New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-08-28
A THEATRICAL EPISODE.
Dare say
No spirit ever brake the band

Dare say
No spirit ever brake the band
That stays him from the native land,
Where first he Walk'd when claspt in clay?
-Tennyson.
In the lives of many of US there come
occasional periods of soul deadening mo-
snotony, when oppressed and wearied, we
lose faith in our own better nature and APP
pear to ourselves incapable of deep or sincere
feeling for any one or anything. At such
times, however, we are not so callOus but
that we are further tormented by an aching
longing for some excitement, if even pain
full one, which shall prove to US that our
dead. With those who, like myself, are
condemned by necessity to distasteful task
work, while endeavoring in their spare
moments to master some art VIII ich shall
deliver them from the daily drudgery, these
periods Of depression are only too frequent.
l am a young man, cursed or blessed, 1
hardly know which, with believe some
slight literary faculty, and burdened GER
Gainly with too much ambition. am at
tached to the staff of a London paper and
am alone and almost friendless in a strange
city. My work supplies me, indeed with the
wherewithal to live, but leaves me little
time or energy for independent and more
artistic creations.
Some months ago, after a long spell of
hard work at the office, had at last an eve
ming Off. had tired myself out by added
hard work for my own ends at homo; work
accomplished by delicious though exhaust
ing excitement which fear does not often
attend my journalistic efforts. The newt
able recreation from all this capped by re-
lpeated d1sappointments in the failure of my
more artistic wares to find an appreciative
publisher, had plunged me into one of my
BLACKLIST fits of nervous depression. AT
such times one is apt to be possessed by
morbid fancies, and what I am about to re-
late may appear fantastic, yet it is an ,un,
semEellished record Of facts. More than
this, it was to me an experience which at
the moment lifted me out of my miserable
self-absorption, and will remain with me
always as a blessed and happy memory.
In my fits Of melancholy generally re-
sort to the restful sanity Of Shakespeare by
way of mental tonic, but tonight was
5ghcas,aDle even OF that. My books and my
bril- gut fire and comfortable arm chair had
mo attractions for me. [ was restless and
unhappy, unwilling to stay at home, long
ing for the cOmpanionshiD of friends far
gut of my reach but with no desire to seek
those near at hand, and altogether out Of
humor and out of tune Finally wander
ed out of doors, determined to go to some
concert and soothe my troubled nerves with
music. At times, however, fate, or what
ever it may be, is too strong for the obsti-
nate will Once out, an irresistible i'm
pulse ovcrmastered me, forcing me to give
up the concert and go and see Macbeth. I
had q vague feeling that if l resisted the
Impulse should be haunted with lifelong
regret, and yielded to it, not without some
meutai protest, for I had seen the play sew
"erai times already The interesting ques-
3ions raised by the novel rendering Of it at
the Lyceum had led me to go often, that I
might judge for myself between the old
and the new heroes.
With the undeserved good fortune of a
GATE arrival, found a seat in the front row
OF the dress circle, rather to one side At
the theatersI often find half my amusement
an watching the effect Of the play on my
Neighbors, and during the overture took
my usual glance round for interesting faces.
On this particular night, unfortunately,
there were very few to be seen. Disap-
pointed in my search turned my attention
to the stalls, and amused myself in watch
ing commonplace, but well TODD and
cheerful, family party arrange themselves
IN stage box below me. When I locked
onsly vacant seat near the middle of the
'front.' row was filled, and its occupant
Instantly riveted my whole attention. Even
the few faces had thought striking before
became insignificant beside this mans An
nnaccountable intensity of interest took
possession of me as gazed. The pale, oval
Face was curiOusly familiar to me- but in
vain l struggled with memory, in vain
tried to think where had seen it before
seemed to know exactly the manner of
growth of the thin auburn hair far back
over the forehead-that peculiar broad, vet
c0nical forehead, towering above the arched
eyebrows and the deep lidded, musing eyes.
The color of the latter could not see, but
their expression, changeful as it was-noW
sad, now humorous, then calm and steady
with the patience that comes from wide ex-
gperience-I knew as well as know the
faces love best, also, and yet could think
OF no name and no locality to connect with
it! The straight nose, rather broad at the
nostrils, the short, pointed beard, the mus
sEache, scarcely yelling the wise, tolerant
mouth, with it's full, firmly closed lips
where could have seen it all so often be-
force and having seen it, how could 1 have
forgotten the locality9 I gazed and gazed,
and thought and thought, till my anxiety
aud strange feeling of affection for this
known yet unknown face tormented me
almost to the verge of going to the stranger
TO ask his name.
He, meanwhile, occupied as had been a
few moments before, in glancing over the
crowd of faces around him, was quite I'M
conscious OF my gaze He was a man rather
,cealed in a long, curiously folded cloak,
which showed only half an inch or so of
turned-doW white collar above it. One
hand, holding the heavy, negligent folds to-
gether over his chest, was hidden; the
other, an artists hand, white and we'll
shaped, rested on his knee and grasped a
WIDE -brimmed hat. His face, lined and
marred with life's bitterest struggles, and
yet serene and sympathetic, like that Of one
who has triumphed over suffering, attract
ed me SO powerfully that it was some time
before noticed the popularity in his dress,
and when did it gave me no clue to his
identify.
He leaned back in his seat, gazing all
round him with unobtrusive but incessant
interest. | noticed palpable look of won
der mingled with the acuteness of his glance
and found myself specializing what SO all
comprehending a face coule find to wonder
at in such an ordinary scene. Presently his
glance travelled toward me and our eyes
met. was too interested even to wish to
look away, and could not if had tried A
6remor of nervous excitement seized hold of
me. felt fascinated, forced to meet the
keen far-sighted gaze that seemed searching
my very thoughts. His eyes summoned me
toward him with strange physical attrac-
Gon, and in another moment I should have
risen to obey his selent call, had not the ces-
Sation of the music at last distracted his at
tenton. The moment his glance was with
drawn the tremor of excitement that had
felt ceased, and lost the desire to go to
1im. But still could not take my eyes
from his face, aud began to think there