Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 February 1881 — The Retribution of a Hiss. [ARTICLE]

The Retribution of a Hiss.

In the |M»pular magazine Thue, edited by Mr. Eiimuml Yates, Mr. Dutton Took tells an amusing story of a man who hissed the representations of Weber’s “Iler Freisi-huetz” in Paris. He was a grocer’s shopman, and he was promptly ejected by some medidal students, one pf whom afterwards discovered the grocer’s'man in a hospital. The man who biased Welierdied, ami his Immlv was given out for dissection. Hector Berliez, fifteen years later, revived the opera, and in order to produce greater effect nronoseil to liaVe a real skeleton in the Wolf’s Glen scene. By chance he met the student who had turned out the grocer’s slmmiian for hissing “Der rreischuetz.” After tliat unfortunate man had l<een dissecttsl his skeleton tvas preserved. , “He’s all right,” said life student. “He fills a case in my I'-onsulting-rooni, hung on wires and beautifullyput together. <— There’s not a bone missing, not even one of his phalang.es Only the skull is a little damaged.” .. “I want you to lend him to me. Then* is a part he can play to perfection at the ojiera.” “I don’t understand.” “You will shortly.” "f’n secret de. comedic! Well, I’ll semi you the skeleton.” In a liox, corded' and locked, the poor chopman’s' l»one« reached the ojiera-house. “You see this young mail?” said Berlioz to the property-master. “He is alsHit to make his first api>earance upon the stage. His costume will >be very simjde. You will provide him with an iron rod, to lie secured to his •bark, so that he may bear himself as spftty as M. Pepita when he is about to pirouette. Afterwards you will jpiacea torch in his right hand.” “I understand, sir.” “You will make' a hole in the grocer’s skull. Don’t lie afraid; nothing will come out—it is as empty now as ever it was. This is theskull Caspar’s sw*h-<l will pjeree in the incantation frscene. He will hold it aloft, ami the blue fire will tizz all round it.” “I understand, sir.” Thus at every representation of “Der Freischuetz” upon the stage ‘of the .Grand Opera, at the moment of Zamiel’s terrible cry, “Me voila!’* the tempest raged, the lightnings flashed, a tree was riven by a thunderbolt, all in strict accordance with the direction of the composer, and there appeared the skeleton of the man wlio had hissed Weber’s music in that very scene and waving weirdly in the air a flamed torch!