The morning times., 1896-10-11


the nIaIutinaI news purNeyurs?
How about the maiden lady with
tile nez retrOusee who stands re-
si5gtlsl,-lg ioE II. aI.s.NiLS " aJci. I4;.S tI.c
blithercr cnlbclliShed my coin proyuker:
Yes? Then l shall join you at breakfast in
two shakes over the wash t;Isin and one
rouuu with my suspenders. What? Why
didn't you say so?''
IL Wss 'MIne' Hopper who had dis
charged this volley. He wasin his bedroom
off Ills parlor. The first few words Were
inuistlnct as il spoken through two thick
pesses OF bcu covering, but gradually his
voice gained in strength and his woIds lost
syllable extension ana he realized that a
caller was waiting. If lie Salu his prayers
they were more fcrvent than long, for in
another III moment he came into the parlor
wrapped in u gorgeous development Of EN-
broidered silk and brocade which surpassed
anything he wears on the stage.
Really. my dear fellow be said as he
extended his hand, you have me at u
disadvantage, Youdiscovercdme ina play
full moment at little game Mrs. Hopper
and much enjoy. Really, I'm devoted to
the bell boy. If matrimonial conyentioGally
tolerated ! should say the same of The cham
bermaid and the bootblack-well, how can
j say anything of devotee who is con
tinually at my feet? And 10 what do we
the honor of this call?''
The story of my life? 1t is a sealed
volume. / should so like the dear public
to forget that l was ever born or had
parents. but that, like Mrs. Stoves SOU
brette, L just grew Ignorance conduces
TO mystery, mystery to curiosity, curiosity
to cash, just as the dude in the funny
paper is evolved into a cigarette Yes,
there is, perhaps, discrepancy in the COM
parisou, but the point lies in the appli-
cation
The one and only thing want to have
before the public mind at present is that
l am good thing and Ell Captain mustn't
be missed. But do You know it's curl
Gus coincidence? Here / am at the zenith
of my fame, six feet four in my stocking
feet and have stopped growing, and the
pranks of fatuitous coincidence bring ME
back to the starting point. As you know,
my opera is 10y Sousa, Twelve years ago
this frosty fall i made my operate debut
in an opera by the same composer.
II had been playing with the Madison
Square Stock Company, and in one of the
plays ! sang little song off the stage
John McCaull liked my voice and en-
gagged me to sing the principal baritone
role in 'Desiree,' by John Philip Sousa
the libretto baving been written in this
city. We were to open in Philadelphia.
When reEearsals began our leading come
dian took sick, or something else, and left
us. As il happened, Mark Smith was on
hand, and i have never failed to nurse
a felicitous regard for Mark ever since.
AT the time. however,'I was very sore,
for he got the baritone role, with all the
fine costumes and calciums. while / had
to take the comedy part The upshot of
1t all was that ! Was discovery, S say
We ManatmaS who have entered the Mir
vana of baseball / surprised everybody,
Including McCaull and myself.
You know how / have since accumu-
lated property honors, as generals of
armies, prime ministers of cannibal CHIEFS,
potentates of such royal countries as Lend
themselves TO spectacular operate treat
ment. l ieel pride in whatever ] have
accomplished, for l am my own invest
ment. When a youth of twenty-one I
had In well-developed degree the love
OF the stage, which was n weakness of nv
father. My grandfather, who was n strict
member OF the Quaker sect, one morning
said reprovingiy to my father, while he
was yet bcardless boy: Son, has thee
been to see Fanny KembIc?' And with tbc
same vivadous instinct which Character
lied an utterance of another father with a
larger progeny, he replied: Yes, ninety
four times So, like my father, haunted
the tbeater, but, unlike him, did not
escape the alIurcments OF The stage.
"I became an actor / found kind
hearted gentleman to manage my aspira-
tions andincidentallysp spendfor me S42 900,
which was unfortunately in my name, and
$4,000 besides, which had never been
in anybody's name / have since paid
these latter debts, in a purely compulsory
way, however, pursued by officious gen.
temen with tin things under the lapels
of their coats.
"Itamuses me TO hear people say cannot
act. Not that 1 have an exalted opinion
OF my histriouics. but after that prplimi-
nary wresile with theatrical fundamentals
Nsoon became conspicuous member of tue