The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-10
wALLACK's "REMINISCENCES.
Anecdotes of His Life Told
by Himself.

by I1ltllSSlts
From Adrance Sheets Of Scribner's Magazine
for October.
MY first experience on any stage was at
an establishment at Nutchan, in Surrey,
called Baron House Academy, fine old
mansion, which had become private school.
Colman's 'Heir-at- Law was produced imme-
d;ately before the beginning OF the sum
mer holidays, upon an improvised stage
in the schoolroom, with the English
usher as prompter and general man
ager As The son of the celebrated Mr.
Walack, it was felt proper, naturally, that
l should tale part, and | was billed for the
speech from Homes tragedy of Douglas
My name is Norvar-althong | was only
10 years of age. l was dressed In red
tunic, trimmed with fur, white trousers,
and red shoes, and carried round, wooden
shield and wooden sword painted blue
As for the lines / must have painted them
red. How spoke them heaven only knows
| only remember that | never missed syl-
liable.
MY next appearance was at another
school performance given at Brighton when
was about Is years old. This was at a
seminary kept by Mr.. AIfree, which was
then rather celebrated, and the play was
'Pizarro.' AT that time my uncle, Henry
Wallack, was stage manager of Covent
Garden. OF course all the boys we're rack
ing their brains and ransacSing the shops
to find out what they should wear. My
mother applied to my uncle, who sent down
a lot of splendid properties, n leopard-skin
robe, and all the necessary things for Rolla,
all of which were, of course, very much
too large, particularly the sandals | re-
member nothing of the play. except that it
went off with great deal of applause, but
do remember that the end was a most I'M
iopif tod fNy. haoar1sa I oil
/ fell just exactly where the curtain must
come down on me; and when it began to
descend the boy who played Aonzo and
one of the soldiers stepped forward and
taking me, one by one leg and one by the
other, dragged me up the stage, a bit of
new business which was greatly appre-
oiated, if / might judge from the 'roars' in
front" -ss t. y .4t-
~ hesitated long before l made up my
mind to become an actor, but when finally
did so I determined that l should know my
profession from beginning to end and should
depend upon it for my sole support. and the
consequence was that my poor mother often
cried in those early days because | would
not let her send me G5 note now and then
to add to my weekly stipend of 2Os.
81 was resolved that whatever success |
might make would owe to myself, and not
to my fathers name; therefore, as Mr..
the town of Rochester, in comedy called
Charles H., by John Howard Pavne. l
had very good part-tbe second part Of
the piece. Charles Kemble was King Charles
Fawcett playing Edward, and Jones the
Earl of Rochester in the original cast at
Covent Gaaden. The season at Rochester
was short one, as my uncle, Henry
Wallack, who had taken the
theater as an experiment, had it
for only few weeks. This was my first
professional engagement. My salary was
still Ell week, and l was paid about as
punctually as actors in small companies
were at that time. Three pounds
week was good salary in a
country theater, and 95 was enormous.
When we got to the larger provincial cities
salaries were a little hghe-, but very
much doubt if any leading actor at Bath,
Bristol, Liverpool. or Manchester ever re-
ceived more than eD a week in those
days.