The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-10-26
SENTIMENTAL DRAGON.

GIN l. vi EN MI Dn HUUN,
There was nothing about the outside
of the Dragon 10 indicate 80 large a
percentage of sen n.llnent. 1t was a
mere everyday dragon, with the usual
squanous hide, glitter!ng like silver
armor, Il commonplace crested head
with Il forked tongue, a tail like a
barbed arrow, a pair of fan-shaped
Wings and four indifferently ferocious
claws, one per foot. How 1t came 10
be so susceptible you shall hear, and
then, perhaps, you will be less sur
prised at its unprecedented and un-
dragon,ike behavior.
Once upon time, as the good old
chronicler, Richard Johnson, relateth,
Egypt was opposed by dragon who
made a p,aguy to-do unless given q
virgin daily for dinner. For twenty
-FOUR years the menu was practicable;
then the supply gave out. There was
absolutely no virgin left in the realm
save Sabra. The Kings daughter, and
poor Ptolemy was reduced to parting
with the Princess.
Now, many centuries after these
events did not happen, a certain
worthy citizen, an illiterate fellow, but
hNhN lhC NOlsc lOI ludl, 1uSiUl
into a pantomime-to wit, "St. George
and the Dragon; or. Harlequin Tom
Thumb" And the same was duly
played at a provincial theatre, with a
lightly clad chorus of Egyptian lasses,
in glarlng contradiction of the dearth
of such in the fable, and a Sabra who
sang 10 them topical song about the
County Council.
('nrinlIS SlV nnnnph in nj 70 90
Saba. although her name was Miss
on the posters, was really Miss. She
was quite as young and pretty as she
looked, TOO, and only rouged herself
for rhe sake of stage perspective.
Everybody about the theatre liked
Sabra, from the actor-manager (who
played st. George to the stage door
keeper (who played st. Peter. Even
her understudy did not wish her in.
Davie was the head man of the
Dragon. He played the anterior parts,
waggled the head and tapped the
wings and sent grewsome Grunts and
penny squibs through the ''fire-breath-
ing" jaws. He was a dour, middle
aged, but stagestruck Scot, very
proud in his rapid rise in the profess
sion, for he had begun as a dramatist
The rear OF the Dragon was simply
known as Jimmy
Jimmy was wreck. His past was
n mystery. HIS face was a brief re-
cord of baleful experiences, and he
had the aSpirates of gentleman. He
had gone on the stage to be out Of the
snow and the rain. Not knowing this,
the Gctor-nanager paid HIM ninepence
a night. His wages just kept him in
beer money. The original Sabra tanned
Two lions, bur perhaps 1T was a greater
feat to tame this half of a Dragon.
Jimmy'S tenderness for Sabra began
at rehearsal, when be saw a good deal
of her. and fellc.tated himself ON the
fact that they We're on in the same
scenes. After a while, however, he
perceived this to be a doeful draw
back for whereas at rehearsal he
could jump out of his skin and breathe
himself and feast his eyes on Sabra
when the Dragon was disengaged, on
The stage he was forced to remain
cramped in darkness while Ptolemy
was clCwnng or St George executing
step dance. Sabra was invisible,
except for an odd moment or so be-
tween the scenes when he caught sight
Of her gliding to her dressing room
Ike a sreak Of discreet sunshine. Still
he had his companions; her dulcet notes
reached his darkness (mellowed by the
painted canvas and the tin scales sewn
over it,, as the chant of the unseen
cuckoo reaches the woodland wander
er. Sometimes, when she sang that
song about the County Council he for
got to wag his tail.
Thus was Love blind, while Indif-
ference IN the person of David Brgg
looked It's full through the mask that
stood for the monsters head. After
a bit Jimmy conceived a mad envy
Of his superior's privileges; he longed
to see Sabra through the Dragons
mouth He was so weary of the little
strip of stage under the Dragons belly
which, even If he peered through the
breathing holes in the patch of paint
disguised gauze left into Its paunch,
was The most he could see. One night
he asked Davie TO change places with
him. Davies look of surprise and
CONSERVATION was beautiful to see.
''Do hear arlcht?" he asked
''.Just for night" said Jimmy,
abashed.
"But dye no ken this is a speakin'
partT
II dld-not-know-thst," faltered
Jimmy.
"Whera's your ears, mon" inquired
Davie sternly. .Dinna We hear me
growlln' and gr'zz.in' and sgualin' and
sklrlln'?" '.--..,