Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-08-26
HIS LITTLE GAL
By Florence Revere Pendar.

Royal amphitheare, London. The manager
was particular frien OF mine. so that ] had
the entree 10 all parts of the theatre ana
came and went rs | wished. Jim had held
this position some thirty odd years, aud
could, when he felt inclined Ia drop o sumot
OF helped greatly thereto) relate many a
good story of dead and gone actors and their
next of kin, heroes of the sswdust. ! am an
occasional contributor to the newspapers,
and | would like here to say that have been
| indebted to Jim Benton tor many an odd bit
of pathCs and bumor. Poor old fellow 1t
is already ten years and more since fol.
lowed him TO his last resting place, and the
stage door OF Astl,y's Royal anphthearre
knows NE no more. This night Jim was
uuususlly laxative.
"Lor bless yer sir" said he, as he raised
his glass of gin and water 10 his lips. al pties
| Them teetoaleers does. | cum ermost er
| lining on 'em onct, but Providence WAS agin
it. No, sir, you cant pass. don't know
| no sich name" This last was addressed to
| gentleman in lavender kids who presented
himself at the door, asking to see Miss Nor
| rell, the principal danseuse.
"Ah! perhaps you are acquainted with my
aliss2' here added the exquisite.
"Carn't say as ! ham, sir. It's not to be
| hcSpected ! could remember all the gals
names. Yer see we takes on Il lot OF hextras
come pantomime season. ! cant pass yer,
| sir; horders is borders"
As the swell Withdrew, old Tim continued
with:
"LOr', sir If was to pass hall AS was want
Z n TO g; IN there wouldn't be no room be-
hind the scenes iur the hactOrs; but it ain {
| nothIntn now 10 what 1t useter be when Mr..
! ke,chum had the management. Yer orter
ha seen the stag door then. That was when
the madame was er playin' OF 'Mszepps, and
a right fine figure of er woman she wuz, too.
Perhaps we've seen her, sir? Ida Frances Fay
was her name"
On my replying that | had never had that
pleasure, he continued with:
"Well, sir, there'll never be another Ida
Fay. There's lots o gals wot's tried It on,
but it don't work Yer see there wuz er
somethin er sorter o takn' about her wot
fo,ched the swells. Yer couldn't git standing
room when she wuz er playin Fast was
she, sir? Well, maybe she wsrn't hexsctly
wot you'd call a harkangel, but she was on J.
common good to my little gal, and that's
enut' for Jim Benton
why, have yon a daughter JIM | eI-
claimed, rather surprised at his never having
mentioned it before.
Had, sir, had" Here the old man
paus' d moment and stopped down to pick
up wi p OF straw from the floor, and no.
ticed his hand rembled a. he did so.
Yes, sir" continued he, "yer wouldn't
think ter look at me that could have sich a
dater. Such pretty little thing, with hair
iur all the world like gold and eyes that
made me think o the wiUlets, aud II sparkle
IN I'm when she laughed that all the spa giles
iver ye see couldn't beat. Yer see, sir, | was
pretty well on ia years when Mamie was
born. She was chrislened Mary, but we
alters called her Mamie. Ny little girl warn I
morn'n d yesr old when the missus wuz took
| i'll with fever and died, and there | wuz left
| with haboy on IN ands; but Lor' bless
| y'r, sir, took as ustrel tot rs il I'd been a
nu-s hall my life. Bought her through thr
measles and whOopng-CUugh as right as a
| irlvet Many's the hour she. sot on that ere
stool there er watchin' me. Sometimes she'd
be as still as mouse, and then agin, she'd
chatter like little magpe. She had kurus
ancies, had Mamie, when she warn't no
higher than that efe table,
Daddy ses she one day, Does haugels
alleis ave wngs2'
eyes desry,' ses |. Il alters heer tell
they had
"'rhen, ses she, when | die, daddy-of
course II won't be tor II big, long while; lit
tie gals don't die VERY much, does they ?
III tell God waner see my daddy, and III
hy right down here and peek in the winder
and s'prise yer
Yes sir, that's the way she'd talk some-
lines, ana SOMEHOW ii made me feel as if
some one wuz er pressing weight on my chist
and couldn't breathe. Do you know, sir,
perhaps it's foolish, but believe she do come
| tn hat "A
sometimes-ony i's bit comforting 10
think so.
'How came to lose herr That's wot I'm
comm to, sir. Yer see Mamie was born, as
! may say, in the perieshnn, in this VERY
theayter. Why, what do you think. sir,
atore she could toddle bought her a NOAH
bark, and wot hanima would yer bleve she
picked ou, tust? A orse, sir Ah, sir-it
was born 10 her | had alters more of a
leanin' arter hacliag, but yer couldn't keep
Mamie away from the 'osses. Was afraid of
her getting LurtH Well no, sir, | can't say
as "uz. Yer see the grooms and hall the
boys wuz encOmmUn fond Of Mamie and took
| heap Of care o. her.
""ell, sir, when my little gal was about 6
years old Dan Maxwell wanted to break her
| IN to ride with him AT first | wouldn't beer
| tot, but Mamie euz so wistiul tort, und Dan
wuz sch great strong feller, aud knowed
| he'd he that keerful Of her as II she wuz mad.
OF gold 80 let Mamie have her way. There
warn't TO be no whip used. | wouldn't ha'
stood that, but Lor' sir, there warn't no need
OF. The child took to ridn' like duck to
water. When | see her name on the posters
| in big letters | couldn't 'elp feeling a bit
proud, and livery night hen she was on used
70 git some one to mind the door, while slipped