A PRACTICAL JOKE.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4733, 8 March 1884, Page 4

A PRACTICAL JOKE.

* Actors have hard times as well as other folks, and 'the experience of the talented Mr Masher proves it. It seems he was playing in a piece which required him, at a thrilling point, to pull a handkerchief from the hip pocket of another actor and present it to the heroine with some very glowing words. The other actor, Mr Snig, was somewhat addicted to the use of liquor, and while dressing for the performance he fell asleep. Then some of the actors removed the handkerchief from his pocket, and, cutting a hole in the pocket, drew Mr Snig's shirt into it. It was a peculiarity of Mr Masher that when he acted he got so ia earnest that nothing could stop him, and when he came to the handkerchief scene he rushed up to the only half awake Snigs, and grabbed for the handkerchief. He found it didn't come, but he didn't notice the situation. The piece couldn't go on till he produced the handkerchief, so he gave another desperate tug. The only result was that a wild look came into Snig's eye, and he tried to whisper to Masher that there was something wrong. But Masher didn't understand. The people were waiting for him; it was an awkward pause. Masher was a man of great strength, and he gave a last deperate tag at what he believed was the handkerchief. It came, but with a sound of tearing. Snig was yanked quite off his feet, and his eyes nearly burst from their sockets from the pressure on his throat before the neckband broke. Masher got most of the garment except the sleeves, and the sudden disappearance of' Snig's shirt bosom created much excitement in the audience. Even then ,he didn't notice what he had done, and rushed forward and tendered, the garment to the heroine. But she screamed and fainted. The audience began to yell, and Snig, having recovered his breath, became terribly mad, and made a rush at Masher with a property •word, and chased him about to do him injury. The Manager, who was nearly wild, at last jumped in, and declared that Masher bad disgraced his house. The curtain then came down and a little while after the manager came to the front of it with a black eye, and dismissed the audience. Snig and Masher both want situations and each other's gore.