After the play he asked them to come and see him behind the scenes.  They sat together for a while in solemn silence, and then the mammy resolutely nudged her husband.  The old man gathered himself together with an effort, and said:  “Marse Cha’les, mebbe it ain’ for us po’ niggers to teach ouh young masser ‘portment.  But we jes’ got to tell yo’ dat, in all de time we b’long to de fambly, none o’ ouh folks ain’ neveh befo’ mix up in sechlike dealin’s, an’ we hope, Marse Cha’les, dat yo’ see de erroh of yo’ ways befo’ yo’ done sho’ nuff disgrace us.”

In a North of England town recently a company of local amateurs produced Hamlet, and the following account of the proceedings appeared in the local paper next morning: 

“Last night all the fashionables and elite of our town gathered to witness a performance of Hamlet at the Town Hall.  There has been considerable discussion in the press as to whether the play was written by Shakespeare or Bacon.  All doubt can be now set at rest.  Let their graves be opened; the one who turned over last night is the author.”

Suit the action to the word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o’erstep not the modesty of nature.—­Shakespeare.

  To wake the soul by tender strokes of art,
  To raise the genius, and to mend the heart;
  To make mankind, in conscious virtue bold,
  Live o’er each scene, and be what they behold—­
  For this the tragic muse first trod the stage.

  —­Pope.

ACTORS AND ACTRESSES

An “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” company was starting to parade in a small New England town when a big gander, from a farmyard near at hand waddled to the middle of the street and began to hiss.

One of the double-in-brass actors turned toward the fowl and angrily exclaimed: 

“Don’t be so dern quick to jump at conclusions.  Wait till you see the show.”—­K.A.  Bisbee.

When William H. Crane was younger and less discreet he had a vaunting ambition to play Hamlet.  So with his first profits he organized his own company and he went to an inland western town to give vent to his ambition and “try it on.”

When he came back to New York a group of friends noticed that the actor appeared to be much downcast.

“What’s the matter, Crane?  Didn’t they appreciate it?” asked one of his friends.

“They didn’t seem to,” laconically answered the actor.

“Well, didn’t they give any encouragement?  Didn’t they ask you to come before the curtain?” persisted the friend.

“Ask me?” answered Crane.  “Man, they dared me!”

LEADING MAN IN TRAVELING COMPANY—­“We play Hamlet to-night, laddie, do we not?”

SUB-MANAGER—­“Yes, Mr. Montgomery.”

LEADING MAN—­“Then I must borrow the sum of two-pence!”

SUB-MANAGER—­“Why?”