckfes. We would have better
Understood the meaning of his own express
sions, "slings aud arrows Of outrageous fof-
tune" could he have beenssse and ear-wit-
ness OF some OF the startlingly crude COM
ments that smo;e the air in half audible
whispers. Now, dear readers, those of you
who have done yourselves The justice OF
reading Shakespeare, these lines are not ad-
dressed to you. But you, my dearly be-
loved msjority, who displayed your ig
norance with such innocent unconscious
ness that it vas ignorance, let me assure
that herein is no hing set down in
malice, only, after reading that our vigilant
president had had an unfortunate up before
him for eating peanuts during tine perform
snce OF Hamlet, swearing by the rod that no
disrespect should be shown 10 the memory OF
Shakespeare, / wondered If the eating of
peanuts were graver offense against that
revered memory than the profound lack OF
comprehension or appreciation displayed by
many who were guiltless Of peanuts How
excrucistingly narrowing it must be 10
II age dim, who has for the nonoe completely
identified himself with the character he is
personatIng TO hear au audible tilter going
the rounds, Just when be has risen 10 the
sublime determination to follow his fathers
ghost at all hazards, let it lead 10 hades if
it will, ard vehemenlly demands of his
faithful, but alarmed friends, that they sun
hand" him. There's where the laugh came
in; for all the world as ii Mr.. Keene were
tipsy rioter trying to escape from two police
men, It is true thst ghost with as healthy
pair OF lungs as thOt ghost had, who did "his
tale unfold" in the sonorous tones of a
rituslistic clergyman intoning the service,
with never husky hint to suggest the
yawning OF graveyards, or the dark fogs of
ghost-land, and who carried a mystic
rious something in his right hand,
celebrated hook that did double
dugy as a false hand and a toasting-
fork, was not calculated 10 tsrrorize the most
t'mid of mortals Nevertheless, ii is but
meet and proper that polite audiences shall
help make believe aud not laugh when TO
shudder is in order. / heard one ingenious
youth close beside me suggest TO his fair
companion, when she manifested a restless
desire 10 procure one of the little books that
were being hawked about he house, hat she
should give all her attention TO the stage and
thea read the play when she went home,
quite as if Hamlet were the latest nouusduts
du sdisoa and Mr.. Keeue its advertising
agent Oh, myi Now, as in this day OF inno-
vation and liberality anybody his right TO
suggest, would suggest that, ont OF respect
to the memory of Shakspesre and in the in
terest of the legitimate drams, somebody
inaugurate rehearsals orsudieuo.s .s, SO that
they m AZ be in some sort OF accord with he
unfortunates who cater to their amusement.
Something after this sfy g, you know: Let
some well-posted antiquarian, who has
wormed his way through those mouldy old
TONES once familiar 10 The aneieuts as Shake
speare's tragedies, announce that certsin PLAYS
will be given on certain occasions, and thai for
a stipulated sum be viii cram the sudience for
that zone night only" and so drill hem in
the manual of applause, "a it were, that by
an upward or downward, or leflward or
rightward wave of his leaders batoa he can
safely conduc; the tide of emotion into the
proper channel and not endaDger the equi-
poise of the players by the sad confusion
that now prev ais concerning the time 10
weep and the time to laugh, throwing 4 star
into voiceless rage by outbursts of merri-
ment when he is aiming at tearing a passion
in tatiers. Conceive of an audience sceept-
ing "Polonins" huge practical joke, and
laughing systems maiically at his urtersnces
as If ne were clown whoss motley demands |
the tribute of universal cacchination before
he has opened his lips. Oh, nv! Conceive
agaio, If you can, of any one fuding some
Thing irresstioly funny in poor "Ophelis"
gone daft, and handing her poses about |
uninteniionally "brinSing down the house"
by approaching the bro;her whose heart is |
wrung at sight Of her witless happiness and !
Offering him "daisyp Dsisy, presumably, |
having become such a flscinatiDg bit OF |
slang that its original meaning Is lost in the |
foss OF obscurity. There il no u-e laying it /
on the galleries. TIE galleries were there |
ia all their shir-sleeved glorious Fourth-1i-
July Independence, and behaved themselves |
with that manly disregard for the ussges of
polite society for which the gallery is noted;
but unless these American kings are TO BE- |
accepted as an organized company of cLaqueTs, |
iato whose keeping the judgment of the |
dress circle is for the time be ing surrendered,
,hey should not be held responsible for the |
startling facility with which the house |
psss.d from grave to gay, from lively 10
severe" the other night with an Indifference |
10 the intention of the play and players that |
Was convincing proof that the legitimate
drama IS cociorc 10 The general public.