A YOUTHFUL THESPIAN.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1975, 4 May 1875, Page 2

A YOUTHFUL THESPIAN.

! A few days ago vcmng, Gurley whose father lives on Croghan street, organised a theatrical company and purchased the dime novel: play of ,'.". Hamlet." The company consisted of three'boys md a* hostler, and Mr Gurley's "hired girl was to-be the. Ghost . if., the. troupe., could guarantee .her, fifty, cents, per night. Young Gurley, suddenly bloomed out a) a professional,; and;when, hit mother asked him. to bring in some wood Mjb replied: * .- , . '."" . "Though I am penniless thou canst not degrade me ?'"-" ~1 ,\\ "jYou trot out after that .wood or T l'll hayeiyour father troance you ? '" shekelclaimed. • - '^'^'-"-^^r "-The,tyrant who lays his-hand* upon me shall die ? M replied the boy, but he' gofethe-!w6od;^--'iU \''O .~-.'<■'•• Ixt)-i *M.c was out on the step when a man 1 came along and asked him where Lafay* - - ette.street was." _ \ , -7 ~; I, m '^Dooined::for a'certain -time toroain the earth! " replied Gurley in a hoarse voice, and holding his right arm out straight. . , . . !'- ---"I say^you! Where 11 Lafayette - street?" called the man. "Ah! Could the dead bufc"ipeak£ah ! " continued Gurley..- . ,• ;„ The man drove him into the' house, and his mother sent him to : the grocer after potatoes. '" ' "' ' ~ "I go, most noble, duchesi," he said as he took up the basket, " but my good sword shall -some day avenee there insults!"

He knew : that the::grocer favored theatricals, and when he got there he said: .-. re-? "Art thou provided with a store of that vegetable known as the later, most excellent duke ?" — What in thunder do you ,want?" growled the grocer, as he' cleaned the ! cheese knife on a piece of paper. - - .- - "Thy plebian mind is dull of comprehension !" answered Gurley. V ; . ■; -: {j ** Don't try to get off any of your nonsense on-me, or I'll crack your empty pate~ in a minute!'' roared the.grocer, and " Hamlet" had to* come down 1 from his high horse and ask' for a peck of potatoes. -■; - -„ " What made you so long ? " aiked his mother as he returned. ".Thy grave shall be dug in the cypreis glade!" he haughtily answered. - " ' When his father" came home* at" noon - Mrs Gurley told him that she believed the boy was going .crazy, and^relajed what had occurred/: - ■'- --■-

"I see what ails him," mused the " father; " this explains why he hangs around Johnson's barn so.much.V "--•--;•* At the dinner table. young .Gurley spoke of his father as.the "illustrious. count," and when his mother, asked him if he would .hare some butter gravy he answered: -7 ■■'■ - - ■■ •'-'-■ ''-

" The appetite of a warrior cannot be satisfied with such nonsense." ■- * ; ■ When the meal was over the father went out to his favorite shade tree, cut a sprout, and the boy was asked to step out into the woodshed and see if the penstock was frozen up. Ho found the old man there, and he said:- ■ . , • " Why, most noble lord, I had supposed thee far away! "I'm not so far away but what I'm going- to make you skip !;'.» growled the father. " I'll teach "you to fool aroutid with tea cent tragedies! Come up here!". , .. ; . .... * For about five minutes the woodshed was full of dancing feet, flying arms and moving "bodies, and then the old: man took rest and inquired : "There, your highnes?, dosfc want any more ? "

" Oh !, no .dad —not a darned rbitj " wailed the young '«• manager, "and while the father, started for, down town he went in' and sorrowfully, informed the, hired girl that he must cancel her engagement until the Fall season. . : ..; -, -r. „,■<