Presence Of Mind
by
Mr. Davenport–the “Ned Davenport” of the Bowery boys–before sailing for Europe and while attached to the Bowery Theatre, was of the lean and hungry kind. In fact he was extremely lean–tall as a may-pole, and slender enough to crawl through a greased fleute,–to use a yankeeism.
Somebody “up” for Shylock one night, at the Bowery, was suddenly “indisposed” or, in the strongest probability, quite stupefied from the effect of the deadly poisons retailed in the numerous groggeries that really swarm near the Gotham play-houses. Well, Mr. Davenport–a gentleman who has reached a most honorable position in his profession by sobriety and talent–was substituted for the indisposed Shylock, and the play went on.
In the trial scene, Mr. Davenport really “took down the house” by his vehemence, and his ferocious, lean, and hungry aspirations for the pound of flesh! One of the b’hoys, so identical with the B’ow’ry pit, got quite worked up; he twisted and squirmed, he chewed his cud, he stroked his “soap-lock,” but, finally, wrought up to great presence of mind,–our lean Shylock still calling for his pound of flesh,–roars out;–
“S’ay, look a’ here,– why don’t you give skinny de meat, don’t you see he wants it, sa-a-a-y! “
We very naturally infer that “the piece” went off with a rush!