Life — October 11, 1888 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

AN ELOPEMENT IN HIGH LIFE, AND WHY IT FAILED. A HAPPY AUDIENCE, OSINA (at the Polo Grounds): What is the crowd shouting and hurrahing for; has our side made 4 another run? JouN: No; the umpire has just been knocked senseless with the ball. A NECESSARY CAU- TION. gs REMEMBER, Uncle Rastus,” cautioned the magistrate, “ that you are not compelled to disclose any- thing which may criminate yourself.” “Den, I reckon, I'll keep my_mouf shet, Judge,” was the wise reply. AMELIE RAVES. HE remarkable dramatization of “The Quick or the Dead?" given at the Fifth Avenue Theatre last week. with Miss Estelle Clayton in the part of Bardara, induced Lire to send a commissioner to obtain the views of Miss Amélie Rives on the subject. The fair girl-bride was found in her room at her hotel, reclining on a tiger-skin rug before a brightly blazing fire of pitch-pine knots from the woods of Virginia. Her right hand, fairly ablaze with rich rings of malachite, jade and sard stones and Mexican onyx, supported her graceful head and toyed with the dead-red ringlets which hung loose to her lissome waist. Her left hand smoothed caressingly the sinuous folds of a copperhead snake from the woods of Vir- ginia, which from time to time kissed the tip of her aristo- cratic nose with its left fang. The entire appearance of the room indicated the occu- pancy of a genius. In one corner stood a Cypriote maid languidly swinging a censer, from which lazily rose light clouds of fragrant incense. In another corner half knelt the lately acquired husband in the attitude of adoration usually seen in the angels pictured by Fra Angelico. About the room were negligently strewn copies pf standard publica- tions like the Spirit of the Times, the Family Story Paper and the 7ribune Almanac. The mantel was artistically decorated with cigarette pictures, arranged in an original way indicative of the lovely author's genius. “T have come from LirE—" The lambent orbs of the genius were turned upon the commissioner, and by a passionate gesture he was made aware that he was expected to be seated. “—To secure your views on the dramatic version of your * Quick or the Dead.’” Then ensued a throbbing silence, so dense it might have been heard, Then a sigh and another roll of the lambent orbs. Then, in soft and musical tones—softer and more musical than a German band playing “Sweet Violets "— came from the genius the question, “* Young man, can you gush?” “ Somewhat,” was the answer. “Because I never, with my consent, permit any one to write about me who cannot gush. The heartaches I have experienced over that play I cannot describe to you. To think of ‘The Quick or the Dead?’ with a topical song in- troduced! It is sacrilege—sheer sacrilege! We shall next have ‘Macbeth’ done with a song and dance feature by Duncan and Lady Macbeth.” “ And the representation of Barbara and Jock Dering?” “ Barbara and Jock are like my own flesh and blood, and to see the creations of my brain exposed to the world in such form as was given them in that play was like the comicbooks.com