Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-27

lightning, even as coral, of which Neapoli- tans still wear amulets to avert the evil eye. Turquoise, according to Boethius, especially protects against falls. and heals differences between man and wife. Amber wards off erysipelas and all soreness of the throat. Sard, comedian, and the stone bezoar, men, toned by Lord Lytton, especially stanch all Aux blood and cure serpents' bites, while heliotrope confers the gift of prophecy and long life. Many more precious stones might be quoted, and these cursory remarks should not be closed without a word about the lily among gems, the moonlight queen where the opal is the star, viz., the pure and delicate pearl. Whether the simple minded fisher men still believe or not that they are the tears of angels or of naiads, or celestial drops of dew, hardened within the shell of the oyster, the priceless gem will ever be con- resentative of all feminine virtues. If but a part of the potent qualities ascrihed to pre- cious stones in general by world-old tradi- tions could be conferred in reality, what in- huence gems would have!
 BOOTsACK AT THE OLD BOwBRY. Billy Ward Missed Rehearsal, But Wa. Equal to the Emergency. From the Detroit Free Press.l An indefinite tragedian in Milton Noble's collection of rattling stage anecdotes was one day gossiping about professional old-timers, when George 0. Bonifaoe loomed up over the far horizon.
 "Ah!" exclaimed the indefinite, "I won- der if George remembers when he and were bootjacks together at the old Bowery in 1859. To play was work in those days, but we had fun nevertheless. I remember one Monday night when new drama was to be produced. Bob Johnson was to play the hero and Bill Ward the william. Wards part was terror-about forty-fve lengths. He was fine actor, but he was abnormally fond of fishing, to which sport he usually consecrated the actors best study day, Sun day. As consequence he was generally huky on Monday nights. On this particular Monday night he was painfully shaky. He had not only fshed all day Sunday, but got becalmed, and barely reached the city Mon- day in time for rehearsal. At night he had to wing his lines. During the second act he had to rush on to confront the hero, document wave 1t triumphantly in the air and exclaim: Behold, fond dotard, 1 in this little parchment I hold thy fate. Here, duly attested, are written proofs of | thy friends baseness and the maiden's per-
 fdy.
 "Ward got as far as fond dotard,' when | he thrust his hand into his breast, and ghastly pallor overspread his face. He had ! forgotten his document. The pause was but | for an instant. Ward rammed his hand into ! the other side of his tunic with a grin of | satisfaction; his part was there, where he | had thrust it on emerging from the wing. ! Drawing forth the manuscript triumphantly, | he waved it in the air and finished the speech.
 sBut he had forgotten the business of the
 hero. Johnson seized the part and tore it
 into fragments.
 "'Hersl herel Hold on, BobI Don't,--
 it! That's my part, and don't know a line
 of it, whispered Ward in agony.
 "Ssrves you right Go fishing on Sunday,
 will your Johnson growled; and dashing the
 bits of paper on the stage he exclaimed:
 Perish forever the vile record
 "It was the middle of the soene and Bob
 the act; so, seizing Ward by the throat, he ! oullus, roaring: And as stamp the false
 hood from thy perjured evidence 50 will II wiring the base libel from thy craven throat'
 "The curtain came down and there was {
 double call.
 "Ward and Johnson took the call from op posite sides, marched to the centre, ant heroically shook hands. The piece had beer dead frost up to that moment, and John sons readiness of resource made a situa
 tion that saved it from what must other wise have been the ghastliest failure , ! Ward had to wing from the prompt stan 7 | for the remainder of the play, but he go , | there."