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April 2, 1870- 3 THE TOM AH A IVK. j i 3...
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THE PROMPTER'S BOX AN£> COX. A TALE OF THE PENINSULA WAR. (FOUNDED OM MR BYRON'S NEW PIECE AT THE ADELPHf.)
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mj&vtev $.—iB%t Vettvm Hftittenant of fi...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
April 2, 1870- 3 The Tom Ah A Ivk. J I 3...
April 2 , 1870- 3 THE TOM AH A IVK . j i 3 ___ I
The Prompter's Box An£≫ Cox. A Tale Of The Peninsula War. (Founded Om Mr Byron's New Piece At The Adelphf.)
THE PROMPTER'S BOX AN £ > COX . A TALE OF THE PENINSULA WAR . ( FOUNDED OM MR BYRON ' S NEW PIECE AT THE ADELPHf . )
Mj&Vtev $.—Ib%T Vettvm Hftittenant Of Fi...
mj & vtev $ . —iB % t Vettvm Hftittenant of fi & ilitia , ! It was a fine old room . It was furnished with a large sword—This the other sword things was of in gigantic the apartment dimensions were , and unworth belonged y to of the notice old . , old prompter . It had once been used in a pantomime . Once ! years Ernest and Glendining years ago ! stood before the sword and addressed it . should "Ah , belong " he said to the , and father he of sighed the , g " irl to I think love . that To that the old sword , old with Prompter the trusty who , I weapon 'll be . sworn Can , has Florence ' cut' suspect many a my gallant love p ! iece I but have no hugged she is her so innocent and kissed ( having her , and been taken broug her ht out up on in a Sunday theatre — ) And that she he , sat cannot down , cannot and wrote , guess to my her secret telling ! I her will how write he to loved her . " , her Miss —how Mountcashel he worshi ( a pped provincial her . actress While ) e having ' en the neatl ink y was broken wet into the old , old Prompter ' s house , came up to him and looked over him . " So you love that chit , that hard-voiced creature ! " she cried , " " You I do do ! " he ! You answered who hav , " I e do loved . " me with an exceeding love , you who have promised me marriage , bought my trousseau , and paid " It for was the a license youthful ! " indiscretion , " lie said , and the subject was allowed At that to moment drop . the oldold Prompter arrivedattired in a brilliant undress uniform , , and accompanied b , y his pretty daughter Florence . Prompter "Ah , Field , " Wh -Marshal y this martial , " cried attire Ernest ? " , greeting the old , old ing " voice Congratulate , " I have me just , my been boy , made " replied a lieutenant the veteran in , in the a Militia quiver- , and " But attached did not ( fo the r training officer purposes commanding ) to the object Coldstream to those Guards sprightl . y " but short-legged trousers of inkstained grey , which you still wear ? " " My dear old trousers ! " murmured the venerable warrior , dropping a tear over the garments in question , " they accom-Waterloo panied me ! No throug no ! h " he the continued Peninsula more , and cheerfull were y , cut " the down Colonel at thought I was in the Volunteers —and they , you know , wear an But ything he I was " not listened tofor Ernest was kissing Florence and Miss Mountcashel was swearing , vengeance ! , It was soon settled . Ernest declared his love and all was joy . " Miss Mountcashel , " said the old , old Prompter , " 1 must inform you , officially , that you are dismissed the service—hem—I mean the theatre . " " My curses upon ye , " murmured the actress , and she effectively took her exit ; that is to say , she stretched forth her hand , and laughed a laugh , and slammed the door after her . A few minutes later , and De Lacy Fitzaltamount ( a disappointed tragedian ) and Gadsby ( a provincial manager ) , entered the They room spoke , and a gail great y careere deal , d but over as the their spot conversation . was confined to playhouse " shop , ' and theatre slang , we need not report their words . Enough to say they were very brilliant and witty , but only actors could have appreciated their mirthful waggeries . " All the world's a stage , " but then we don ' t all of us know the meaning of "flies" and "sticks , " and "heavy peat ladies , of , " and these " u joyous tility men terms . " — We to our don ' shame t know , perh the meaning aps , to our , we con re- - fusion The , party certainl sat y . clown to table to eat a mirthful meal . The old , old Prompter was describing- his adventures at the Battle of Waterloo ( played years before at Astley's ) , when the door was thrown " I am open your , and father Sir , " Michael said the Glendining Knight to Ernest stalked . " in . " I wish you were—farther 1 " retorted the youth , and the old , old Prompter was convulsed with merriment ! murder And so and the now world an amusing runs on ; qui now p , crank a birth or , now rather a death furmiment , now a ! , ,
