Shakespeare Surprises The Captain Of A Virginia Steamer

nttiooally írutif iu l';u-t that Kdwin Booth bujuitl made so palpable a hit m London in " Kieliclieu " ealls to inind say.s ÜM San FnMioiaao Letter, a Itttle story told by onr leadtDfi star to tbc wiiter one Sunday during bis visit hare, while takiiií a look at theUoldea (ate fruiu the lanteru ot'tlic l'oint Bonita Kghtbooae. OooO duiin' tli' dap of in v curly atniMÍM in the pralession," said BjOth, and while we were laii)-toriiiiiitr down in irgiuia, an odd thiog happened, wbkh iilustr:i!cs the shilts to whieh the ' poor player ' was tben put iu order in gel a long. We were. playing - ' .-liuwitii ' they ealled it then - one night at a Hule piare oalled Lee's I-and ing, and the tobáceo rarehotue we had iraprovised into a tlieatre was crowded by plint rs trom miles around. We liad arranced to take the weekly sleamer which they cxpected would arrive late tliat night, and betweeo the acts were uil busy packing up. The play was ' Merchant of' Veniec' and wt v. irejusl goiog on for the court M- b. where ihe jew insists on his nound of fleao, when we heard a whistle blow, and th. Daaoager enne running in to say that the tteftmer had arrived aluad of time, and wuitld leave again in ten minutes. " As that was onr nnly hanee ofgetting down to the Chespeake ire wera mturally in aterrille iU:iml:iry. ' II' we stop right hen ancl explain,' .said the manager, 'the audienoe will think they are be(a eheated and co in jor a free liitht. The only thing we cun do is lor you fellows to get up some .-ort of :i natural likt', impromptu ending for the piece and ring down the drop. Go ripht anead, ladies and gentlemen, and take youreue from Xed here ' and ho hnr ried away to get the luggage on board. " lfit liad heen inany other quarterof the country I wouldn't havo had the aMurance to do as he said, but the ignorante of' the elay-eaters or ordinary irgiuians of that day was something marveloiiü ; ho when old (eorge Rugóles who was doing ' Shylonk,' got to whorr he sharpens Iiíh knit'e on hia ihow, 1 walkt'd up lolemnly to him and laid ; nu're houud to have H"sh are you?1 " ' You bet your Ufe,' said (eorge, under the inipression that he was iniprovising very skillfully indeed.' " 'Now, I'll make you one more tliekcr,' I continued. ' In acldition to this bag of dueats I'll throw in a shot guu two kegsof niggerhead terback, and a eouple 01 the best coon doga in the tato. ' " ' lui hlamed if I don't do t,' said ' Shylock ' mueh to the approbation of' the audienee, who were tobacco-raisers. and coonhuuters from ttie ground up. " ' And to show there is no hard fceling.' said l'ortia, tuining up her legal robe, 'w; will wind up wilh a Virginia reel.' "Aml aH the proinpter struck up ' Money Haak ' on hls tiddle we dauced a couple of figures and made a break for the boat amidst thunders of applause. " When we got on board, Ihe steamer's captain, who hal witnessed the eonelution of the play with great deligat, tendered the troupe the compliment of a hot supper, and remarkt'J as we sat down to what was a rara treot in ' those palmy days of the drama :' " ' I'd like to see the whole of that play some timo, gentlemen. I'm blamed if I thought that fellow Shakespeare had -i mueh snap to him.' "