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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] attracting to the Lyceum those who had not yet witnessed his performances, and at the same time announcing the opening of Covent Garden, which he had engaged for the winter: "BEWARE OF THE LYCEUM! STRANGE CONDUCT OF PROFESSOR ANDERSON. To the Women of England! --Ladies,--We have a complaint to make, which is of a very distressing nature. We are two poor widows,--leastwise, we have no husbands, which is owing to the scandalous behaviour of Mr. Anderson, the wicked Wizard of the Lyceum. Our names are Mrs. Margaret Wilson and Mrs. Dorothy Jones; and our husbands were a trowsers maker, which was Mr. Wilson, and a tin-plate worker, which was Mr. Jones. Last Monday night, we went to the Lyceum playhouse to see the Wizard we had heard so much talk about, and our husbands paid 2s. each, which was paid to the man at the pit door to let us in. With a good deal of scrambling, which pretty nearly spoiled a new dress, which was only bought three weeks ago, we got good seats. We saw a great deal which pleased all of us very much, and we were astonished that any man could be so clever, as to do things which seemed impossible, but which was done before our very eyesight. Our husbands wanted to know how this was done, and how that could in any way be; and when some stuff was given by the Wizard out of a bottle, (which we wouldn't have tasted for the world, because we knew it to be poison, or something of that sort), they (which was our husbands) would drink some, and actually said it was good brandy and good rum. "By-and-by, Mr. Anderson (Professor as they call him, though we don't know whether he professes his wickedness or not) brought forward a large basket sort of thing, which he put on a table. Then he took a pretty little boy, (one of the dearest little fellows, with such sweet curly ringlets), and put him on the table, covered him with a basket, and said some of his gibberish. When he took the basket away, the dear little fellow was gone --Heaven knows where!-- though we could see clean under the table. Then he put a boy, and then a girl, and they both went! Our husbands (like stupid stubborn men, as they always were) wanted to see if the Wizard could send them away, and asked to go upon the stage. We persuaded them not to because we knew something awful would happen. They persisted, however, like men always will. Mr. Wilson went up first, and was made away with under the basket; and then Mr. Jones went up, and was made away with too, like a foolish man, which he always was. We waited for them to come back, but were horrified to find they didn't. The people were going out, and we supposed our husbands had gone out too; and we went out, and looked for them but they were not to be found. We went home and waited, but they didn't come, and we both knew they wouldn't stay out of their own accords, which would be as much as his life was worth to Mr. Wilson. "They never came home all night! In the morning we tried to see the villainous Wizard, but could http://thelearnedpig.com.pa/magos/books/frost/chap12.html (8 of 10) [4/23/2002 3:44:46 PM] Lives of Conjurors--Chapter XII not. We found him in the afternoon, and he told us he'd see about it. See about it, indeed! --when we have both of us got children--little ones, too young to do anything--and have to look to our husbands for every bit of bread! He gave us a sovereign each, and said it was all right. Well, we waited all Tuesday, and down to three o'clock on Wednesday, and then went again, but could not see him, which was most provoking. On Thursday we did get to see him, and all the horrible than could do to comfort us was to say that he was very sorry, but that, our husbands had gone down too far, and that he didn't know when he could find the time to get them back, being so busy in getting ready his grand pantomime, which he is to open the Covent Garden playhouse at Christmas with, and which he is to give us orders for. This was all very fine, and we told him so; but all the redress we could get was a promise that, until he could find time to get our husbands up again, (poor fellows!--where in the earth are they?) he will pay us a pound a week each to be quiet. Which is all nonsense; because a pound a week isn't a husband, which we say as women who feel what we are saying, and speak our minds. "What we want is, Ladies, for you to get us justice and our husbands. We have no money to go to law, and we are poor, weak, unprotected women--not exactly widows, which is all the worse. We have got a printer to print [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |