OCR Text |
Show A LUDICROUS STAGE DEATH-SCENE. Camille died last night at the Chestnut Street Opera House, not only to slow music, but to the unrestrained laughter of the audience, as well. The death scence [scene] was marred by a most ludicrous accident. When the curtain arose for the last act, with Camille discovered lying on a couch partly covered by a furry robe, and the dews of death already gathering on her brow, the house was still and expectant. After leaving the death chamber, Gaston re-entered, and the dying woman raised herself to greet him. At that moment there was an enormous creak and one of the supports of the couch gave way. The actress seemed to grasp the situation instantly and attempted to conceal the difficulty by heaving a long drawn sigh, and throwing herself back, but the action only made matters worse. The death bed gave way at one corner with a crash, and the audience began to titter. Nichette? Nichelle?, the maid, entered at this juncture and, kneeling in front of her mistress, began her part, but the couch giving evidence by numerous groans of its instability, she arose and wheeled a chair up for the dying Camille's accommodation. By this time the audience had fully appreciated the funniness of the situation and were laughing very visibly, but when Gaston approached and he, together with the maid and the dying woman, could not control their countenances, the audience fairly roared. Camille, after dying in Armand's arms, was deposited in the easy chair instead of on the couch, and appeared as a very smiling corpse. -- Philadelphia Press. If you have trouble keep it to yourself. A smoldering fire can be extinguished, but scattered coals are not easily picked up. It is not enough that you keep your finger off from a man; you must not let your ill-natured or wicked thoughts touch him. Old Fuller's maxim is still full of wisdom: "If thou are a master, be sometimes blind; if a servant, sometimes deaf." |