"All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players."
--AS YOU LIKE IT.
Handy and Smith parted for the night, and then the veteran set to work
to concoct one of these very remarkable programmes for which his name
had become more or less famous in different parts of the country. It is
true he was considerably perplexed over the difficulties that confronted
him. Perplexities, difficulties, and Handy were old acquaintances,
however. They had met many a time and oft in the past, and he had
weathered the storm and as a rule came out a winner. It was hardly
possible that his customary good fortune would desert him on this trying
occasion. With the sole exception of Smith, he was absolutely
unacquainted with the theatric abilities of his company or how far he
could rely on them to carry into effect his stage directions. Daisey de
Vere, judging from the elaborate characteristic account Smith had given
of her, rather appealed to him. He felt satisfied she would fill her
place in the bill of the play, come what might. She had to. From the
diagnosis furnished by his lieutenant he thought she would pan out all
right. He knew he wasn't going to offer an entertainment to a houseful
of metropolitan first-nighters, with attendant critics from the
newspapers to display their erudition next morning in cold type and hot
words. He already considered Daisey as a chip of the old block.
It was well into the night when the indefatigable manager got through
with his pen, which at best was a work of labor to him--and hard labor
at that. It is only fair to admit that he had meager theatric resources
to draw upon and be able in any way to whip it into shape to fit the
exigencies of the approaching occasion. He derived considerable
comforting consolation from the reflection that Gotown was virgin soil
upon which he was called upon to operate theatrically. As the result of
pondering with his brain and manipulating with his pen, he succeeded in
evolving a draft of a programme as mixed and varied as might be expected
from the all-star company gathered together at short notice for a
benefit or testimonial for some popular unfortunate player--with several
loopholes for such changes, alterations, additions, subtractions,
multiplications, and divisions as might suggest themselves or be forced
upon him later on. From the coinage of his active brain he succeeded in
bringing forth and committing to paper something like the following as
his programme for the inauguration and opening night of the Gotown
Metropolitan Academy of Music:
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Come One--Come All--Be On Hand
GOTOWN METROPOLITAN ACADEMY OF MUSIC
Proprietor and Owner............ Mr. Ed. McGowan
Mr. McGowan takes pleasure in announcing that he has engaged
the celebrated Actor-Manager, Mr. Sellers Micawber Handy, and his
talented company of performers to appear
Next Saturday Evening
To celebrate the anniversary of the founding of
GOTOWN
By the official inauguration of the
METROPOLITAN ACADEMY OF MUSIC
To make the event worthy of this occasion
this highly talented and distinguished bunch
will be presented under the direction of Mr. Handy
In a Variegated Program
Made up of selections from undeniably good sources, ancient
and modern. In consequence of the length and richness
of the Bill, details will not be given out until the night
of the Show. It may be mentioned, however, that
_Singing and Dancing_
as well as Acting in all the various departments of Tragedy,
Comedy, Burlesque, Grand Opera, etc., etc., will be
introduced in the most approved and up-to-date
style that circumstances will permit
Local Celebrities
Have generously volunteered their valuable services to lend
a hand and do something
List of Prices
First half of the house, with seats................... $1.00
Second half, back to the wall......................... .50
Seats in the windows, with steps to get at them....... .50
Seats in the balcony, first two rows.................. .75
General admission, with a chance for a seat........... .25
Tickets in advance may be purchased beforehand at
Ed. McGowan's Spiritual Emporium
Tickets bought of speculators on the outside will be refused
at the door
The entertainment will start at 8 o'clock and wind up when
the audience have all they want
P. S.--Don't miss this chance, for it will be the only anniversary
of its kind with which Gotown will be honored in a long time to come.
_The Weston Handel and Hayden Philharmonic Society will handle the
Music_
After Handy had finished his herculean labor in concocting this
extraordinary playbill, he leaned back in his chair and read and reread
it over and over again, to assure himself it was all right. Then with
the consciousness that he had done his duty, he lay down to rest for a
few hours to recuperate before he again took up the thread of that busy
life which, though at times it brought him sore trials and tribulations,
never appeared to have robbed him of that measure of contentment and
cheerfulness with his lot which was his chief characteristic in
sustaining him through the temporary storms of adversity which he
encountered.