In one scene there stood a handsome bronze bust on a tall pedestal.  From a careless glance I took it to be an Ariadne.  At the changing of the scene the pedestal received a blow that toppled it over, and the beautiful “bronze” bust broke into a hundred pieces of white plaster.

The laughter that followed was simply caused by the discovery of a stage trick.  The next character coming upon the stage was played by Miss Newton, in private life known as Mrs. Charles Backus, wife of the then famous minstrel.  No sooner did she appear upon the stage, not even speaking one line, than the laugh broke forth again, swelled, and grew, until the entire audience joined in one great roar.  I expected to see the lady embarrassed, distressed; but not she!  After her first startled glance at the house, she looked at the pedestal, and then she, too, laughed, when the audience gave a hearty round of applause, which she acknowledged.

A scene-hand, noticing my amazed face, said, “You don’t see it, do you?”

“No,” I answered.

“Well,” said he, “did you know who that bust was?”

“Yes,” I replied, “I think it was Ariadne.”

“Oh, no!” he said, “it was a bust of Bacchus; then, when Mrs. Backus appeared—­”

“Oh!” I interrupted.  “They all said to themselves:  ’Poor Backus is broken all up!  Backus has busted!’”

And that was why they laughed; and she saw it and laughed with them, and they saw that and applauded her.  Well, that’s a quick-witted audience—­an opinion I still retain.

People are fond of saying, “A woman can’t keep a secret.”  Well, perhaps she doesn’t keep her secrets forever; but here’s how two women kept a secret for a good many years, and betrayed it through a scene in a play.

Mr. Daly’s treasurer had given tickets to some friends for a performance of “Divorce.”  They were ladies—­mother and daughter.  At first greatly pleased, the elder lady soon began to grow nervous, then tearful as the play went on; and her daughter, watching her closely, was about to propose their retirement, when the mother, with clasped hands and tear-blurred eyes, seeing the stealing of my little son by the order of his father, thrilled the audience and terrified her daughter by flinging up her arms and crying wildly:  “Don’t do it! for God’s sake, don’t do it!  You don’t know what agony it means!” and fell fainting against the frightened girl beside her.

Great confusion followed; the ushers, assisted by those seated near, removed the unconscious woman to Mr. Daly’s private office; but so greatly had her words affected the people, that when the men on the stage escaped through the window with the child in their arms, the curtain fell to a volley of hisses.

In the office, as smelling salts, water, and fresh air were brought into requisition, in answer to a question of Mr. Daly’s, the treasurer was saying, “She is Mrs. W——­, a widow,” when a faint voice interrupted, “No—­no; I’m no widow!”