New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-27


his rent quarterly, but it left him q very snal
surplus for necessities and the iurnituie remained
round his neck Tine mn s, wc sws aa
Sawder. were pressing in an unclvil way io
" something on account" 49,. nan,
Margery's trousseau frocks were getting ntt''
worn and she had ceased to deal at co-operati'
stores. These were establishments best suitec iol
the exemplary matrons who were not compelled u
demand credit. .,
All the managc in Londcn appeared to have
combined to refuse Mr.. Russell Dawes pays
Indeed many of them never looked beyond tnt
| title mage His hand writing was too famiiar
The poor wife only frowned and sighed over them
bn the higher Judges shook their heads vigorously
and applied no cuphemlsms to their WHIT: =
seemed at this juncture that Mr. Mchiiilg'u
| prophecy would be fulfilled starving III
| garrett did not appear far OF.
| Meanwhile Mr. Mckign began to have some
! oualms abont the fate of his daughter tie wa,
well aware that Margery's defiant spirit wouio
hold ont TO the last. and that II she conld MOI
weat Their the storm she would die sooner than cry
"peccavi" at his feet. lie contrved to inior,
himself of the young couples circumstances oy
snIreplG To . means nnd Pnchard and from
Russelrs prosecuting upholstcrers he realized they
were IN difficulties. IN :. A.
storm of appeal. and Mcssrs sweet o ,a;i
| received nifty pounds on account" toward dinin-
ishng many hundreds This was very , i HEX,
| considerably. Apparently his son-in-law had maze
IL Int somewhere. One wntry day this gentleman
met his daughter in the Strand. she got inio an
omnibus carving parcel of books. and did not
perceive him. lie had time to sec that Margcry
was rather ain and more than little shabby, but
smiling and prctier than ever. ~
Something that does duty for heart Ill a CltV
mans breast gave little throb i'll MIR. MchllngIn
interior Just such another girl twenty years ago.
| had been Margcry's mother. She. too had gene
abont in omnibuscs, and had been very shabby
oftentimes In earlier years Mr. Mckiliigln had not
been an authority on the Stock hAchahgc Ut 'Ac
| director of railway companies. .
| Early in the spring following Mr.. Dawes uneX-
pected payment. sandwich men perambuiated the
the star Theatre. In due course it was pat on the
| boards and most of the critics combined to damn
a new author with their FAINT praise But the
venom of unbrbed pens was Insufficient TO poison
| its popularity. BY Faster time London town was
aware that there was capital thing rnnnlnT I
the little theatre, where a plucky manager had
"A Flat Proceeding" proved Itself 10 ne
sparkling little play of two acts, fu OF charming
| dialogue and pretty scenes. Strange bits OF pathos
aternatcd with comic situations; but people nag
not time to cry before they were laughing again IL
was the style OF piece that pays to the manager
having elaborate settings; and also the style OF
! play always popular with that large section OF
society that likes to dine at leisure and give a
couple Of hours tllip to digestion later or crowds
| locked nightly to the brilliant little comedy
and the Boudst. theatrical agents booked places at
| the "Star" weeks before. The plot was of the
simplest construction, and hinged ON the
| difficulties of Il rash Young couple who had entered
| on housekeeping fiat without any adequate
means. At the lofty altitude of sixth Story
without lift. il was impossible to escape duns or
visitors through any back door. There was a
flavor of reality ABOUT the incidents that occurred
| which tick ed the fancy OF theatre eoers and made
! il a signal success. The embarrasSmens Of Mr.
| Simon Buttercup and Mrs. DAISY Buttercup were
matters of absorbing interest and amusement. The
presentment of a stern and tyrannical parent was
| also touched with the hand OF truth. and the
cutting sarcasms levelled at paternai ambitions
were hailed with applause. The author OF the
comedy was spoken OF coming power. Who
was h, Hitherto the manager had malntalned pls
| incoqnito. Naturally, when the new thing at the
| star was talked of at every dnner-tabe, 1t soon
| came TO Mr. Mckilhgin's ears that 1t was worth
seeing. He booklet two stalls three weeks in adj
vance and in due course of time appeared at the
theatre with his meek wife. This lady, who was
| tenderhcarted. wept fIrtiyey IN the loYe.scenes
between The Young couple. but Mr.. Mex llgin only
writhed uneasily at the jdst ironies aimed at the
mercenary moods and mclintIOns of parents. He
! recognized q strange similarity of circumstance
! between the performance and his OWL experiences.
| His own sentiments, almost his own words. were
faithfully Te-echoed from the stage. His connsels
TO his daughter sounded from other HIs very
nateralIstIc doctrine.
Ry and by between the acts. Mr. McKillign
hogan TO 'Ook about the theatre 10 his surprise
MargcTy and her husband were located I'D the stage
box. There something very uncomfortable
abont it all. Marcerv's saLcy eyes were fixed upon
him. and she smiling in her most radiant mood
He evellcd his glass at the next box as though he
had not her. Presently the play was resumed.
ana came 10 happy termination with bcngnant
and repcntant father ii wing adj vice to ms young
children follow the dictates of their hearts:
One by one the actors were recalled a storm OF
applause following. Finally some one set up
shout for "author.D shout that had on other
occasions been in vain. There 1ustlrg in the
stage box and Margcry and her husband disap-
pearea. The manager came forward, announced
that the JOINT authors were In the house. anu
would he happy to acknowledge the warm reccp
tion Their play had received. In momenl the
curtain pulled back. and Mr.. Mex llligin
perceived his son-n-law. Russell Dave did not
appear alone but led by the hand the hall
| reluctant Margcry. who biushed and smiled in the
| most bewtchng way. Such a partnership OF wits
was a novelty. and deaening cheers resounded as
| Margery curtscved repeatedly Mr.. MckiIligin
turned very pale. and under cover Of the applause
commanded his wife's instant departure. He could
never now enjoy the exquisite satisfaction OF play
| ing the benlgnant father and paving his Son-iu-
| laws debts.
Mr. Russell Dave continues to write plays
| jointly with his wife, and derives no small
advantage from them. He is held IN high Iepute by
managers in these days. MessrS. Sweet II Sawder
were duly paid in full. but aid not receive Mr..
Dawes patronage for the littug-up of his beautiful
new residence III the Addison Road To please her
husband, Margery rav.shes the public eye Ill
charming eccentric garments. but for some reason
of her own is never witty or brilliant III general
society. 1t is the common option OF her acquaint-
once that MIS- Russell Dawes pretty head has
not much inside it. The world whispers that she
has n very SINAI share in the production Of the
popular plays. OF course her wOrshlpDng husband
for Russell is known TO he still devoted lover
,ndeavOrs his utmost 10 reflect the aure0le of his
talent upon her But it will net do, and you
cannot deceive us
Mrs. Margery smiles and is well lyeascd when
such remarks reported to her ears critics
.nsinuHtc disparagement of her pretensions TO
authorship. But Russell Is much more humble
regarding his own powers in these DAYS. He knows
that II sometimes happens that little dust blinds
a great majority. aD OF opinion that, If the truth
were known, bis only share of work is the iran
scribing Of Mrs. MarPery's untidy copy The
Whitehall Review.
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