The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1890, 1888-09-15
his LITTLE GAL"

wen, slr, seeing as ye mintion 1t,
don't mind IT does try or drop O sunot
ot. It's very comfurting to the inneras,
partickler of q cold night"
This was in answer to my proposal to
old jim Benton, stage doorkeeper of Asst.
ley's Royal amphitheatre, London. The
manager was particular friend of mine
50 that had the entree to all parts Of the
theatre, and came and went as wished
Jim had held his position some thirty odd
years, and could, when he felt inclined Il
drop o sumot 'ot helped greatly thereto),
relate many good story Of dead .and. zone
actors and their next Of kin, heroes OF the
sawdust. am an occasional contributor
to the newspapers, and would like here
to say that have been indebted to jim
Benton for many an odd bit of pathos and
humor. Poor old fellow! It is already ten
years and more since followed him to his
last resting place, and the stage door Of
Astley's Royal amphitheatre knows me
no more. This night Jim was unusually
''Lor' bless yer, SIR" said he, as he
raised his glass Of gin and water to his
lips, II pities them teetotaleers, does. |
cum ermost er jining on 'em onct, but
Providence wuz agin 1t. No. sir, yer
can't pass. don't know no sich name"
This last was addressed to gentleman in
: lavender kids who presented himself and
his card at the door, asking to see Miss
Morrelh, the principal danseuse.
"Ah, perhaps you are acquainted with
my alias?" here added the exquisite
"Carnt say as ham, sir It's not to
be hexpected | could remember all the
! gals names. Yer see, we takes on er lot
of hextras come pantomime season. l
can't pass yer, sir; horders is horders."
| As the swell withdrew old Jim contin-
ued with:
"Lor, sir, if / was to pass hall as was
wantin' to git in there wouldn't be no
room behind the scenes fur the hactors:
| but it amt nothin' now to what it used
/ to be when Mr.. Ketchum had the man
/, agement Yer orter ha' seen the stage
door then. That was when the madame
was er playin' Of Mazeppa,s and a
/; mighty fine figure of er woman she wuz,
too. Perhaps ye've seen her, sir. Ida
| Frances Fay was her name'
I On my replying that l had never had
that pleasure he continued with:
I! well, sir, therel never be another
Ida Fay. There's lots O gals wot's tried
1t on, but it don't work. Yer see, there
wuz er somethin' er sorter O takin' about
! her wot fotched the swells. Yer couldn't
git standin' room when she wuz er
playin'. Fast. was she, sir2j Well, maybe
| she warnt hexactly wot yer'd call bark
hangel, but she was uncommon good to
| my little gal, and that's enuff fer Jim
Benton"
"Why, have you daughter, Jim?'
| exclaimed, rather surprised of his never
having mentioned it before.
Had, sir, had Here the old man
paused a moment and stopped down to
pick up wisp of straw from the floor,
| and noticed hts hand trembled as he
| did so.
Eyes, SIR" continued he, Eyer wouldn't
| think ter look at me that I could have
sich dater. Sich pretty little thing,
with hair fur all the world like gold, and
eyes that made me think O. the wiolets,
and sparkle in 'em when she laughed
that all the spangles iver yer see couldn't
beat. Yer see, sir, was pretty we'll on
IN years when Mamie was born. She was
christened Mary, but we alters called her
old when the missus wuz took ill with a
fever and died, and there wuz left with
baby on my 'ands; but lor' bless yer, SIR
| took as natrel to t as if I'd been nuss
hall my life. Brought her through the
measles and whooping cough as right as
trivet. Many's the hour she's sot on that
ere stool there er watchin' me. Some.
times she'd be as still as q mouse, and
then agin she'd chatteF like little mag
pie She had kurus fancies, had Mamie,
when she warn't no higher than that ere
table.
Daddy ses she, one day, does han.
gels alters ave wingsY"
"'Yes, deary,' ses l. I alters heer tell
they ,d had
Of course it won't be for a big, long while;
little gals don't die very much, does
they?-1u tell God wanter see my
daddy, and I'll fly right down here and
eyes, sir, that's the way she'd talk
sometimes. and somehow it made me feel
as if some one wuz er pressing q weight
on my chist and I couldn't breathe. Do
you know, sir, perhaps it's foolish, but
b'lieve she do come to that winder and
look in at her old daddy sometimes-ony-
ways, it's bit comfurting to think SO.
"How came to lose herr That's wot
I'm comm to, sir. Yer see Mamie was
born, as I may say, in the perfeshun, in
this very theayter. Why, what do you
think, sir, afore she could toddle bought
her Noah's hark, and wot hsnimal
would yer blieve she picked out fust? A
'orse, sir. All, sir-it was born in her.
laQ alters leanln artef 0acClng, Dut
yer couldn't keep Mamie away from the
'osses. Was afeard of her getting hurt?
Well, no, sir, carnt say as wuz. Yer
see the grooms and hall the boys wuz
uncommon fond Of Mamie and took heap
of care o. her.
"Well. sir, when my little gal was
about years old, Dan Maxwell wanted
to break her in to ride with him. At
first wouldn't hear tot, but Mamie wuz
80 wistful fort, and Dan wuz SIGH
great, strong feller. and knowed lied
be that keerful Of her IS if she wuz made
Of gold, so I let Mamie have her way.
There warn't to be no whip used. I
wouldn't ha' stood that, but lor'. sir,
there warn't no need o't The child took
to riding like duck to water. When !
see her name on the posters in big letters.
I couldn't 'elp feeling bit proud, and
livery night when 81 was on, I used to
ret some one to mind the door, while I
slipped round in front. Sich er pioter as
she looked In her bit o white dress all
covered with spangles! Ard how they
applauded her, sir! She got most baske'
Of oranges livery night, too"
Here the old man paused moment and
drew his hand somewhat shamefacedly
across his eyes.
"Well, one night couldn't git round
In front until jisf as they wuz doing the
finish; for that Mamie used to stand on