St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-06-19
all sympathy. Rosalind trod the stage

and tenderest of Shakespeare concep-
tons took concrete form for all who
heard and saw. This triumph was
achieved at the first rehearsal, and the
report of it raised expectation high
among those who Interested themselves
in the matter. Actors are Jealous
race, and as a consequence there is no
class of people who praise each other so
unreservedly; for jealousy is not
pretty passion, and its owner will gem
orally go out OF his way to hide it. So
when Mrs. Tregarthen's compeers had
once made up their minds that she
would inevitably outshine them all,
they gave her the most unstinted iauda-
ton everywhere, and the whole theatre
cal world got into ferment about her.
In the earlier rehearSals the old
stagerS went through their work any
how, mumbling inarticulately and cut
ting down the immortal sentences
without remorse in their hurry for the
cue, but Rosaiind would not mutilate
speak them at all without speaking
them as they ought to be spoken. 1t
came about, therefore, that from the
central figure of the piece gentle in
SEPARATION shone out to all the rest, until
they began to reflect it; and the dullest
old stager began to work with some
thing of his youthful spirit. Lorrimer
saw this and exulted. He worked as
only a theatrical manager has to work.
entreating, arguing, persuading, COM
manding-employing sweetest suasive
art on Celia; with more than Chester
field politeness begging leave to differ
with old Adam or Tombstone on some
point of detail; Or pouring forth wild
streams of passionate obiurgation upon
the carpenters He was ubiquitous
and seemed like Ariel in the storm, to
divide and burn in many places.
But all things have an end, and at
length the final rehearsal was over, the
last note of music arranged and prac-
ticed, the last costume perfected, the
last stroke of the paint-brush dry, and
even the clumsiest super had learned
his final lesson. The great night was
upon London, and only a million or
two of its inhabitants were altogether
unmoved and apathetic. The house
was crowded. The destiny of the pit
was not yet decreed, and the most
sympathetic and most experienced of
playgoers and the truest of play-lovers
were not scOrned, the oldsters were
there, grave almost severe, prepared to
utter Judgment. The professional
| they could really see the piece, and
were not half Drained by the cymbals.
and the cornet in the entr' acte, as
| they are in these advanced days.
Beauty, wit, fashion and old expert
ence filled the house, area Miss Church
| i'll who has long since been dressed,
| and eager in her nervous terror to face
| them all and get the ordeal over, was
led by the triumphant yet anxious Lor-
| rimer to take a peep at the crowded
| benches and the wide sweep of the
! glittering circles. She went back to
her own room quaking, and when she
tried to think of her part she discov-
cred that she had forgotten her first
words She referred to them, and they
looked at her unfamiliarly from the
manuscript. Il show more mirth than
| am mistress Of" Great heavens!
She had to be mirthful, and in the
presence of that terrible crowd.
She had heard of this swift and sud-
den disease many time and knew it
BY the name of stage fright; but she
never guessed what it might mean I'M
til now 1t numbed every faculty of
the mind She could think of nothing,
and remember nothing. 1t left her
physically helpless, too, and reduced
her to very statue of cowardice.
The orchestra was industriously
scraping and blowing its way to the
final musical spasm of the overture,
and she felt that the time of disgrace
and despair was near. The music
ceased, the house applauded, a bell
rang thrice, the house applauded anew,
the time of disgrace and despair was
nearer still. In a little time there came
| tap at the door, and the call-boy de.
manded Miss Churchill. She must
needs go-there was no help for it. She
took hasty sip of water, and walked
like an automaton to her place in the
wings. Celia was there already, anG
slipped an unsympathetic arm about
her waist, in readiness for the business
of the stage, for they went on twineo
together like two of the three Graces
| line Danu llnlSneu us llttle ilIeI iAeulaee
flourish. and somehow Rosalind was
on the stage, with sound like the
noise of the sea in her ears, and she
was ready to sink and die. Celia
spoke:
:. 4 pray thee. Rosalind, sweet my
coz. be merry!'
| The two women melted apart from
their embrace at this point, and Rosa
lind stood alone There was a pause
1t came out afterward that it was NJ
longer than it well might have been
but to Miss Churchill's heart it wa
quite a gulf of time. Then-but how