Year: 1866




went one night to see a comedy. The
chief actor was a favorite one, and the house
was very crowded. The curtain rose, and
amidst burst of applause the hero of the
piece made his appearance. He had hard
ly uttered twenty words, when it struck me
that something was the matter with him.


The play was a boisterous comedy of the
old school, and required considerable spirit
and vivacity in the actors to sustain it pro-
perly, but in this man there was none; he
walked and talked like person in dream;
his best points he passed over without APP
pearing to perceive them, and altogether, he
was quite unfit for his part. His smile was
CHASTITY, and his laugh hollow and unnatural,
and frequently he would stop off suddenly
in his speech and let his eyes wander va
cantly over the audience,


Even when, in the character of silly
husband, he had to suffer himself to be
kicked about the stage by young rake of
the comedy, and afterwards to behold that
careless individual making love to his wife
and eating his supper, while he was shut up
in the closet from whence he could not
emerge, his contortions of ludicrous wrath,
which had never before failed to call down
plenty of applause, were now such dismal at
tempts to portray the passions, that Kisses
were audible in various parts of the theatre.
The audience were fairly out of temper, and
several inquisitive individuals were partic-
ular in their inquiries as to the extent of the
pOtations he had that day INDUCED in. A
storm of sibilation and abuse now fell around
the ears of the devoted actor, and not con-
tent with verbal insult, orange peels and
apples flew upon the stage.


He stopped and turned to the shouting
crowd. | never saw such misery in a hu-
man countenance. His face was worn and
haggard, and tears rolled down his painted
cheeks. | saw his lips quivering with mental
agony-I saw his bosom heaying with cor
vulsions of suppressed emotion, and his
whole mien betokened such depth of anguish
and distress that the most ruthless heart
must have throbbed with pity.


The audience was moved, and by degrees
the clamor of inyectives subsidized into a
solemn stiffness, while he stood near the
footlights picture of detection. When all
was calm he spoke, and in voice broken
with sobs, which seemed to rend his bosom,
he offered his explanation:


Ladies and gentlemen" he said, Though
in my acting tonight, 1 am confident Of
meriting your displeasure, in one thing you
do me wrong, | am not intoxicated. Emo
tion alone and that of the most painful kind,
has caused me to fll my allotted part so
badly. My wife died but a few short hours
ago, and left her side to fill my unavoida-
bic engagement here. If have not pleased
you, implore you to forgive. loved her,
grieyed for her and if anguish can excuse
fault, bear my apology here -


He placed his hand upon his heart, and
burst Of tears relieved his momentary par
oxysm Of grief.


The audience were thoroughly affected,
and an honest burst Of sympathy made the
walls tremble Women wept loudly, and
strong men silently, and during the remain
der Of the evening his performance was
scarcely audible through the storm Of APP
plause by which the crowd sought to sOothe
the poor mans wounded feelings


There was something very melancholy in
the thought Of that wretched mans coming
from the bed Of death to don gay attire and
utter studied wittieisms for the amusement
Of crowd, not one of whom dreamed Of the
anguish that festered under his painted
cheek and stage smile. And in the great
theatre Of life how many are there around
us like that poor actor, smiling gaily at the
multitude while at home lies sorrow, whose
shadow is ever present with them in busy
placesl