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

11 March 1854

Sat. (Saturday) 11. 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 someremove, 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 removeas ascending to Heaven on a cloud—when the time arrived, Blanche (the girl's name) who had been allowed to removego sleep for an hour, being suddenly awoke therefrom, positively refused to removeg finish her part, declaring that "she wouldn't go to heaven on a board", removenor could and neither threats nor entreaties could removecould 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

would take place after theexpand_less death, as she lay upon the couch, surrounded by herremovee relatives, prepared to breathe her last as Eva, removeshe as Blanche she removeresol 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 removeI with lungs that spoke of anything but consumption, "I want to see my grandmother" "Hush"! says Uncle Tom in an undertone. removeYou're "she'sexpand_less 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 removereceivexpand_less removeorders not been ordered not to "ring down" until Eva was entirely dead—some of the audienceexpand_less yelled with delight at the "fun" whileexpand_less others were convulsed with laughter—in which the supposed relatives of the removeought "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 removewith a rush on the second and last appearance of "The World's Wonder, Little Blanche Chapman"