The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1884-12-26
CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME.

Never were father and child more alike in
every possible respect than old Ned Herring,
the famous pantomime clown, and his little
daughter Edith-even in personal appearance.
Ned, the father, was ugly and the daughter
beautiful, but they were both tall and slender
and solemn lookin Edith seldom smiled ex-
cept upon her father, or when engaged in the
business of the pantomime. For, of course,
she was brought up to his own business by her
father, and at very early age became great
favorite in holiday pieces as a fairy, etc
Her popularity soon began to exceed that of
her father. But this only made him love the
child the more. There was no possible jeal-
ousy between these two devoted souls. And
the knowledge that she was SO useful and valu-
able to her dear father only made that father
dear to little Edith and rendered her more de-
sirous to be of service to him and to the
pantomime which made his world.
Shortly after Ned Herrings arrival in New
York he was engaged, with his daughter, as the
clown and fairy star of holiday pantomime at
Niblo's Garden. Great preparations were
made for this affair, and Herring found him
self, as usual a man of much importance. His
name and that of his daughter was in all the
papers and posters, when suddenly his little
daughter fell sick, for the first, and last, time
in her little life.
At first hearing this stupefed, dazed,
he could not believe that such calamity
could by any possibility happen to him as his
daughters gettin sick. Then, when the full
truth at last burst upon him, he was wild, not
ON his own account, but on hers He thought
not OF his own blighted prospects, but only of
his little darlin's sutferin's, whom he nursed
all day like father, mother and nurse COM
bined, stayin' in her little room in Theatre
Alley and never putin in an appearance at
the Garden, where, of course, all the panto-
mime preparations were at a standstill from
his absence.
But the father was recalled to q sense of his
pressin' professional necessities by his sick
daughter herself. Little child as she was, she
thoroughly understood just what her sickness
at this time and her fathers absence meant, in
business point of view. At first she fought
against her Illness tried to get up and go to
the theatre Tor rehearsal anyway; but this
was physical impossibility, and she sank back
on her bed exhausted and all the worse for her
effort. But recoverin' herself moment she
insisted at any rate upon her fathers goin' to
the theatre. even if she couldn't. She could
nurse herself, she said, or she could do with
out nursin', but her father must attend to his
duties; he must devote himself as before to the
great pantomime. Finally, the afflicted father
so arranged it that an old woman in the neigh
borhood was engaged to remain with and at
tend to his child when he went to the theatre.
This was hard on poor old Ned, but little
Edith had suggested somethin harder yet.
With wisdom beyond her years, she had re-
Elected that as her sickness Just at this time
would incapacitate her from takin' part in the
programme, 1t was necessary for her fathers
interests, and the great pantomime's, that
somebody, some other little girl, take her place.
So, before her father started for the theatre for
the first time since her sickness, she had an
earnest and full talk with him about her sue
cessor-a very bitter sort of talk to have, for
any professional" especially any woman
They naturally hate the term successor"
But little Edith discussed the matter calmly
And of two little girls whom she had already
met around the theatre, little Edith particularly
recommended one to be taken in her place.
givin' her reasons for the preference in the most
unlmpassioned and stage manager sort of a
manner Her poor father struck with this
new evidence Of his little daughters inesti-
mable WORTH kissed her passionately and sadly
and departed to the Garden.
There he found a certain amount of sympa-
thy, it is true, but of course, not enough of
that article TO interfere in any way with the
business of the piece. The holidays must be
taken advantage of, no matter who suffers, and
the pantomlme must be produced, no matter
who be crushed. And Herring was informed
that his daughters services We're Indispensable
In Christmas pantomime children count and
she was such child. The management had
extensively advertised her and it could not af-
ford to disappoint the public.
Besides the successor" or substitute idea
suggested by little Edith would not work.
True, the little girl she had chosen for the
part was all ready to take her place, but she had
father, himself clown, and the father,
seem his chance would not permit the services
OF his child unless his own as clown were en-
gagged hkewise-a proposition, to which, of
course, Herring would not consent.
He returned to Theatre Alley with a sadder
heart than he had left it with, and told his
daughter all. "Cheer up, father" she said,
with her sweet smile, and her sweetly solemn
way, II will get well in time for the openin'
night, and we'll play together"
1t really seemed as if she would keep her
word, Tor from that moment she appeared to
grow better. Her father was buoyed up with
hopes and it looked as if Christmas and New
Year might be Christmas and New Year after
all. Her father kept her posted about the pro-
gress of the rehearsals and gave her all the
''points" she needed for her own part, which
ran through the piece, windin' up with the
grand transformation" scene, in which she,
| in the centre OF star which openin' disclosed
her to public view and admiration. The child 8
quick and trained comprehension took in all
| the points, and the rehearsals progressed al
most as satisfactorily in her bed as they would
have done on the stage.
The openn' night came at last, and all day
| long little Edith had been in furry of ex-
| pectation, while the father had been in furry
| of preparation, rushin' from Theatre Alley to
Niblo's Garden every two or three hours and
back again. overseein' alike the preparations
| for the production Of the pantomime and the
| removal of his daughter
| Although he could ill afford the expense, a
| woman was hired for the day to see to Edith
| and her dresses, and a carriage was hired at
night to take her, with her father, to the
theatre. Up to about four o'clock in the after