Equal to the Occasion.

Otago Witness, Issue 1956, 20 August 1891, Page 41

Equal to the Occasion.

When Charles Reade's dramatisation of Tennyson's "Dora" was being enacted in Prairie Oity, U.S., where the choice of actors was not great, Mary Morrison, on making her exit to bring on her little Willie of four years, was shocked to find a lubberly boy of at least 11, who must go on, as no other was to te had. The Farmer Allan of the play was no doubt equally shocked to see Mary coming upon the stage with a boy nearly as big as herself. What was worse, the audience began to titter. But Farmer Allan was equal to the emergency, and, instead of asking " How old are you, my little boy ? " said,

"How old are you, my strapping fellow 1 " probably hoping that the boy would have the good sense to give an age more suitable to his size. The boy, however, with painful fidelity to the book, and in a sepulchral voice that made the answer all the more preposterous, said, " Four to five, grandpapa." " Forty-five ? " exclaimed the other, cheerfully. "You look it, my boy, you look it!"

There was a laugh at the moment, but the play was saved from shipwreok,

Turning It On Her.

He had finished his introductory remarks, and was about to propose, when he discovered that his proposal would be treated with contempt.

"Go on, Mr Sprigger," she said impatiently, tapping her foot on the carpet as he paused in his remarks.

" I was about to say, Miss Hilder," be continued, "that I am aware that the human heart,especia:lya woman's, is a delicate thing, and I come to-night, to oorrect a wrong impression which you have been under for some

time, I think. To be plain, Miss Hilder — because I do not wish to cause you future suffering — let me state that I have never cared enough for you to ask you to link your lot with mine ; therefore Ido not think that I can return the love you bear for me. My attentions to you have been prompted purely by a friendly feeling — nothing more. But 1 trust this will not mar our friendly relations," he said, taking his hat to go, " for remember you will ever have in me a true friend. Be assured I will always be a nephew to you."

And she was so dumb with surprise that she didn't say good-bye to him when he bowed himself out.