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THE AMERICAN HI I-- KhhPhR. 



November 



A Story of Wilson Barrett. 



Here is a jjood story of Wilson Bar- 

 rett. Shortly after he had joined the 

 theatrical profession he became a mem- 

 ber of a cnnipaiiy performing at the old 

 Theater Royal, Dublin. His part nat- 

 urally was a small one, and Mr. Barrett 

 had no exiiectaiion whatever of receiv- 

 ing any sign of approval from the audi- 

 ence. 



Greatly to his surprise, however, hi.s 

 first small speech was greeted with a 

 round of applause. This unlooked fur 

 tribute quite elated the young actor, 

 and he exuttd himself to the utmost in 

 the endeavor to sustain the good im- 

 pression he appeared to have made. He 

 succeeded even beyond his hopes. Ev- 

 erything hr said or did was rapturously 

 applauded, ami the principal performers 

 were thrown completely in the shade. 



The "stars" were of course disgusted, 

 and the rest of the company lost in 

 amazement, none more so than young 

 Barrett himself. He scarcely supposed 

 that he quite deserved such an ovation; 

 but, with the natural vanity of youth, 

 he considerd that these Dublin folk 

 showed a rare appreciation of budding 

 merit. However, he was shortly to be 

 undeceived. 



Just as he was leaving the theater 

 one of the scene shifters grinningly ac- 

 costed him: 



"Sure, ye wor cock o' the walk to- 

 night, sir!" 



"Well, yes, Mickey," returned the 

 actor, with pardonable pride. "I think 

 I knocked 'em a bit, eh?" 



"Och, sir," f5aid Mickey, "sure it 

 wasn't that at all, but it's got about 

 among the boys that ye're a brother of 

 the man that was hung!" 



A Fenian named Barrett had tjiat 

 mornijig paid the extreme penalty of the 

 law. 



"It was very long afterward," said 

 Mr, Barrett in telling the story, "be- 

 fore I again ventured to pride myself 

 upon my acting." — Pearson's Weekly. 



"€omi«><l" the "Con" 3Iaii. 



"I don't knoiv that I look particular- 

 ly green," said Henry Guy Carleton, 

 "but since I have been in Chicago sev- 

 eral of your inimitable confidence men 

 have tried to play me for a fnol. I went 

 in a bank the other day ( t a pretty 

 big check cashed. While . was count- 



ing njy change a stranger pointed to a 

 $5 bill on the floor. It's an old game. 

 The idea is that when the victim stoops 

 to pick up the bill, which the 'con' man 

 placed there himself, the thief will dis- 

 appear with the money, which is left 

 on the counter. Of course I didn't 

 bite. 



" 'Thank you, ' I said, and placed my 

 foot on the bill. 



" 'Is it yours?" he asked. 



" 'Certainly, sir,' I replied. He stood 

 for a few moments and waited until I 

 had put my money in my pocket and 

 departed. I was $5 in. The 'con' man 

 was $5 out." — Chicago Times-Herald. 



The Telephone £ar. 



A German newspaper asserts that 

 about iiU, OUO of the inhabitants of Ber- 

 lin hear consiiierably better with then- 

 left ear than with their right. This has 

 been observed in continually increasing 

 measure for 15 years. When the cause 

 was sought for, it appeared that those 

 who are thus atiected are frequent; users 

 of the telephone. The listening part of 

 the instrument is generally held in the 

 left hand and put to the left ear, while 

 the right Laud is often used in taking 

 notes, etc. In the cases observed the 

 subjects heard the slightest sound 

 through the telephone with their left 

 ears, but could understand little or 

 nothing if the instrument were put to 

 their right ears. It is therefore con- 

 cluded that the telephone has an appre- 

 ciably stimulating t^ftect on the auditory 

 nerves, la.d the recommendation is 

 made that the instrument be used alter- 

 nately at the riyht and left ear. 



Adverse Testimony. 



Stranger — Quite a popular town this, 

 isin't it? 



Leading Merchant — How popular? 



Stranger — How? Why, there appear 

 fc> be a great many people settling here. 



Leading Mercahnt — Do, eh? Well, 

 iny books show that there hasn't been 

 3iiy one settling with me for the last 

 ihree months. — Richmond Dispatch. 



Properly Turned. 



"Miss Isabel, you are not at all like 

 other girls. " 



"That is not a compliment, Mr. 

 Spooner. You sliould say that other iziris 

 are not at all like me."- 



