The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-01-10
For the EVENING LIGHT.
MY FIRST NIGHT AT A THEATRE.
An Amusing "Reminiscences OF More Than
Half Century Ago.
BY T. H. II.

.- BY. T. H.. H.
Innocence was a vice, shed very late.
Even at the ripe boy-age of thirteen, was
miserably troubled with greenness. 1t was
owing to my having been kept at boarding
school in New Jersey, from which was re-
turned only long enough to have got used to
daily seedlings and ponderous threats of worse
treatment for playing with Perry Luker. Perry
was the bad boy of the neighborhood, of whom
there was tradition that he had been god
lathered by Commodore Perry. He was but
little older than l, but New York boys cut their
wisdom teeth early in those days and usually
lowered into the prevailing vices of the town
by the time they were well in their teens.
1t was in 1898. The Lafayette theater then
stood on Laurens street, half a square above
Canal street, and with the Old Park, Bowery
| and Chatam theatres made the city's quartette.
A play called the "BattIe of Waterloo" was
performed on the night of the adventure l am
aoout to relate. The name denotes nothing in
the play particularly attractive at this time, and
I can not recall to memory any "star" in the
piece, but an immense crowd blocked the
| streets at the hour of opening and filed the
theatre till no space remained to sit or stand.
It is probable that the memorable fall of the
greatest military captain that has ever lived in
the tide of time, then fresh in the worlds
annals, explains it.
Now had never been at theatre. The
sedate and vernal village of Hackensack, which
had ''Blue Moselle" softly tinged with gray,
bearing its name, flowing by its border, and
which then boosted two academies and
church, had never INDUCED even in travelling
circus or menagerie; and it was in Hacken-
sack I had been preserved from the
contagious of the metropolis. For week or
two Perry Luker had pictured to my
| mind the wonders Of theatre: but the whole
was a confused tumble of pit, boxes. gallery
and stage without any defined idea of either ,r
and dancing people, without perception of
plot or purpose. He promised, however, to
take me on the first night of the "Battle of
Waterloo" if my mother would give me three
shillings for half price ticket Of admission.
1t was when our national coinage of silver
under congressional huckstering had migrated
| to Europe. The currency current was Next
can-the half dollar being four shillings, the
quarter two shillings, one shilling I2H cents.
and sixpence OK cents-so that three shillings
were sin cents.
Now, Perry was a bad boy and liked the
aires, and would rob his widowed and indi-
gent mother, or any one else, to get into one.
Several days interviewed before the night Of
Waterloo and they we're very long days,
during which Perry applied himself diligently,
but in vain, to the work of suborning the
means for his own admission. I did not know
his embarrassment, for Perry, being young
rogue, did everything in secret and kept his
own counsel, or would have found the abil-
ity to relieve him. 90 - q
i A.. 7
the theatre. walked straight on. There are
| never seen play. Hence the sensation of
| my delight viii be lost, for it is beyond de-
scription. The rest Of the universe had es-
| capped my consciousness. Perry was to me
marvel, a prodigy Of human greatness. He
Was barefooted and had no jacket and his
cap was an utensi, the color and material of
which were wholly suppressed by layers of
| dirt. But had never walked beside any boy,
even the bully of the school at Hackensack,
! with such sense OF superiority over me, and
of my utter insignifcance beside him. When
/ we came to the theatre a great crowd blocked
the way to the ticket Office. Perry took my
| ticket and told me to watch him, and when /
saw him going in to follow after. So l
| watched Perry. In a few moments he left
the window Of the ticket Office and passed on.
The crowd covered his passage, but elbowed
| my way to the spot. Perry had disappeared.
inquired of the doorkeeper if he had seen
Perry Luker, and if might 60 in. was too
| we'll dressed to be repealed roughly, but the
person laughed and, pushing me gently away.
till looked at me as il curious concerning my
exact mental grade or status. retreated to
| the ticket window and inquired tor Perry
| there, the crowd still bruising my sides with
its elbows. The man answered me kindly
that he did not know Perry. thought that
strange. In my confusion and bitter disap-
pointment there seemed but one thing knew,
and that was the way home. Thither went,
huriedly, for had awakened to the convic-
/ ion hat had learned the art OF getting into
the theatre, and that all wanting was the three
shillings.
1 told mother all excepting that / had been
with Perry Luker. At last that was got from
| me, on account Of my inexperience in the
mendacious line, and some feeble demonstra-
lions of resistance to my demand were
made by the maternal head of the house. But
| in the absence of the pater, who was then
away, ! usually made the laws and regulations
of the establishment being an only son. So
the funds were paid over, and started.
there was in the world was theatre, and all
that was going on was the Battle Of Water:
loo." At the ticket Office was told that |
was a boy, and that the price of admission
was two shilings, not three. All II thought,
mendacious Perry. entered. The curtain
was up, and the play proceeding. The scene
bewildered me. / knew everything in the
Arabian Nights, but the entertainments Of ic-
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