I
traveled over to this hall on the evening of my lecture, and spoke to a
beggarly array of empty seats. To-morrow morning, I intend to travel to
church in your beautiful village, repent of my sins, and on Monday
travel home to New York, where I shall at once take measures to rid
myself of the title I wear this evening, by earning my bread in the
old-fashioned way, by the sweat of my brow.
'Humbug, ladies and gentlemen, is a pill not at all disagreeable to
take, when gilded carefully. My pill has been prepared by the hand of a
novice, and you have swallowed it with your eyes open. May it benefit
you!'
Symptoms of a disturbance immediately became manifest, when my editorial
angel arose and spread his wings over the troubled audience.
'People of Tyre,' said he, 'the exhibition of the Great Humbug Troupe
is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting and least objectionable
that ever appeared in our village. It remains for us to make it
instructive. I propose that we give three cheers for our brave
entertainer,--hip, hip,
'_Hurrah!_ HURRAH! HURRAH!'
Like young thunder the last cheer arose; and my bacon was saved!
The receipts placed me in possession of fifty dollars, after defraying
all expenses in Tyre and settling my bill and recovering my satchel from
Sidon--which I did by a messenger the same evening after the lecture.
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