The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-05-27
The Wall of a Banner-bearer.

| Well, what if / am only banner
bearer? You let me get speaking
part" as scots me, that's all. Oh-1t
"would be ALL" eh +? Why-but, there!
you're a baby in the purfesaion you
arel When you've been Capting OF
| the Guard, and Third Noble, and q
Bandit Keerousin, ard First Hancient
Bard, and fourth in the Council of Ten
what listens to Otheller, and in the MOD
| in the c ipital, and Harcher OF Merry
England, and Peer of France, whist
/, doesn't speak, but has to look as II ne
could say lot; when you've hten all
this, you may talk Why, | should
like to know where they'd be without
us-all them old sproutin' tragedy
merchants. They'd have no armies,
consequently they couldn't rave at
'em, and lead 'em on to victory and
things. They wouldn't ave no SEN
nits, so they'd ave to cut out their
potent, grave and reverent senoirs-an'
that 'ud worry 'em. They wouldn't
AVE no hexcited citizens, and so they
| couldn't bury old Ceser nor praise him
neither. They couldn' { strew no fields
with no dead soldiers. They'd ave
nobody to chivy 'em when they come
to the throne, or return'd from the
wars. They couldn't ave no perces-
sions; as for palls. and parties, and
tornemongs, why, they couldn't give
'em. And where nd they often be
without the distant offerings" behind
he scenes, allus a-comin' nerer and
louder. Why, 1 remember 'eavy
lead one night, as had insulted bis
army fearful, at rehearsal he stops sud-
/ den, and thumps his brestplate, and
says, lark, that toomuit,n when
| there warnt no more toomult than two
flies 'ud make in milking. We jest
picth in minnit, for the laugh come
| In OF. Wer're just as much wanted as
/ they are, make no error.
What do you say2 They could do
! The modden drarmer, my boy, amt
actin! Us nothing but ''cutf-shOOt-
in'." You just has to stand against
mankel.shelf, with your hands in
Poole's pockets, and say nothing, eler-
gaptly. You don't want no chest
notes; you don't want no action; you
dor13t Uropf y,c uifc,,,cn+. won dOytt
want no lungs, no heart and no brain;
only lungs an soda. heart an potash,
brain an seller. Every things diloot
ed, my boy, for the modden drarmer;
and the old school, an the old kos
tunes 'ud bust the sides and roof too
Of the swell bandboxes, where they
does the new school and the new kos.
TUNES. P'raps Pm right? Of course
Pm right; and I'm in earnest, too
Wuy, my boy, if they was to offer me
an engagement as a "guest,n in one
of them cuff -shooten' plays, and ask
me to go on in evening dress, I'm
blest if l wouldn't throw up the
part.n Trousers and white ties cramp
nae. | wants suit o. mail an
'alberd a toonic, and my legs free;
dagger in my teeth, a batEle-axe in |
my 'and. likes to be led to victory. !
[ likes to storm castles and trample Oh |
the foe. l likes to hang our banners
on the outward walls. I'm born |
banner-bearer, and glories in it. No,
my boy none of your milk and water |
guests" ard such, for the likes of me! |
An If was the Lord Chambermaid, |
Id perhibit the modden drarmer alto |
gether. Them's my sentiments. If |
he don't perhlbit it, actin 'ull soon be /
modden'd out of existence an we |
shall AVE Macbeth in two guinea
tourist suit, and Looy the Eleventh in
nickerb )ckers on a bisykel. It's the old |
banner, bearing school as got us all our
Dig actors, an it stands to reaso my
boy; fora cove can't spred hisself in
frock coat and droring- room lanwidge.
They're both on 'em too tame for what
| calls real actin. What! you have
heard say as US banner-bearers don't
act-was only machines? WELL some
on US don't, p'raps, but some on us
does, and no mistake.
Why, I've been that work'd on
when I've seen Joan o. Hark goin' in
a perisher at the stake, an maxim
that last dyin' speech and confession
OF hers, that I've felt real art beat
against my property phosphate, and
felt real tears tricklin' down to my
false beard. I've been so struck with
admirashun fer some Othellos that
when they've been a addressin' of me
as the sonnet, I've felt as dignerfied az
If ia been the Doag of Venice hisself
and | bet look'd it.
AS for patriotism, there isn't a man
living as has died for his countrv
willing, mind you-so often as have.
and I've strewed many bloody field