St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-02-12
One Night as an Aetor.
BLANK LIVED TO REGRET THE DECEP-
TON VERY MUCH.
G CIRCUMSTANCES have forced me
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

hHIRCUMSTANCES have forced me
on several occasions to appear
under false pretenses, and for each such
occasion l have paid an exorbitant
penalty" said a guest at the Lambs
club one night. Being here has re-
called very wildly one of these expert
ences that was exceedingly amusing at
the time. and just as annoying in its
consequences. Robert Write, that is
near enough to his name, and his COM
pany played weeks engagement in
Williamsburg seven years ago, and as l
knew Write and George Frederick
Oakes, of his company, l went over on
the opening night to shake hands with
them. We had little supper after the
play. and Write said that the Consoli-
dated club had bought up nearly the
whole theater for his Saturday night
performance, and it had rendered re-
ception to the entire company at the
clubhouse after the theater. The club
is eminently respectable, and after the
fashion of many of the German clubs in
this city, its privileges are enjoyed On
special occasions by the wives of the
members.
Now, Write is good fellow, and he
is really funny on the stage, but his So
cial opportunities have been limited,
and / had suspicion that he would be
even more amusing at the club recep-
ton. l was anxious to go, but there
seemed TO be no way in which could
get urged One of the members of
Writes company, Piper by name, was
smoothly shaven and about my size.
In a very vague fashion we resembled
each other. | am in no way connected
with the stage, as you know. but have
had some good friends who were. and l
knew something of Piper's character
istics. Write had duly impressed upon
the members of his company, his APP
probation of the social distinction that
the Consolidated club conferred on him
by inviting his entire company to its
clubhouse, and he announced that every
member. men as well as women, must
be in evening dress. Piper played a
character part that didn't call for even
ing dress. and tipped my friend Oakes
off on a little scheme that l thought
would work. 1t was a success. At SIX
O'Clock on Saturday evening received
telegram which read:
piper can't beg, borrow, or hire dress
suk. Write invites you to be his under
study. Be at theater 1880 sharp
Il turned up on time in evening
clothes, and Write told me that was to
go 10 the Consolidated club as Mr.. Piper
of his company, and that if gave my
self away / would ruin him. As | re-
member the clubhouse it was large and
well appointed, and when Mr.. Writes
refined comedy company filed in, the
halls and stairs were filled with men
and women anxions to see what real ac
tor people looked like off the stage. l
was bit nervous because | suspected
that in a crowd of that size there might
be some one who knew me. There
wasn't. As we filed through and up to
the dressing-rooms there were whis-
pered comments of:
That's Mr.. Write. Oh, I'd know
him anywhere. Yes, that's Clara Good
eyes, his leading lady. and she is pretty.
Here is Oakes and that's Piper with
him.
Il felt relieved. and sailed in with
Oakes to enjoy the evening. As soon
as we had taken off our wraps a very
dignified elderly member of the club
asked us to go up 10 the balsrooom and
receive the clubs members and guests.
We were lined up in a row and Write
put on his finest Williamsburg man
ners for the occasion. II was lovely to
hear him discuss the drama with big
u. The elderly man who had acted as
master of ceremonies took Oakes and
me in tow. and introduced us to his wife
and two daughters with an injunction
to them to take care of us. Ii wasn't
until then that / began TO feel uncom-
Portable at all. Mrs. Brown and her
daughters were very nice people. and as
this was the first time in their lives that
they had met stage people they pro-
posed TO make the best of it. and find out
a lot of things. 0akes told them that l
had begun my stage career with Booth,
and that was one of the most promis-
ing young men in the profession.
s.Do tell us all about Mr.. Booth
said Mrs. Brown.
...Yes, added Oakes. tell the ladies
about the night that Booth was taken
ill in Three Rivers, Mich, and you had
to play his part
...Did you. really?' asked the Misses
Brown in chorus.
Il stepped heavily or Oakes' toe.
stammered a bit, and then, seeing that
I was in for it [ started a string OF
"reminiscences e Booth that never had
been heard of before. 1t wasn't nice
thing to do, but Oakes had let me in for
Il, and unless confessed that wasn't
Piper l had to proceed. After l had
started the fertility of my imagina-
ton pleased me, and kept on. We sat
In corner with Mamma Brown and
her two daughters. and what we failed
TO tell them about the stage wasn't
worth telling. They were so much in
tsrested in my "reminiscences that they
invited me to call. and Mrs. Brown said
. me:
Why, Mr.. Pipsr, didn't know that