The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-01
THE asupERsn s, . STORY.

Before I begin, I wishes to say q few
words-a sort Of prslogue.liku to my
little drama. I amt a-writing this my.
self. 1 couldn't, was never teached.
I went 10 school once, certainly; but
that was only Sunday one, SO o course
writing and all Of them games is foreign
languages to me. A swell gent is u
taking everything as / says down, in
bar parlor OF publicnext the theatre.
He says he's on the press, and Ind
stood hree.penn'orth Of Irish hot; and
there you have us, hottie swell gent
a.writing as I speaks, and me a.talking
and drinking. (Here's your very good
healthy Now tile oYertureis over, and
up goes the curtain. ] itdiJh.ii
TN super. l suppose you knows
what that is. II you don't, aud aint
Electrically inclined, I'll tell you. A
super's one OF them as takes the small
parts in o play, where the Cuisines "
Is important and the "caclle" " aint par
ticular. That's q super.
When Shakespeare wrote A man in
his time plays many parts he must
have had super in his eye, IL supers
was invented in those days, which l
suppose they was, or Shakespeare aint
the man Itook him for. Bless 'youl
our role is unlimited-we does every.
thing. Why, in one piece sometimes !
takes matter Of half o dozen parts, II
not more. Say /" Hamlet" is put up
first, I'm guard a-walking on the ram
parts OF the castle then I'm conrtier
attending on the king; then I'm a
recorder (which aint got nothing to do
with the law, as / thought at one time,
but performs on q sort Of flute !; then
I'm a sailor; arter that o mute at
ophelia's funeral then I'm soldier
again, or courtier, as the case may be.
And there l am. Asuper's moreimpor-
taut than anybody may think. Send o
king on without his court, and where
would lie be-? Let Richard tho Third
enter without his army at his back, and
he'd be hissed off for certain. A play
is like that bundle Of sticks business
taken all of alump It's firm part 'em
and it's all up. Just you take away the
supers from q play, and m audience Of
babblers wouldn't put up with It.
/ gets shilling q night, aud finds my
own color, which, being q saving man, l
usually manages to scrape enough up
OF the waste In the paint room-for IN
the matter OF lime and ochre artists is
prodigals; and II I'm hard up for black
for o eyebrow or o moustache, for in
stance-I gets the neediul from the
chimney pipe Of the stove in the proper
ty.room. s,
1 made my first appearance at the
Adelphi Gardens, at the age Of six, as q
frog in the pantomime, which was an
immense success, and I've been a.going
on with great eclat los / once heard our
leading man say) ever since. I've work
ed my way up 10 tue top Of my profes-
sion In my line, which is heavy lead Of
supers and I've occasion TO know that
at particular times-say the first night
OF q new piece-I'm looked up to by the
management to carry the play through
and / generally contrives to satisfy the
most sangutnary expectations
Tn proud Of my profession. amt
NOuly u uctOF loE thv oeNS W ~ :,
lucfe, (which suppose means coin.)
but for the literature and art-speciallJ
the art I've studied it-really studied
it; you mayn't think so, but it's a fact.
Many,s the night I've stood at the
"wings,n when the stage manager
weren't nowhere near, a.listening 70 the
play. And IN most stock pieces know
where the points ought to be and Il Z
novice fails TO make 'em-which he IN
variably do-I'm disgusted in ptupor
tion. I've served under Edmund Kean
William Maready, and all the star
tince. / once fell out with Mr. Ma
cready, because l couldn't remem9el
whore 10 stand at certain cue. h'
was very particular about Installations
and one day, at rehearsal, / couldn'
think where / ought to be, and / mad'
the same mistake so often that go
nustered was yonng at the time ant
rather sudden so when Mr., Macready
almost out OF patience, ,says-"S Stant
here, You dolt II pointing 10 place OIL
thetstage, Itakes apiece Of chalk out o
my pocket and makes . \ Just wher'
he wanted me to be and there stoo,
looking as cool as railway clerk, al
tho while was aa frightened as . anna
teur. II Mr.. Ms eyes at that identi
cal moment had been daggers, lshonld
MT have been telling YOU this here.
never went on with Mr.. Maeready ate