Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-09-26
VII SbnJ.espcare at tuenty.one

Shakespeare now got into trouble with Sir
Thomas Lucy by killing SOM of Lucy's deer,
and writing a poem about it, which he nailed
to the gate. As a result of this incident, he
resolved to go away from StratfOrd.
He said that the place was not big enough
for Sir Thomas and himself, and as Sir I'll, T.
as had q great many ties to bind lin to the
place, while he had nothing but his little fam,
ily and a shawl strap, he thought it would be
better that he should 60 away. He, therefore,
went to London. On his arrival he found that
he had brought the shawl strap, but had over
looked his family.
He soon got a situation in the theatre al
London. He first appeared on the English
stage with q roll of carpet under his arm, and
proceeded to fasten it down. 1t was custom,
ary at that time to nail the stage carpet down
with tackS, and while doing so the great bard
Knocked of the nail Of his favorite thumb.
He then burst forth into an impromptu tor,
rent of passion SO realistic that he was greeted
with applause and an encore, whereupoH he
| came forward and knocked off the other
thumb nail with great success.
He now began to write plays daytimes and
act out on the stage nights to crowded houses,
He was a poor penman, but soon learned to
write we'll and rapidly, after which he was
engaged by Sir Francis Bacon to do some
writing for him. Shakespeare is said to have
plaved the Ghost in his OWL Hamlet" though
this is not yet fully established. After play,
ing one-night stands for a few weeks, and
coming home with Hamlet'S feet tied up in
the graveyard scene, and Ophelia's toes stick,
inc out of her shoes, William, no doubt,
looked like q man who had been playing
Ghost, and this, no doubt, was the origin OF
the report.
"Venus and AdoniS" was one Of the finest
poems written by Mr.. Shakespeare. He took
it to the editor of The Stafford Appeal, who
printed it in order to encourage him, sent
Shakespeare the paper q year free, and told
him that, should any other item of news come
his way, he wished that he would send it in.
Shakespeare wrote a large number of plays,
all of which were well received, though he
never got a just enumeration for his work.
Could he have received a royalty on his plays
up to the present time, he could have spent
his summers by the side of tho sounding sea
down by the shimmering, sunlit sea.
1t is singular that Shakespeare should have
WIlIIpn ~ we'll, All wv obSl " NNAPANAN
that he did not strive for fame. He did not
seem to banker for fame ut all. He wrote
his plays Just as the circus man OF to-day
writes his gorgeous posters, simply to order,
and yet Shakespeare will be quoted and re
produced centuries after tho pictures of the
hippopotamus, with the large red mouth,
shall have passed into oblivion.
But there is a lesson in the life of William
Shakespeare. While we cannot indorse hi:
manner of going to London in a brown study,
and forgetting to take his family with him,
we must admire the truth and strength show
in his works, and, above all, his grit and per-
severance. All men are created for some
place in the great economy of nature, and
they are largely successful or unsuccessful as
they drop into, or fail TO drop into, that
place. We realize this when we see a mar
cross-questioning his superiorS on the witness
stand, or talking a jury into general debility,
when he ought to DO q janitor at the pound
We realize it. every day when we see round
men in square holes, and square men in
round holes.
Shakespeare died in 1916, leaving q wonder
full dramatic monument by which TO perpetu'
ate his name, and an autograph which looks
like the rise and fall of Billy Patterson.
Shakespeare's dust lies buried in front OF
the chancel Of Stratford church; but, to u.s.
the words Of a more modern poet, his sou
goes marching on. he was a great English
man, and 1 respect him all the more because
he refrained from riding through America on
a night train, and then writing a book en-
titled: "The United States of America; it
People, It's Soil, Products, Politics, Socia
Customs, Insects, Mammals, Public Buildings
Eminent Men, and Other Fauna."-BM Nyt
in Cincinnati Graphic.