Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-03-07

low about the show?' said Clifford.
Magnificent! You wait and see what
| write about it when | return. And
away went to The Independent and
Tho Herald, polished up the professors
ads, and as no report had been done at
either place I wrote as putting para
graph as thought they would stand fol
each paper and then hurried back t.
The Post to conc0ct as flaming IN ac
count as | could contrive. and l think
may say that it was strong. | may
even venture to go further and to say
that it was about as glowing as such
notices can be made. Repeated appii.
cations to Roget's Thesaurus wero neccs-
sary. Clifford, who was reading my
slips as I finished them, objected once
or twice. Come. say, this is tco hot.
The old man'll have 4 ii. Tho Cd
man was the ''old brute
'.Well, from what you til me, re-
plifd, hes likely to have one anyhow,
SO it won t matter" Had the professor
been Houdin, Heller, the Wizard of the
North and Herr Frikell combined l
couldn't have been more lavish of my
adL.iAfioh
1t is usual to conclude this kind of
article with some notice of the audience
present, and here for minute or two |
was fairly nonplusod. But the old
story occurred to me of the audience of
one at the Portsmouth theater. The
performance was proceeding nlerrily
when the manager missed the audience.
Hurrying to the front, he asked anxious
ly, "Where, where is the audience?"
Sir" said the boxkeeper, ''he has
gone to get some beer, but he is delight
ed with the performance and says he'll
be back in minute" "Let business
proceed" said the manager. And it
did proceed. Why I do not know, but
this story suggested to me way out of
the difficulty I was in. l concluded
with the following peroration: "Alto-
gether Professor Beda's entertainment
is one of the most admirable and enter
tanning that have ever visited Alexander
or the colonies. At its conclusion the
entire audience arose as one man and
applauded the professor to the echo"
1t must indeed have been to the echo"
Clifford was nervous about the article;
but, as I pointed out to him, no one
could possibly contradict a word that l
had written, and ultimately my notice,
which extended over a column and a
quarter, was allowed to pass holus bolus.
The rain had ceased when | returned
at 3 in the morning to the hotel. Half
dozen times before daybreak l was
out of bed inspecting the weather. No
rain, the clouds had cleared off, and at
o'clock the stars were shining. A
cold. bright morning succeeded. At
breakfast heard people asking, .'Were
you at the hall last night?" mo. We're
you?' NO" AT luncheon the mayor
of the city said, Its an odd thing; I've
asked every one I've seen today about
the performance at the Odd Fellows
hall, and not soul seems to have been
there. And I inwardly thanked Mr..
Mayor for an excellent advertisement.
The professor and the other persons
concerned held their tongues. l had to
make it worth their while to do so.
"Ten bob for a money taker'' devel-
oped into promise of a sovereign if
the show paid.
And pay it did. The seat plan at
Lyons, the bookseller, was well spotted
with names by 5 O'Clock. 1t was an off
day at the house Of representatives., it
was the height of the Alexander sea-
son, and the evening turned out one of
those brilliant, cold, starlight nights
that New Zealand alone can pro-
duce. The doors were opened at half
past 7, and ensconced myself, wearing
pair Of green spectacles, in the pay
place. The melancholy musician struck
up lively tune, and at II minutes to
the first shilling for back seat camo
in. 1 have it now Luckily shillings
and half crowns came in plentifully
at first, for had any one rendered SOW
ereign and wanted change I should have
been considerably embarrassed. By and
by the front seats % shillings) began to
pour in, and up to quarter past l was
taking money as fast as l could receive
it.
The show was great success us.
What the audience thought of it don't
know. 1 do know that the professor and
1 divided e53 12s. Cd. The plot sue
ceeded, the old brute was malleable,
Mosley became ''our reporter" and l
was for two years subeditor of the Alex
ander Daily Post.-R. Halkett Lord in
London Theater.