The Penn's Grove record., 1885-08-29
A S~MOULDERlNG FIRE.

A SMOULDERlNG FIRE.
"Then am 1 really to understand,
Kate. that, after all our long years of
friendship, you decline TO play at my
beneGt?'
"If the play is to be Othelto, John,
must. You don't know the pain it
gives me to refuse you; | would so
gladly do you a service If it lay in my
power. Any part but Desdemona |
should be delighted to undertake; but
it would be useless my attempting that;
| know | could not get through it"
"But surely you must have played
Desdemona during your early country
experiences, even if you have not done
so since2'
Eyes, | have. on n occasion only"
swell then, why not againP | must
own | am bitterly disappointed; | quite
counted on you. 1t is the first oppor-
tunlty | have had of playing a good
part in London, and, with your help, |
relied on making a hit. Now | don't
know what to do, as | have been In
America 80 many yearsl all the pro-
f%essionals here are strangers to me. The
idea of your refusing to act for me never
entered my head. | am sorry | ever
asked you, as fear | shall V be
able to forget your desertion of an old
chum.'
The speaker was one of my Oldest
and dearest friends. His family and
mine had been intimate long before
either of us had thought of going upon
the stage. We had been boy and girl
sweethearts, and used TO confide our
stage-struck aspirations to each other.
Ultimately we succeeded in persuading
our parents to let us adopt the profess
sion, and we made our first appearance
in public on the same occasion at the
little theatre in our native country
town. Then after a short time our
paths separated; he had an offer to go
to America, and | was engaged by one
of the North-C Country theatre-mana-
gers.
had heard of John continually from
his family, and we had written to each
other when either of us had a particular
success or met with any good fortune.
He had however never come back to
England until now, when, having OBJ
tanned a very good position in his adop-
ted country, he had become home-slck
and resolved to try for an engagement
here. With this idea, he had taken
one of the fashionable west-end houses
and announced his first appearance as
Othello. Ihad promised to play for
him, never dreaming that he would
select the only piece | could not act in.
l vas really concerned at the evident
pain l was giving him, and to find that
our friendship was likely to be inter
rapted, and said
eff YOU knew the reason of my re-
fusal, you would not think me unkind.
1t grieves me to the heart to be obliged
to say No."
But why, in the name of goodness,
should you be obliged to say Mop The
part is IN your line. you would play it
splendidly without any trouble, l shall
believe you mean to be quite disagree
able unless you give me some explana
tion."
"Then you force me to tell you my
reason. / should have hoped you had
sufficient faith In my regard for you,
and would have spared me reverting
to the most unhappy occurrence in my
life. Although it happened fourteen
years ago, 7 cannot think of it without
misery, and the subject has not been
alluded to for years; however, sooner
than lose your friendship, l will tel
you.
"You remember my going to the
Theatre Royal Alton soon after you
went to America, and you also recol,
lect, | dare say a most serious illness
/ had a year afterwards. The particu.
lars of that illness you heard, as
all the facts were hushed up. / was
engaged by Mr., Costing, the manager,
to play small parts at a very small salary
and a hard struggle l had to make
both ends meet. The theatre was de-
cidedly second rate; but the company
were hard working and respectable,
although i~lliterate. They were very
kind to me as a rule and did me many
real services. which | had no means of
repayIng except with thanks Mr.,
Gosling was a genial good hearted old
man, with whom | soon became a great
%fayorte. had plenty of practice and
did my utmost to get on. At last a
fortunate chance happened for me.
The young lady who played the 'juven-
lies was taken i'll on the eve of a per-
Torrance of Hamlet No one IN the
theatre excepting myself knew the
words and music of Ophelia, so / was
entrusted with the part to my intense
delight. | sat up all night to study,
and ultimately made what everybody
said was a great success. This led tC
my being engaged by Mr.. Costing tC
play the principle parts at a consider.
ably increased salary, with Mr.. God
frey Blackburn, the leading man, who
was to Join the company at the com
mencement of the next season.
1--WE had a months holiday, and
went back to my work full Of hope and
courage. On our company's reaSsem'
bling on the first day at rehearsal, ]
found that there were two new mem
bers-Mr. Blackburn, a distinguished.
looking mlddle-aged man with a most
powerful head, spoilt however by a pc
euliar, restless, shifting expression in
the eyes and a narrow ~retreating fore
head. and a young gentleman who, ]
understood, was to play the Juvenile
heroes, He was refined and pleasant
in manner, and had a handsome candid
face. | wa interested in him at once
as l knew we should be constantly as
soclated in our work.
1--WE commenced rehearsing; the play
was The H,mchbdck. | was astOnished
at the great talent shown by Mr.. Black.
h,..,. h,Ah a1 an anflr ord No Sfan1
manager, and 1 began to puzzle my
brains as to how he came to be in suct
a pos;tIon-leading nan at a small
country theatre; he seemed to me won
derfuliy clever, more clever than any