The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-04-30
PLAYING MONKEY.

Great Scott! Don tell me wimmen is
allus right know different Wy, it's
only tn other day Mary-my missis--
wor dead wrong. "Now, yer will be
carful, won't yer, Jim?" says she, a-tyin
big red comforter round tn young
un's neck Careful" says I. 81 be-
lieve yer, me boy!' as Mr.. Paul Bedford
used ter say ter Mr.. Bob Kelley. Lord
Lord! Wot days they did ave in them
times
Yer see, my old mother 'ad been er
great trick act rider, till she 'ad hac-
cident, an after that as fer back as
Nine. Celeste's day she got inter tn
wardrobe at tn Adelphy an event
on'-one er 9Th guests" yer know.
Lord, she wor allus as jolly an as gen.
tie as a sand boy an used ter tell us
kids all about before she was married,
seein madame playin tn Indian girl an
afterward dancin tn gavot in wife
satin. An W EN- she come 'ome from tn
theater she'd ave 'er little drop er cold
gin an sing to us wee uns (a-sittin up
in bed a-eatin tn 'ot baked taters she'd
bring us) Down Hamong tn Green
Bushes" in 'er sweet voice. miss Fitz-
gerald did sing it that beautiful" says
she, a-wipin er heyes.
'Ow did l cum ter be in tn purfesh?
Well, yer see, l was brought up bit
sensitive an with 'er taste fer tn dra-
mer, an bein rather tender hearted like
-takin after father, who got killed one
night a-carryin out old blind woman
from fire-I thought I'd like ter be
acrobat or pantomimist. So one
Christmas I gifts OH at Covent Garden as
supe an lad ter do er little 'bizness'
with tn clown. An Mr.. Payne e says
ter me, says e, "W'y don't yer go i'll
fer it?" An does-goes prentis, an in
me spare time did little odd jobs an
'elped mother wot l could with tn
kids. But yer see, was bit old fer
reg lar bender Besides, I'd got it on
me mind ter play monkey. Mother
said as 'ow she couldn't account fer it,
'cept it wor she went one Monday to
tn geological gardens afore was born.
Dad didn't want 'er ter go in tn mon
key 'ouse; but, womanlike, she would
Wen / was 16, I could play monkey
fer all e was worth. got engaged with
a troop, an they Civ me good screw
well, good fer them days. It's differ
+ ent now. We worked all tn alls in tn
provinces. Then manager over from
/ America see us, an we played through tn
. States. Wen we gifts back ter Lon.
, don, fixes up mother in 'er chambers
shop jest behind Hashley's. Lord, she
could nearly smell tn sawdust an quite
ear tn losses, an it did 'er good.
"Makes me young agin, says she.
Then our troop gifts er turn at tn
Halhambra. An wot d. yer think? l
falls in love with my missis-Mary Ma
: SOMA good little gal in tn back row
, o. tn ballet Well, we gifts married five
year ago come termorrer, an we as two
klds-both boys TIL second one was
: sickly an died. But, bless your cart,
Tommy, tn oldest, jest a-risin 4-well,
, there, talk about a munk! Wy, @ On'y
wanted er tail. Wen e wor year. e
: Jung an chung on ter everything an
! nearly frightened lis mother inter fits,
Well, I've 'ad i'm with me in my act
, fer about three months (Another glass?
[ 1 don't mind if do. Talkin's dry work
More soda, please. An last week gifts
! leave from my boss ter play fer tn
= "ben" o. old pal O. mine down tn
east end way. Now, that night Mary
= seemed ter reg lar 'ugger mugger over
: Tommy. "W OTIS tn matter, mother?'
Y saysI ooh, nuthin-I-I dunno, Jim, F"
e says tn mother. An could "a swore
! she was goin ter Cry. Then she broke
II out quite 1ierceiike. Don't let that
there Bob Bracy ave nothin to do with
g tn ropes, says she. Bob was tn 'ead
carpenter at tn all we was due at an q
q old sweetheart of Mary 's-she "chuck'
g ed" i'm fer me. "W'y, Bobs all right
r mother. says /. II dunno" says she.
g II shouldn't like ter trust Tommy with
1t 'im, says she. Eyer know e allus
q swore he'd git even" Well, after 1
i minute: cts time yer was gone. Lore
love 'iml" says she, a-givin tn youns
!. un a extra kiss an another turn o. tn
# comforter.
\ Wen we gifts ter tn all, it wa
,e pretty late-crammed with people al
e full of smoke. Tommy seemed bi
n sleepy, but perks up wen 1 puts ii
IS monkey dress on i'm. COWS tn littlt
~ mani" says l. "All right, dadda," say
t. e. 1 gives i'm to woman ter 'olC
~ while I goes on tn stage ter see tn
81 tackle was all right, specially a littl,
IS trapeze Of Tommy's covered with leave
70 al flowers, which was fixed center o
If tn stage, way up in tn flies. Their
)r was Master Bob, as busy as any bee
Ill But ed bin 'avin a drop, could see.
"Well, Jimmy, ole man, " says e, al
y grins at me like 'ipperpotamus or
=; lena or Cheshur cat Dob hain't nj
If beauty lows tn missis?" She
re- all right says There amt no file