The Harry Watkins Diary, Volume 11 [July 22, 1853–June 12, 1854]

About this Item

Title
The Harry Watkins Diary, Volume 11 [July 22, 1853–June 12, 1854]
Author
Harry Watkins
Editor
Amy E. Hughes, Naomi Stubbs
Print Source
Harry Watkins. Diary. Papers of the Skinner family, 1874-1979 (inclusive), box 17, MS Thr 857. Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
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Date
July 22, 1853
Rights

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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/hwatkins.0011.001
Cite this Item
"The Harry Watkins Diary, Volume 11 [July 22, 1853–June 12, 1854]." In the digital collection The Harry Watkins Diary: Digital Edition. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/h/hwatkins/hwatkins.0011.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 3, 2025.

Pages

11 March 1854

Pleasant—Reading & walking A.M. Reading, writing & walking P.M. at Theatre 7 P.M. last night of the Richings—fine house. An amusing incident occurred at the Lyceum last night during the representation of Uncle Tom's Cabin. H. Chapman's daughter, a child of three years and four months age, was engaged to personate "Little Eva" having, for some, time, been under the instruction of its grandmother, Mrs Drake, who had taken a great deal of trouble to drill the child into the performance of the part. The first night the play went off, very well, as far as the child was concerned, until the last scene—in which—Uncle Tom, St Clair [sic St Claire] and Eva are represented as as ascending to Heaven on a cloud—when the time arrived, Blanche (the girl's name) who had been allowed to go sleep for an hour, being suddenly awoke therefrom, positively refused to g finish her part, declaring that "she wouldn't go to heaven on a board", nor could and neither threats nor entreaties could could change her determination. As the audience were unconscious of what was to have been done Blanche's refusal to finish her part did not mar the effect of the play, but the next night, at the end of the third act, where Eva is supposed to die, Blanch [sic Blanche] , who seemed to have a dread horror of the ascension which she knew

seq. [unnumbered]

would take place after the death, as she lay upon the couch, surrounded by here relatives, prepared to breathe her last as Eva, she as Blanche she resol resolved not to yield up the ghost and so preclude the possibility of an ascent unless it was Elijah-like. As she had gone through the rest of the play remarkably well it was expected that all would end well, but judge of the surprise of both audience and actors, when, in response to St Clair [sic St Claire] 's interrogation of "what she saw", instead of "I see bright angels", the dying Eva shouted out I with lungs that spoke of anything but consumption, "I want to see my grandmother" "Hush"! says Uncle Tom in an undertone. You're "she's going to heaven" says St, Clair [sic St Claire] . "No, I aint [sic ain't] ," says Eva, "I dont [sic don't] want to—go—to—heaven—without my grandm-m-ma'!" boo-oo-o! Never was scene of mourning received like this: all was confusion—the prompter, a young man green in the business, knew not what to do, having receiv orders not been ordered not to "ring down" until Eva was entirely dead—some of the audience yelled with delight at the "fun" while others were convulsed with laughter—in which the supposed relatives of the ought "gentle Eva" would have been obliged to join had it not been for the friendly bed-clothes, into which they buried their sorrowful faces—At this crisis some person accidentally rang the warning bell, when down came the curtain with a rush on the second and last appearance of "The World's Wonder, Little Blanche Chapman"

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