Chapter ££ . —gHje tStnputritg & eti fltm ! | off It the was morning the next parade morning and . had The doffed old , old his undress Prompter patrol had -jacket come i for a tail-coat of peculiar , construction . He had a visitor—Sir Michael Glendining . " Give up my son and you shall have five hundred pounds , " said the Knight . " What ! give up your son—he who will inherit at your death all Sir your ! The influence door , , Sir for , a the paltry door ! half Withdraw thousand at ! once You , insult or must me 1 , j j get down my pantomime sword and kill ye ! " and the old , old j prompter foamed at the mouth . " You wish me to z ; ° to the door . You seem to adore the door ! " was The a merry old , old soul Prompter andat laug one hed time at the had wagg played ish conceit second ( for low he comedian parts , at a , minor theatre , ) , and then he foamed again . " The door ! " he shouted ; " the door ! " " Your doo ? 'tev ! " merrily quiped the Knight as Florence entered pale and agitated . She had heard that her brother had robbed his employers of five hundred pounds . It may have been weak of her , or even sill " y , You but will still g she ive me was five pale hundred and agitated pounds . to release your son ?" j asked the maiden of the still chuckling banker . " I will / ' he replied , pulling out several large bags of untold gold . " Then I accept your terms ! Hand over the money ! " and she looked up to heaven with tears in her eyes . Ernest came in at the moment . " I " do Mr not . Glendining insist upon , I your release marry you ing from me . " your vows , " she said . i " But a breach of promise of marriage trial , " faltered Ernest . ! " Shall never come off ! " " Angel ! " cried Ernest . " " Fool Unsop / ' histicated hissed the creature old , old , " Prompter murmured between the Knight his . clenched teeth , and then he thought of a dreadful pun . That pirn was too dreadful for publication ! € l ) ti # t $ x £ 3 ® . —2 Tfjc ftTfAgety ) pantomime ! I Ernest Glendining had gone abroad ! Still he had written a piece—a tragedy . It was Christmas time , and they were playing it as a pantomime . As a pantomime it was not bad ! Miss Mountcashel was to have performed in the principal character . But Ernest interfered ( by telegraph ) , and the part was given to Florence . On the first night the old , old Prompter was , of course , not near his box . He was unnecessary—a prompter is always unnecessary—especially on a first night . This fact has been proved more than once—in the libel Court . When we say that he was not near his box all the evening we exaggerate . As a truthful historian , we must admit that he occupied his post for two minutes , while the overture was being played . " My daughter is the greatest actress of this or any other age , " he shouted to all that would listen to him . " How that fellow crows ! It ' s quite a farce ! " said the manager , pointing to the Prompter in his box . " Yes , " replied the leading tragedian ; " it ' s a case of Cocks and Box !" This pleased the manager so much that he immediately cast the tragedian for the leading part in a roaring farce on the eve of production . At that moment the curtain rose up , the old , old Prompter left his box to caper about and rejoice in the green-room . His shouts were heard all over the front of the house . Gadsby had to play in the pantomime , but having been drugged by Miss Mountcashel could not come up to time . So his place was filled up by Mr . Fitzaltamount , and that ' s all about it . < £¥ jft $ tw EF . —&< K OTjvcatcnctf < £ tttamtt » ! The old , old Prompter was very wealthy . He had had his old , old sword regildcd and fresh " foiled . " He had purchased
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Citation
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Tomahawk (1867-1870), April 2, 1870, page 133, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/t/issues/ttw_02041870/page/11/
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