Identifier: autobiographyofj00injeff (find matches)
Title: The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905
Subjects: Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905 Actors
Publisher: New York : Century Co.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

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keep, no dreadful appointments hanging overones head! As I have been living here for the past eighteenwinters there is naturally some curiosity amongthe peasantry, both white and black, as to the pre-cise nature of my vocation. The town near ushas had no theater or hall of any kind until lately,so that the only public amusements with whichthey are familiar have been confined to the circus. The country people know me very well, and itis a mystery to them what I can possibly do in ashow, as they call it. I had been out duckshooting and was being paddled slowly along thebayou in a canoe by my man Friday, a coloredboy about eighteen years of age. As a rider ofbuck-jumping ponies he was a wonder either withor without a saddle, and the perfect ease withwhich he handled a canoe made him invaluable asa guide ; he would dip the paddle deep into thestream and with a firm and steady hand move theboat with great speed, and yet with such skill andso silently that he made no splash or ripple in the
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PIERRE LANDRY AND HIS WIFE. OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON 469 water. I have often sat with my back to him inthe quiet of a sunset evening and Hstened if Icould catch the sHghtest sound ; but no ; thoughwe glided along the water like an arrow, Johnspaddle was quiet as a mouse. On the excursion referred to the silence wasbroken by Johns voice. ** Mr. Joe, will you bemad if I ax you somefen ? No, John ; what isit ? There was a pause, then calling up all hiscourage he broke forth with a question which Ihave no doubt he had meditated upon and couldcontain no longer. What does you do in ashow ? I told him that it would be rather diffi-cult for me to explain to him what my peculiar lineof business was. Well, said John, does youswallow knives ? I told him that I had no talentwhatever in that way. Well, your son told methat you swallowed knives, and forks, and fire, andde Lord knows what all, and I believe he was justfoolin me. I agreed with him, saying that hewas quite capable of it. Well, dere s one t

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