The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-12-26

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candle one could read on these papers:
First Comic Scene Bakers and Under
takers Shops; Old woman with baby to
come on left; Man to change into skele-
ton, to come out of undertaker's; boy
with trick bread to come on right;
butcher with basket and leg of mutton
in it; fop with a split coat; man with
dummy head, left; look out for
Harlequin's leap through under
takers window, pull down flap;
gone to kingdom come; look out for
Pantaloon's leap; pull down flap when
he's through the window; old enough
to know better" stand by for clowns
leap; when he's through pull down flap.
TOO funny for corpse"-crash-noise
"a rally-mob-fght-send everybody
over-plenty of fish, carrots, turnips,
ETC.; when stage cleared, whistle on
scene second. No author ruminated
more over his manuscript than did Jack
Halliday over those papers; he altered
them again and again with as much
care as a Cabinet Minister would in
drawing up the draft of some State pa
pers that might decide the fate of
Ministry-what Halliday, the clown,
was arranging, would in great meas
ure, decide the fate of the great Christ
mas festival. To read the funny sem
fences he wrote, to look at the sad,
earnest expression of the writer face, to
cast glance around the room in the dim
light spare of furniture, as it was with
its plastic walls decorated with cheap
pictures of bygone harlequins, panta-
looms, columbines, sprites and clowns,
presented aweird and grotesque picture.
Halliday, the jester, was preparing
and arranging in methodical stage bust
ness 'the comic scenes of the panto-
mime, which in the old genuine panto-
mime days was solely under the inven-
tive genius and management of the
clowns. So absorbed was Halliday in
his task that it was some time before he
heard low, clear musical voice call out
"Father!' 1t was then he arose from
his papers and quietly walked in the di-
recton of small, clean, but scanty bed
in corner of the dim room. On it re-
posed fair young childish girl of about
nine years. A pretty child, with dark
brown hair and deep blue eyes; but her
pale face, slightly tinted with hectic
flushed cheeks, and the short, dry, hol-
low cough that came from her graceful
throat, denoted plainly that some fatal
illness had fixed its grip upon her.
''Do you feel better, Rose" asked the
clown, as he bent over the bed and af-
fectionately kissed his only child-his
daughter. 1--WE had you excused from
any more rehearsals, for the manage
ment know you are perfectin your lines.
I'll take you down to the theater when
the night comes in carriage, and keep
you nicely wrapped up from the cold in
the streets and the draughts from the
stage"
The child pleaded hard to 90 down to
more rehcarsals. She really liked what
she had-great talents for the stage,
and she knew-young as she was-that
it was the season of the year when hel
trebled salary, for her enacting "ThC
Speaking Fairy" so greatly added tC
her fathers income, but the clown
stoutly protested against her going tc
the theater until the performance on the
opening night. So she submitted, lying
there on that little bed, thinking of the
spangled fancy dress she would wear
how nice she would look, and repeating
to herself the pretty poetic lines SHE
would have to speak when the big ere
volving star" would open in the las
scene, "The Fairy's Realm of Ever
lasting Bliss" She thought of all thi
as she watched the clowns anxiou
face as he once more sat down to cogi
tate upon the funny characters with fun
ny dressings for the comic scenes.
j. r. Halliday-except during tn
reign of pantomime-wa in the theate
almost a nonentity; he was only unit
that time Captain of the Supers' or
small "utility actor" or ga copiest," a
) the beck and call of the manager o
prompter. People then called hin
Jack. The star knew him not, and tn
leading man, the heavy man, the juven
lie man, the comedian nicknamed hir
"Old Yorick;" but when Christina
, came round and the pantomime was be
ing prepared Halliday became man c
, Importance. He was then Mr.. job
, Halliday. His salary was large, for h
was "the clown to whom all eyes ar
turned-the merry Andrew, the centrs
= figure, the bright particular star TIL
r Harlequin may dance gracefully in hi
; variegated dress, the Columbine tri
/ around the stage in fascinating way
E the lean and slippery Pantaloon anus
. by his quaint stupidity, but they a
3 sank into insigniicance before tn
h Clown with his comical antics, his pain
: ed face, and fifty years ago, with h
Y songs of Hot Codlings" and "Tipper
tewitchetn
Jack Halliday, few days before 1888!
4 came to this country from England
: From his very boyhood he was pant
d mimist. His wife dying soon after h
: arrival in New York he was left with h
= one child-Rose-to fight as best /
i could the battle of life with no accom-
S plishment but that which is neeessal
\ for the merry Andrew. In his line !