Bryants’ Minstrels

“Negro eccentricities, ballads, and fun.”

“Have you noticed that the women folks have taken a reef in their hoops?  Oh! it’s so.  They ain’t near so large as they used to be—the hoops, we mean—and afeller has some sort of a chance for his life when he gets mixed up with them—the women, we mean—now.  We were pleasantly made aware of this fact the other night at Bryants, where we became deliciously sandwiched between two well-bred young damsels with jockey hats and feathers; would you believe it, we saw the whole thing—the minstrel show, we mean, and could breathe quite freely.  We were afraid to go to Bryants when hoops were so enormously large, for they gave us no sight for our money, and nearly smothered us besides.  We are glad the reign of terror is over.  Hoop de dooden do!  Hoop de dooden don’t.  Let’s all us young fellers go to Bryants this evening to celebrate the collapse of woman.  The next thing we want is the abolition of those three story bonnets.  Down with the coal scuttles—dam ‘em, down with ‘em.”