Year: 1878

| =
being physician is q condition that has it
advantages.


III had been lawyer clergyman, bank
er, merchant, butcher, baker, candlesticl
maker, or anything else up to the acme o
absolute unoccupi9d swelidom, the occasion
of which l am going to tell you would never
have come in my wayj and on account o
the extremely feicitous nature of that oc
casion l say, Esculapius hail 1t was one
cold January night, and the keen wind wa:
cutting and ripping my face as l walked
along the city streets, feeling thoroughly chill
ed and uncomfortable, when, tdrning q
corner, came suddenly in view Of a perfect
splcndor of light and warmth and comfort
that shono through the enticing glass doors
of the best theatre in the place. Almost in
voluntarily entered. The warm comfort
of the lobby Ghnd most grateful, and, see
ing man knew, Joined him ,halfnt
| ing to gossip few minutes and 20 home
but as | waited the fascinating strains Of
"Poet and Peasant" reached my ears, played
by rather gool orchestra, and This decided
me. bought a ticket and entered, but
had scarcely taken my seat when one of the
ushers, who happened to know me, came
| around from behind the scenes and said
there had been an accidcnt-a man in shift
ing some of the scenery had been knocked
down and injured, and the services of a
physician were required. OF course there
was but one thing to do, and that did with
only partial willingness. l wanted TO help
the man, of course, but had had busy
day, and was frightfully tired, and beside
had only heard as yet the first strains of my
flvorite selection. However, told my
friend of the lobby to keep my place for me,
and followed the usher out. ! found the
man but slightly hurt, administered shake
or two that set him On his feet, and enough
brandy to take him of them again, and was
returning down the corridor to the outer
world when something of this sort arrested
my steps:


\ door near by was open and just within
the room stood three figures in the very
spicies. of costumes. Two of these were of
tile common type of ballet dancers, breezy
and chirpy, and in the condition in which
the familiar riddles lillens them to mad
dog that wants muzzlngj but the third was
of distinctly different stamp. 1t was not
that she was SO beautiful, for had not OBJ
served that then; but that she was shame
faced, modest and shrinking, and drew back
in frightened confusion behind the others
and seemed to falter rand trcmblc. watch
ed them as they twitted her and encouraged
her alternately, and saw that, though they
were fur from being unkind, they could not
succeed in reassuring her, or imparting to
her any share of their own bold courage. As
stood, screened from view, at the girl more
closely, saw that she was almost q child
and saw, too, then that she was very beau
tiful, and that the bare limbs that she strove
so intellectually toconceql behind The meagre
draperies of her companions, were exquisite
ly nodded and full Of delicate grace. An
other moments scrutiny revealed to ME the
fact that underneath the daubs Of rouge,
with which they had rgolaned her innocent
checks, was a deathly palior which my pro-
fessionol eye at once divined and upprcciat-
ed, and which impressed me with such force
that without more ado l took few hasty
strides and went up 10 them.


Excuse me- said, sbeaking to the
manager, who just then came up, "but this
young lady IS i'll. She is not At to play to-
night. You must have her excused"


"Impossible," the man replied, hastily
and decidedly. "This Is her debut. She
has been prac;icing for it long time and
she is about our best dancer. 1t is only a
little stcgc-fright which will pass Off once
she begins to dance. Come, no nonsense"


This last he addressed to the girl in tone
ofau,hority that seemed to alarm her and
which certainly eDragod me. BY this was
more determined than cver-not only be-
cause would not have the poor little Thing
buliied, but also because had found her
little hand cold as ice when had taken it
in mine and her pulse galloping like mad.


81 sav, Thompson" I said, in tone
which made just as rosolute as I possibly
could, but which was persuasive and good
humored as WE'LL "this sort of thing won't
do, you know, 1t simply is ont of the ques-
ton. tell you this girl is ill., If she goes
on the stage, ten to one she iaints dead away
an awkward thing in any case, but ifit is
known las 1t will be if the necessity arises
that you forced her to go in direct opposition
to the imperative warning of physician,
why the thing will look black for you, don't
! You see? Now, let the girl Off do. She'll
in(alHbly get you in trouble if she goes on,
and tell you this is no common stage fright.
The child is i'll. Look at her."


She had sank back on a chair and hasti-
ly drawn a shabby shawl over her, and she
sat with white parched lips and distended
eye-lids, breathing heavily and with diff
Guilty. Perhaps it was because Thompson
saw that she would get him in trouble il
she went on--perhaps because his studious