The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-01-06

| OLD-TIME PLAYRRs.-A little less than hum
| dred years ago the great actor Garrick heard ru-
mors OF the beauty and genius OF a young girl,
tho daughter OF strolling player, whose i'm
PRESENTATIONS had completely turned the heads
! and captivated the hearts OF the provincial
| audiences before whom she appeared. Eyer on
the alert to secure frst-rate talent for his
tneatre-for Garrick Was above the jealousy
which Is characteristic vi III 0dern stars-he sent
A agent to Ascertain the truth in regard to her
performances. Dissatisfied with his report, in
the month OF August, 1875. he sent second
emisaary to make further observations. This
was the Rev. Mr.. Bate, who is described an
clergyman of strong intelligence and vigorous
style, and of . strength Of muscle which would
have entitled him in these days to the honor of
the championship of muscular Christianity.
he was not only we'll up in stage matters, and a
slashin0 theatrical critic, but an accomplished
boxer and ,nelist His letters giving the report
OF his Ell .ition are preserved in the British
Museum, and are siugulsrIy interesting and
vivacious.
After travelling over ''some of the curssdest
! crossroads in the kingdom'-the Rev. Bate
could use strong language upon occasiou-he
arrived ct the town of Worcester. and there saw
tho new theatrical wonder, for the first time,
playing Rosalind. He stood at the side wings
| OF the theatre, which he describes az a sort of
deep. Yet, even under these disadvantages, he
was enchanted with her playing and at once
pronounced that she would be valuable
addition to the ranks of Drury Lane.
The actress was Mrs. Siddons, the daughter of
Roger kemble, strolling player
The English strolling player of that time, with
his encourage and wandering vocation, formed
an epitome of all that it contemplate and de.
grading. lie lived IL abject terror of the law,
ana might be classed lower than the tramps who
in our day nfest the purlieus of the race.course
and the circus. The shifts, meanness, and pre-
lenses OF this unhappy p,riah were a perpetual
invitation TO the great satirists of the age such
az Churchill and Hogarth, who lavished their
| most pltlless railiery on victims who to us ap.
pear to have been unworthy of their notice
Barely tolerated for the night in some emptv
| barn, and hunted from the village in the morn.
my ny terror OF the stocks, these poor wretohes
make spectacle to excite nothing bat contempt
and laughter. The company would arrive at a
ru:al town without money, and generally desti.
tute OF provisions. Some ooach.house or barn
or, In rare cases, room at the inn, was lent TO
them. In more remote days the open inn.yard,
with It's antique galleries running round, was
sometimes taken for the presentation of the play;
and indeed this is thought TO have furnished the
model on which modern theatres are constructed.
All SORTS Of odds and ends of furniture and finery
"eie oorTe"eu or stolen TO make show, a few
candles were stuck around to furnish light, and
thus the performance took place. The result
was too frequently number of small debts for
board and lodging, or hopeless insolvency, with
flight from town after dark. Irate landladies
sometimes anticipated this catastrophe by Selling
some wretched article Of clothing while the
owner lay in bed; and the spectacle of the de.
moralized player flying from the house, clad in
hrttering rags whose scantiness barely conceal
ed his nakedness, was likely to add to the stock
or idicule against his caste. Sometimes their
miserable stage properties were seized and for
feited. There were generally pleasant iovial
creatures among them, who, in return Tor sup.
per or a pot Of ale, told their adventures, and
turned the heads of the simple village lads by
Wanting tho glories of the stage. They led y
true bohemian life, and were happy in their
squalid wretchedness. "From u Barn to
Drury Lane" ilAustrated, by S. 5. CoNANr, in
Harper's Magazine.