AUNTIEWord下载.docx

AUNTIEWord下载.docx

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Josephandhisbrethren，'

theseareoperas！

FromthetheatreIhavemygeneralhistory，geog-raphyandknowledgeofmankind！

FromtheFrenchplaysIknowthelifeofParis—naughty，buthighlyinteresting！

HowIhaveweptover'

TheRiquebourgFamily'

；

tothinkthatthehusbandshoulddrinkhimselftodeath，sothathiswifeshouldgetheryoungsweetheart！

Yes，howmanytearsIhaveshedinthefiftyyearsIhavebeena'

regularticket－holder'

．"

Auntiekneweverypiece，everybitofscenery，everypersonwhocameon，orhadevercomeon．Shereallylivedonlyintheninetheatricalmonths．Thesummer-time，withoutaplay，wasatimewhichmadeherold，whilstaplay－nightwhichlastedtillpastmidnightwasalengtheningoflife．Shedidnotsaylikeotherpeople，"

Nowspringiscoming，thestorkhasarrived！

or"

Thereismentioninthepapersofthefirststrawberry．"

Onthecontrary，shean－nouncedthecomingofautumn：

"

Haveyouseenthatthetheatreseatsarebeingtaken；

nowtheperformanceswillbegin！

Shereckonedtheworthofahouseanditssituationbyhownearitlaytothetheatre．Itwasagrieftohertoleavethelittlelanebehindthetheatreandremovetothebiggerstreetalittlefartheroff，andthereliveinahousewhereshehadnooppositeneighbours．

Athomemywindowhastobemytheatre－box！

Onecan'

tsitandthinkonlyofoneself；

onemustseepeople．ButnowIliveasifIhadremovedrightoutintothecoun－try．IfIwishtoseepeople，Imustgooutintomykitchenandclimbontothesink；

onlytherehaveIoppositeneighbours．Now，whenIlivedinmylane，Icouldseerightintotheflax－dealer'

s，andthenIhadonlythreestepstothetheatre；

nowIhavethreethousandlife－guard'

ssteps．"

Auntiemightbeill，buthoweverbadshewas，sheneverneglectedthetheatre．Oneeveningherdoctoror-deredhertohavepoulticesonherfeet；

shedidashedi-rected，butdrovetothetheatre，andsattherewithherfeetinpoultices．Ifshehaddiedthere，itwouldhavede－lightedher．Thorwaldsendiedinthetheatre，andshecalledthat"

ahappydeath"

．

Shecertainlycouldnotimagineaheavenlykingdomwithoutatheatre．Itcertainlyhadnotbeenpromisedtous，butitwastobesupposedthatthemanycelebratedactorsandactresses，whohadgonebefore，musthaveacontinuedsphereofactivity．

Auntiehadherelectricwirefromthetheatretoherroom；

thetelegramcameeverySundaytocoffee．HerelectricwirewasMr．Sivertsonofthestage－machineryde-partment，themanwhogavethesignalsforthesceneryandcurtainstogoupanddown，inandout．

Fromhimshegotinadvanceashortandpithyre－viewofthepiecesShakespeare'

s"

Tempest"

，hecalled"

wretchedstuff！

Thereissomuchtosetup，andthenitbeginswithwateruptothefirstside－scene！

Thatistosay，therollingwaveswentsofarforward．Ontheotherhand，ifoneandthesameroom－decorationremainedthroughallfiveacts，hesaidthatitwasasensibleandwell－written，restfulpiece，whichplayeditselfwithoutsettingup．

Inearliertimes，asAuntiecalledthetimessomethirtyandoddyearsago，sheandtheabove-namedMr．Sivertsonwereyounger；

hewasalreadyinthe"

machin－ery"

，and，asshecalledhim，her"

benefactor"

．Atthattime，itwasthecustomattheeveningperformance，inthegreatandonlytheatreofthetown，toadmitspectatorstotheflies；

everystage－carpenterhadoneortwoplacestodisposeof．Itwasoftenchock－full，andthatwithveryse－lectcompany；

itwassaidthatthewivesbothofgeneralsandaldermenhadbeenthere；

itwassointerestingtolookdownbehindthescenes，andknowhowtheperformersstoodandmovedwhenthecurtainwasdown．Auntiehadbeentheremanytimes，bothattragediesandballets，forthepieceswihthegreatestnumberofperformerswerethemostinterestingfromtheflies．

Onesatprettymuchinthedarkupthere，andmostofthepeoplebroughtsupperwiththem．Oncethreeapplesandasliceofbreadandbutter，withsausageonit，fellrightdownintoUgolino'

sprison，wherehewasjustabouttodieofhunger．Atthattherewasagenerallaugh．Thesausagewasoneoftheimportantreasonswhythedirectororderedthepublictobeexcludedfromtheflies．

ButIwastherethirty－seventimes，"

saidAuntie，"

andIshallneverforgetit，Mr．Sivertson．"

Itwasjusttheverylastnightthattheflieswereopentothepublicthattheyplayed"

TheJudgementofSolomon"

．Auntieremembereditsowell．Shehad，throughherbenefactor，Mr．Sivertson，procuredaticketforAgentFab，althoughhedidnotdeserveit，ashewasalwaysmakingfunofthetheatre，andteasingheraboutit；

butstillshehadgothimaplaceupthere．Hewantedtoseethetheatre—tingsupside－down；

thesewerehisownwords—andjustlikehim，saidAuntie．

Andhesaw"

