WHY SHE DIDN'T PICK UP HER BOUQUET.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 71, 13 March 1876, Page 4

WHY SHE DIDN'T PICK UP HER BOUQUET.

*, (From the Philadelphia Bulletin') | The other evening the Academy of i music was filled with a large audience, ! the attraction being the performance of | the opera of " La Grande Duchess," by jthe clever artists of the Mexican J Juvenile ' Opera Company. Between jthe second and third acts of the play, | Toledad Unday Morron, a 15-year-old i prima donna, gave" a brilliant rendition, with variations, of the ; "Carnival of J Venice." It excited great admiration jand- was enthusiastically applauded. A j beautiful bouquet, was skilfully thrown I from a proscenium box, and landed at sthie feet of the youthful songstress. iShe bowed her grateful acknowledgment jbut did not even make an offer to pick ■up' the floral offering — she did not even inotice it, and the poor bouquet looked jas if it were appealing to be taken away from, the rude glare of the footlights. This excited comment. Of course an encore was demanded, in answer to which the prima donna repeated the solo, and retired amidst applause, butleft the bouquet in the place where it " originally fell." " Had she seen it?" " I wonder if she's near sighted?" " It's too bad!" and such exclamations escaped from the now pouting lips of the feminine portion of the audience as the huge curtain rolled slowly down, leaving.the poor bouquet all alone, and fluttering and blushing perhaps at the earnest gaze of the audience, who were now wondering " what did it all mean?" This, wonderment was increased when a little youth, made up as an African, made his appearance, grasped the neglected bouquet, bowed, and retired. ''What was the matter with her?" " Well, if this isn't queer!" was whispered on all sides. The mystery has been explained. The youthful artist was an object of sympathy. She labored under an unfortunate affliction. She could not have picked up that bouquet even if she had so wanted. Though talented she was incapable of bending her pretty form — she wore a pullback dress!