San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-02-27
THEIR FIRST PLAY.

10 play dCliup MID DihShoih Aii'eN va
most awful. She and the minister they
believed that there warn't no chance OF
play actors goin' to heaven. However,
the rest of the family sort Of felt that,
seein' there weren't much chance be-
fore for jackson jefferson, if folks con-
duct has anything to do with it, there
wus no need of bein' too despairin'. Mrs.
Bingham could go on hevin' prayers put
up for him jest as she always had, and If
he should send free tickets, some of the
folks thought they'd go and see him.
They hadn't none of them never been
into theayter, and they felt they'd like
to see whpt it was like eff it didn't cost
nothing. Tho young folks was all on
that side, and Gurus enough, Granper
Whitaker lie was with 'em.' Si.
1--WE lea pious life," grandper said,
"fur nigh about seventy-five year.
guess I'm fixed all right in the other
world, and if don't hurry won't never
have no fun here"
So when Jeff did send the tickets
grandper and Eben and Hammer and Jane
they all started down to town; and Jane
she took bag of crullers, and Eben he
took handkerchief of apples, and Han
ner she took bottle of lemonade, fol
there was nothin grandper liked so much
as hevin' a good time, and there's nc
telling what you get in those New York
restaurants besides flies, and when Cousin
Phineas had dinner there once he saw a
waiter rub up the sugar basin with his
pockit ankurchuff.
Well, we felt real pleased to sec
grandper SO clipper. Did l tell you !
was goin' along tu? Pm Belinder; and
we Jest out up awful! And as we wus
a-goin' through the village to the station
grandper held up his head like he wus on
parade, and when anybody stopped to
say, "Why, how dye do? Where be you
goin', Grandper Whitaker" he ups and
hollers right out, "I'm agoin' tu take the
boys and gals up tu town tn the theayter,
fur tu see my grandson, jackson Jeffer-
son, perform"
You see. grandper was perfesser, and
he'd walked upright all his life, and
knowed he wus jest about as good as any
of 'em, eff not considerbul better.
Every now and then grandper would
turn his head-grandper had real talent
fur turnin his head clear round so it
looked as eff it growed backward-and
say:
"Tell you, folks sec we air ON spree,
and 1 reckon they wish they could go
along"
So we went ahead, lookin' fur the tents.
Grandper said theayters always played
in tents. But we didn't see none, nor no
place fur none; but all of a sudden we
came to a great, splendid house with the
name of the theayter we wanted to see
up all over it, and great pictures at the
door, and policeman standin' by the
lamp posts.
Grandper looks around ag'in and sez he:
"Eben, reckon things is got more fixy
sonce wus boy and went to the circus,
and got whacked for dOin' it when got
home. They've got their theayter into a
house," and sure enough, the policeman
said the tickets wus fur that place, and
we went in.
A young gentleman, all fixed up like
he wus goin' to get married, showed us
some seats. Grandper he sot down on
the outside one.
"Goldarned eff it don't look like meet
in'F sez he. "But there's a band, any
way;" and pretty soon it began to play;
but We didn't see nothin', only little boy
standin' on some steps jest as ef he wus
goin' to come down but felt skeered, until
all of a sudden up he went in the air! l
wus so started shruck right out; but
Jane she said she thought first off it wus
a big shade with 10y painted onto it.
And then we could see straight into
somebody's front parior, and there wus
the help a taIkin' 70 herself and sayin'
all sorts Of things about the family. Then
the door bell rang and in came our Jack
son jefferson! Ineyer WIS 50 surprised
In nv life. He wus all fixed up. and he
didn't take no more notice u us than ef
we waren't there. In a minute | saw
wbv; he'd come 10 call on a young lady,
and uus 80 taken up by her be hadn't
eyes fur nobody else. didn't mind, but
Jane did. They sot on a sofa and talked
until in come an old gentleman and asked
jackson JefersOn What he wus there fur,
and tod him be didn't want no lOv down
Toor folks comm after his daughter.
No~, there amt notliin' fires graI'dTer
I'd 20 a. anybody lOokin' down On has
family. and be riz up from lis seai IKE
4 hzsh- He l. six feet t~O Is graDdper,
ana his hair l. wbits and grows real
lag. lie kin be seen quite distance
EreTybo.1vIookei ~ Lirn 70 pleased they