TheJudgementofSolomon"

，fromabove，andfellasleep；

onewouldreallyhavethoughtthathehadjustcomefromabigdinnerwithmanytoasts．Hesleptandwaslockedin，satandsleptthroughthedarknightinthetheatre，andwhenheawokehetoldastory；

butAuntiedidnotbelievehim．Theplaywasfinished，allthelampsandcandieswereout，allthepeoplewereout，upstairsanddownstairs；

butthenbegantherealplay，theafter－piece—thebestofall，theagentsaid．Lifecameintotheproperties！

itwasnot"

thatwasplayed；

no，itwas"

TheJudgementDayattheTheatre"

．AndallthisAgentFabhadtheimpudencetotrytomakeAuntiebelieve；

thatwasherthanksforgettinghimadmissiontotheflies．

Whattheagenttoldwas，nodoubt，comicalenoughtohearbutmaliceandmockerylayatthebottomofit．

Itwasdarkupthere，"

saidtheagent，"

butthenthedemon－showbegan，thegreatspectacle，'

TheJudge-mentDayattheTheatre．'

Check－takersstoodatthedoors，andeveryspectatorhadtoshowacertificateastohischaracter，tosettlewhetherhewastoenterwithhandsfreeorfettered，withmuzzleorwithout．Gentlefolkswhocametoolate，whentheperformancehadalreadybegun，aswellasyoungmenwhoweregiventowastingtheirtime，weretetheredoutside，andgotfelt－solesundertheirfeet，togoinwithatthebeginningofthenextact，be－sidesbeingmuzzled；

andthenbegan'

TheJudgementDayattheTheatre'

Merespite，whichOurLordknowsnothingof，"

saidAuntie．

Thescene－painter，ifhewishedtogetintoHeaven，hadtogoupastairwhichhehadpaintedhimself，butwhichnomancouldwalkup．Thatwasonlyasinagainstperspective，however．Alltheplantsandbuildings，whichthestage－carpenterhadwithgreattroubleplacedincountriestowhichtheydidnotbelong，thepoormanhadtomovetotheirrightplaces，andthatbeforecock－crow，ifhewishedtogetintoHeaven．Mr．Fabhadbetterseethathehimselfgotinthere；

andwhathenowtoldabouttheactors，bathincomedyandtragedy，insongandindance，wastheworstofall．Hedidnotdeservetogetin－totheflies；

Auntiewouldnotrepeathiswords．Hehadsaidthatthewholeaccountwaswrittendown，andwouldbeprintedafterhewasdeadandgone—notbefore；

hedidnotwanttobeskinnedalive．

Auntiehadonlyoncebeeninanguishandterrorinhertempleofhappiness，thetheatre．Itwasonewinter'

sday，oneofthedayswhenwehavetwohours'

daylightandthatonlygrey．Itwascoldandsnowy，butAuntiemustgotothetheatre．Theywereplaying"

HerrmanvonUnna，"

besidesalittleoperaandagreatballet，apro-logueandanepilogue；

itwouldlastrightintothenight．Auntiemustgothere；

herlodgerhadlentherapairofsledging－bootswithfurbothoutsideandinside；

theycamehighuponthelegs．

Shecameintothetheatre，andintoherbox；

thebootswerewarm，soshekeptthemon．Allatonceacryof"

Fire"

wasraised．Smokecamefromoneofthewings，smokecamefromtheflies；

therewasafrightfulcommo－tion；

peopleshedout；

Auntiewasthelastinthebox—"

thesecondtiertotheleft—thedecorationslookbestfromthere，"

shesaid，"

theyareplacedalwaystolookmostbeautifulfromtheroyalside"

—Auntiewishedtogetout，butthoseinfrontofher，hadthoughtlesslyslammedthedoorintheirterror．TheresatAuntie；

shecouldnotgetout，norineither，thatistosayintothenextbox，thepar－titionwastoohigh．Sheshouted，nooneheard；

shelookeddownintothetierunderneath，itwasempty，itwaslow，anditwasnear．Auntie，inherfear，feltherselfsoyoungandactive；

shewouldjumpdown；

shegotonelegoverthebalustradeandtheotheroffthebench．Thereshesatastride，beautifullydrapedwithherfloweredskirt，withonelonglegdanglingout，alegwithamonstersledging－boot．Thatwasasighttosee！

andwhenitwasseen，Aun－tiewasalsoheard，andsavedfromburning，forthetheatrewasnotburntafterall．

Thatwasthemostmemorableeveningofherlife，shesaid，andshewasgladthatshehadnotbeenabletoseeherself；

forthenshewouldhavediedofshame．

Herbenefactor，Mr．Sivertson，cameconstantlytohereverySunday，butitwasalongtimefromSundaytoSunday．Latterly，therefore，inthemiddleoftheweekshehadalitilechildfor"

theleavings"

，thatistosay，toenjoywhathadbeenleftoverfromdinner－time．Thiswasalittlechildfromtheballet，whowasinneedoffood．Thelittleoneappearedonthestagebothasapageandafairy；

herhardestpartw