Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-12-19
CHRISTMAS PANTOMIME.

CHRlSlMAS PANlUMlME.
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
cept upon her father, or when engaged III 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
fayorite IN holiday pieces as 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-
srous 10 be Of service to him and to the
pantomlme which made Lis world.
Shortly after Ned Ehrrings arrival in New
York he was engaged with his daughter, as the
clown and fairy star Of a holiday pantOmime at
Niblo's Garden. Great preparations were
made for this affair, and Herring found him
self, as usual, 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,
could by any possibility happen to him as his
daughter 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 blghted prospects, but only of
his little darlin's sufferin's whom he nursed
all day like father, mother and nurse com
bined, stayin' in her little room in Theatre
| Alley and never putin i'll an appearance at
the Garden, where, Of course, al the panto-
mime preparations were at a standstin from
| his absence.
But the father was recalled TO a 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 10
tine theatre for 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 a moment, she
insisted at any rate upon her fathers goin TO
the theatre. even if she couldn't. She could
nurse herself, she said OF 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
i so arranged IT that an old woman in the neigh
borhood was engaged to remain with and at
| tend 70 his child when he went to the theatre
This was hard ON poor old Ned but little
Edith had suggested somethin' harder yet
With q wisdom beyond her years, she had re-
| hected that a. her sickness just at this time
would incapaci.ste her from takin' part in the
programme, II was necessary for her fathers
interests and the great pantomimes, 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-R 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 aroundth theatre, little Edith particularly
recommended one TO be taken in her place,
givin' her reasons for the preference in the most
unimpassioned 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 certain amount OF sympA-
thy, it is true, but Of course, not enough of
that article 10 interfere in any way with the
business Of the piece. The holidays must be
taken advantage of, no matter who suffers and
the pantomime must be produced, no matter
| who be crushed. And Herring was informed
that his daughters services were indispensable.
In Christmas pantOmime children count, and
she was such a 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 al ready to take her place, but she had
a father himself a clown, and the father
SEEM his chance, would not permit the service,
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 saddei
heart than he had left it with, and told hi
daughter all "Cheer up, father" she said
with her sweet smile and her sweetly solemn
way Il will get well III time for the openin
night, and well play together"
! II really seemed if she would keep hel
word Tor from that moment she appeared Il
grow better. Her father was buoyed up with
. hopes, and it looked as if Christmas and New
Year might be Christmas and New Year afte
ALL Her father kept her posted about the pro
gress of the rehearsals and gave her all thu
''points" she needed for her own part, which
ran through the piece, windin' mp with tn
grand Transformation" scene, in which she
the fairy queen, was revealed in all her glor,
| in the centre Of a star which Openin disclosed
her TO public view and admiration. The child
quick and trained comprehension took in al
the points, and the rehearsals progressed Al
most as satisfactorily in her bed as they wouli
have done on the stage.
The openin' night came at last, and all da
long little Edith had been in furry of eX
pectation, while the father had been in a fiurr
of preparation, rushin' from Theatre Alley 4
Niblo's Garden every two or three hours ant
back again, overseein alike the preparation
for the production OF the pantomlme and tn
removal of his daughter.
Although he could i'll afford the expense
woman was hired for the day 10 see TO Edit
and her dresses, and carriage was hired a
n night to take her, with her father, TO tn
theatre. Up TO about four o'clock in the after