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


clown and his fairy were of some inn
poriance during the merry season. The
poor child was very i'll, nSoEe so than
the anxious parent imagined, for the
fairy concealed much from him, show
ing as she did how intently his mind
was fixed upon his ciownish duties, and
how any wrong about her would con-
fuse and upset him.
For days before its production the
clown worked hard in the theater Tue
scene painter, the stage carpenter, prop
erty man, prOmpter and even manager
acted upon his suggestions, sought his
advice and obeyed his orders The olst-
side world know little of the clown la
bors-the constant rehearsing over and
over again of what at the nights per-
Torrance causes ''roars of laughter"
which on the wide, cold, gaping stage
in the daytime is gone through in
formal, mechanical manner far from
being "funny," leaps through windows,
changing tricks and flats, are tried
many times; enchanted cars, clouds,
flying palaces are made to rise easily
through trap doors to ascend into the
realms above or to be gracefully low
cred from the realms above and sink
into the regions below the stage. As
we before said, Halliday was-saturally
clever in his business. For this particu-
lar pantomime he had invented new
kind of revolving star, which in the last
scene-lighted up with closed fires
would revolve, then open in its center,
showing the fairy, who, with waving
wand, would speak 1.-The tag" or closing
lines that brings down the final curtain.
Halliday had been the whole year work
ing almost secretly upon his revolving
star. 1t was there on those days the
first of its kind; it cost him many anx-
ious thoughts day and night, and with
his limited income he made and studied
from little rough models in his humble
home in Theater Alley. No inventor of
the most complicated piece of mechan-
ism could have been more proud of his
work than he was of his pretty device.
The pantomime is at last ready for
production. The stage is clear of its
endless mass of large and little pieces of
painted canvas, ropes, blocks, wires
everything is in its place IN working
order. Crowds stand in the snowy
cold, windy-icy weather to read the
bills, with their synopsis of the piece,
the name of the clown and the amuse-
ment of his pranks, his capers and his
songs, that attracts the first attention,
and then in prominent letters they read
of "the beautiful, bewitching Mi. Rosa
Hallideni, the charming young prodigy,
engaged, regardless of expense, for the
Fairy Queen Mention is made of the
dazzling revolving star, of haunted cav
ems, magic palaces, abodes of nymphs,
the regions of spirits shops, and "well-
known streets" ending with "The
Fairy Realm of Everlasting Bliss. "
The pantomime is almost on
every tongue-you heat of it
in the nursery, the drawingroom, the
workshop, in the brown store mansion,
or the tenement house. AT last the day
came. Rose was worse R1ss1ealth. A
weakness, faintness stole over her as
the honr for going to the theater with
her father drew near-but she uttered
not a word of complaint but assumed an
air of gayety foreign to her feeling. The
fathers heart was pleased, for the chile
looked better, her eyes sparkled anC
there was more color in her cheeks; but
all this apparent beneficial change was
: only caused by the excitement of the
hour. 1t was about seven o'clock wher
a coach drove up to the door of Halli
days house in the alley. With his chile
carefully wrapped up, he, in company
= with a woman neighbor, carried her t
the vehicle and soon it reached thu
stage entrance of the theater.
} The father goes to his dressing-roon
r to put on his paint and fantastic dress
| the daughter is led to hers to assume he
\ thin, white, spangled fancy dress ant
t tiesh-colored tights. Could that fathe
r have known the struggle going on il
1 his young child; of the effort to remem
g Der her lines and maintain that quie
= composure and smiling manner so nee
4 essary for her part, the large, jovial
s merry audience full of joyous anticipa
: tons, that packed the building woul
f have seen no "mirth provoking clowns
4 that night; but he was ignorant of it, TO
e the brave young child knew if her fathe
e had been aware of her sickness it woul
j unnerve him, and that scene woul
e follow.
S The overture ceases and the curtai
rises. The audience are charmed wit
=, the beautiful scenery, the dresses an
e the dazzling lights, and they applau
Il literally, but there comes long and lou
e cheering as some golden clouds al
: slowly lowered from the ''fies, for o
S it stands Rosa Hallindeni, looking til
: picture of fair loneliness. The anxiou
father, standing in the wings-read
}, ''made up and waiting for the 'comi
|. scenes"-intently watches her; his hesl
y throbs with JOY when he hears the plal
IS dts, but thrill of agony passes throug
is him, cry of despair escapes his lips Q
e he sees his child totter in the mario
l. suspended space-sees her convulsivel
v clutch one OF the invisible wires a
"a tonhod 70 tho ,Niaoa Of naiptnd alO,.