Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-11

1.-THE Boy, recitInE sabianca.s n thrill
i inEs tones, drew aside the curtains and
3l5E1sclosed Clara c1fngfng bravely to a
broomstick. mast, enveloped In flames OF
i turkey-red E5 cotton and surrounded by
sIgreat, rolling waves Of vivid green paint,
the applause was long and deafening.
1 . In the waits. while the stage was I'M
i dergoing# thurnps and bumps, and much
1 Smuf1ed whispering was heard, the mem
i Der Of the troupe whose presence was not
4 not Immediately required as stage Car
penter, came before the footlights to er-
terrain the audience with song and
i dance.
las good as a vaudeville Whispered
.|Cousfn Maria's beau, who had actually
bought five ticKets, and Clara grew as
/ red from the praise as she did from the
1 exertion Of the morphine she was exc
/ cutting to the Boys accompaniment on q
/ comb.
I The second tableau presented "a scene
isfrom the Wild w est Stalks of corn.
which had been carefully uprooted from
/ the crops so that they might be plant
! their arms from a row OF dower-pots
/ like a line Of sentinel soldiers.
| Behind them crouched the Indians,
/ Clara and Julia, respondent in war-paint
and feathers. with their prisoner, Nancy.
In their hands they grasped ferce-
looking bows and arrows. which they
seemed far too terrified to use, for Dick
l.Dead-Aim. on a prancing grey charger
with a. feather-duster tail, covered them
! with his rifle, and you felt it was only
q question Of time before the prisoner
would be CALAMITY swung to the saddle
bows and triumphantly borne of by her
! doughty rescuer.
But it was Nancy's ia bleau, after all.
that proved the success Of the evening
entertainment.
| Audible comments from the audience on
the length of the wait were interrupted
| by the Boys voice, requesting Uncle Joe.
in muff1ed tones, to draw the curtain.
! The scene was Of unsurpassed magnifl-
cence. The nursery table had been Eor-
rowed for the occasion and was covered
with all the available silver stealable.
's# The Boy. as 'Billy-Shazzer." was cos
tuned in a vivid red robe. and over his
shoulders was carelessly thrown an err
mine cape, which his mother sadly recog-
nized as her own.
His crown was truly regal and he stood
as became a king. with one foot on the
table, holding silver goblet high ahova
his head, while on either side Of him re-
clined Julia and Clara III gorgeous
array.
Their eyes were fixed In terror on a
great white screen on which was written
d in scrawling gilt characters. :Mene-mene-
telSel-Upharsin.
In the foreground, mounted on q box
to give dignity to his height, stood
"Dan." whose draperies Of snowy linen
served only to throw the forked black
beard into high relief. In his hand was
a, long wand, on the end Of which
great, gilt hand pointed solemnly to the
words Of warning.
Nancy had leased the Boy that morn
Ing into re-reading to her the story Of
Belshazzer's Feast, that it might be quite
fresh in her memory, and she had no
intention Of allowing such hard earned
knowledge to slip into the obscurity OF
silence. Therefore, when the applause
had partially subsidized and the Great
hing was beginning to murmur beneath
his breath, pull tho curtain, please
she called In an audible aside, s'not yet,
not yet, Uncle joe
8 Then, turning to the King with the
gilt. hand still pointing to the fatal words,
and with all the dignity Of the Prophet
of Old in her demeanor, she shouted
loudly:
20. King Bii1y-shazzer! Live frever.
And may you aave-Many, Many Tea
And may you have Many. Many Tea
Kettles and Horses!'' And in storms OF 1
applause and shouts OF laughter. the cur
tain fell on the benefit tableaux.' .