Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-03-07
TIE UNDERSTUDIER.
A Theatrical sketch,

lHc lOI Oh SlBnOT DlOlll was cast among IHe
| great ones OF the earth. His daily acquaint-
snces were emporers, kings, brave men and
| fair women. He knew several illustrious capt
aims, and at least f'e famous cardi-
nails. They were clad In purple and fine
linen and lived stump uously every day-or
banquets that pleased the eye, If they were
somewhat 1brous to the tas e. They drank
cold tea out OF beakers, called their servants
earlets and performed most daring actions,
sometimes OF personal bravery, occasionally
| OF infinite rascaldom. Murder was matter
that happened among them six days week.
They drank poison to slow music, they stabbed
| eace other to the heart wi a loud "Ha ha !"
They smothered their wives with the connubial
pillow and went off with the wives of other
| men. A registering, bois,erous, crafty,
wealthy, impecunious, murderous, Ubiquitous,
virtuous crew, whose life was short, and not
always a merry one. community with
| whom the great moral, legal or physical in
nuences 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-wndow,
| generally understood in the Dibbins house
hold to portend enormous but restrained
ability. The Dibbns household was numer-
Gus and select to the extent that the great
majority of its members were in tender years
Any one straying into the little apartment
which served as breakfast-room, dining-room
and drawing-room, might reasonably have
thought that he had happened upon a creche,
and II 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. IL 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 a
brewers dray.
This happened when the DibbInses lived In
Drury Lane, and it had led to their moving to
the Wa erloo Bride road. Ii was necessary for
professional reasons that Mr.. Dibblns should
have his domicile somewhere near the Strand
A court he held to be unhealthy. Mrs. bib
bins, will 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
from the blighting influence of the toll-bridge.
At first Mrs. Dibbns suffered unnumbered
anXieties in consequence of the Waterloo bus
This public convenience was, In fact, directly
responsible for the appearance OF q 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 q 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
urom bus yet I'm sight) whole handfuls
OF children who seemed so near the same age
that 1t was impossible to suppose they were all
her own. But they were, and though house
room was circumscribcd, there seemed no limit
TO the possibilities OF her affection for morsels
oil humanity that to the cold eye Of the stran-
ger were not attractive.
lonadab was in his thirty-ffth year, and
might have been ANYTHING at all over that are
n a rot mn
old looking after the fashion of ordinary NOR
tails. lie had neither whiskers or mustache to
turn say; and as for his hair his forehead
was so stupendously high and so aggressivey
prominent that hair was quite a secondary
consideration. Now turn my mind upon the
subject, | rememember he had some, but what
color It was or how worn | have no recollec-
ton.
There does not appear at first sight much in
common between Signor Dlbini, 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
rela ion, for they were one and tie same
person Signor Dibini was Jonadab's pro-
fessonal 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 10 llBnt hearted naDltuc
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 a striking proof OF the
provision necessary for the carrying on OF a
great thea er. He was an unders ander; that
is to say, it was his business to understudy
some of the principal parts, so that II, 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 on
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 felt
that within him which told him that, give him
the chance, there should step forth on the
stage such a Hamlet as the world had not yet
seen. The same remark applies, with only less
degree 4 emphasis, to Louis Xl, Richeieu
and a score OF the principal characters on the
stage. But for Hamlet Jonadab thought that
In addition to many graces OF mind, nature
had peculiarly gifted him In the matter Of
presence.
1t will easily be understood, when his man.
ner of life is made known, that, quite apart
from the nine cver-open mouths at home
Jonadab had good deal 10 make him look
carcwOrn. When a man has the certainty
that, given hiE 4 chance he will blaze before
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.
dtions of life that write wrinkles on the
brow, lend n stOop TO the shoulder, and dull
the brightness OF the eye.
Jonadab was of an immensely sanguine tenn
permanent, orhe never would have lived for the
great occasion to which, at the time this
chron Gle opens, he was swiftly tending He
had at his tongne's end all of what may be
called the stock parts A glance over the
prompter's books brought back TO his mind all
the dark sayings OF Hamlet and the TO und
uttcrances OF the rest When the sanguine
disposition came especially into play was when
he had anew part to learn. This did no. happen
very often, as the Theater Royal in Wellington
Street was prosperous, and when a new piece
was placed on the stage it remained there for
one or wo hundred nights. But new pieces
came, aud Jonadab threw himself into the I'M
derstudy with undated vigor He felt his
time would come at last, and II behooved him
to be ready for 1t. A false s. p In the street,
a sudden cold, a carriage accident, and great
PEOPLE might be laid low, and modest merit
might step forth on the stage to retire amid the
plaudts OF an amazed audience.
Fortune, it is written, comes to those who
know how to wait. Jonadab had waited he
knew not how long. Certainly for thirteen
long years had been ready and even yearning
But fortune has passed him by, touching with
capricious hand Others whom Jonadab thought
had not waited so long, and whom he was sure
had not hoped SO passionately. He knew men
who had been supers in country theaters, who
were now stars and even managers OF pros
porous theaters. For him. alas came no sun
shine, and had IL not been for the constant
twenty-five shllings week which his post
brought him In, he would have given up the
long stern chase. But yearly there came an
additional reason why nc could not afford to
dispense with twenty-five snillings week. So
he waited on, learned his parts, and struggled
with murderous thoughts as he saw Hamlet
come tripping down the dark staircase to his
dressing-room, and thought how changed
might be the world supposing he were some
time to leave by chance bucket midway on
Che stairs, over which Hamlet tripping might
sprain his ankle, and the anxious manager
would rush about the recesses OF the stage call
ing on the name OF Dibbins.
One night In January Jonadab crossed
Waterloo bridge at an unusually rapid pace.
His head was erect, his shoulders were
raj aud ha tyl,fa ol.a xf..ll.. Al.