The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-10-15
RATS ON THE STAGE.
They Act Melodrama to an Imaginative
Managers Satisfaction.

They Act MeIodrama to an Imaginative
Managers Satisfaction.
'Some very strong testimony to the
soundness Of the theory that all ami
mails possess the reasoning power was
furnished at our theater last night by a
number of rats, attracted there by the
excellent bill-of-fare offered by the
scenery" said Manager Joe Oliver, dur
ing conversation with party Of
friends.
1.-THE medium employed by them,'
continued he, ''was a play which they
had built out of pickings from various
plays that it had been their good fort
une to see during their residence at the
theater. OF course, there are people
who will say that their mode of getting
material was piracy, and consequently
the play was clear steal, and should
not be noticed. The piece was of
the old school, mildly exaggerated,
melodramic type that used to de-
light US in the peanut-bag gallery
days of our youth 1t was grandly pre-
sented, too, and showed much thought
and great care in preparation. Not a
hitch occurred, and the actors played
their parts with an artistic intuition
and a refinement of touch that would
do credit to any of our big companies.
The performance began, and, barring
the novelty of the villain dying in sight
of the audience, ended just the same as
all melodramas. The soubrette was
discovered when the curtain rose in the
act of busting the chairs, and perform
ing the usual primary duties OF the SOU
brette. Soon her father, decrepit old
rat of sixty summers, comes on, carry.
ing in his mouth a piece of cheese,
which he drops in the middle OF the
stage After few moments talk
4 with his daughter he suddenly
every thing is done suddenly in
the melodrama-remembe that he
forgot something, and goes out for it.
While the old gent is absent large,
fine-looking fellow enters, with q nom
chalant swagger and come-now-I-
meant business look. This was the
villain, and, like all villains, he had
sleek appearance and long, curly mus
.tache, which he frequently stroked. He
bad como to demand marriage of the
soubrette, but she would not listen to
him, and scornfully told him no. He
departed, swearing vengeance. Just
then tho soubrette's beloved, who had
been waiting all this time outside for
chance to come in unnotiCed and tell
his girl once more of his undying love
for her, put in an appearance. He was
an awfully cute fellow, dressed in a
checked suit made of fur. Right
in the middle of this heaven
ly teto-a-teto papa's footsteps on
the [ stairs were heard, and there
was an excited scampering off. But be-
fore he got in the villain returned and
stole the piece of cheese which, in the
early scenes, pater familias had placed
in the middle of the stage. Tho mo-
{ ment the father entered he discovered
the loss of the cheese. Almost nstantly
the villain rushed on and accused his
rival for the soubrette's hand with fe-
loniously taking it. Then all the char
acters in the play came on hurriedly
without any reason except it be that the
manuscript called for them, and the
lover was carted to Jail after tho SOU
brette had sworn to her belief in his in
nocence, and to stick to him till death.
Tho next two acts were given over to the
great sufferings of the hero, and
to an almost endless amount of
hideous criminality on the part
of the villain. In the fourth and
last act the tables were turned by a
neat piece of work by the soubrette,
and the hero was released and declared
innocent. The villain got so mad at
losing the girl that he made an attempt
to steal her, but he was foiled by the
detective, who had been on his track
all through the play. The detective,
impersonated by his highness Tabby,
then satisfied the law by swallowing
tho villain whole, and the play was
ended. What do you think of that for
an argument in favor of the proposition
that animals possess the reasoning
power? I don't think / ever heard as
good before. Did you? Every body an
sworcd No" and quickly sought for
another subject Chicago News.