Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-11-29
CHAPTER Ill

CHAPTER Ill
now RALPH SOUGHT FORTUNE
A young mans walk from Warkworth
all the way To London cannot fail to be
full of interest and adventure
There were wagoners to talk with.
friendly hawkers whom the people call
muggers, and flaws. or thinkers. who are
too often robbers and pilferers. also far
mers th cir wives and daughters. cattle
drovers, carriers, honest sailors. who
would Sc prn to rob upon the highway, on
their way to join ship, and pleasant little
country towns every eight or len miles.
where o ne could rest and talk. and drink
tankal d of cool small beer Then. as II
was early summer when there are fairs
going orr in many places the roads in
some paI is were fell of the caravans and
the show peor.e. whom Ralph found not
only CT nS us and interesting folk. but
also fri, sndly, and inclined to converse
ton wit b. a stranger who was not u rival.
who was ready to offer tankard; who
admired W ithout stint or envy the pre-
cious thing they had to show. and who
watched wi, h delight unbounded and be-
lief profour d. the curious tricks arts.
articles, ant accomplishments by which
they secured precarious livelihood
Ralph walked with them along the road
and heard the ir stories He also learned
some of the s TRANCE language In which
they talk to EN- III other when minded not
to be underst',s ID by the bystanders-
When they ca me to their destination.
- L
too. and enj Dyed the fun of the fair
There were 10 tteries also: you could put
in and draw everywhere all day long,
there were pI ICES Of sixpence and prizes
of el0 he T AIT in; sometimes he won,
but oftener b lost. which is generally the
way with spo rtsrnen and those who wait
upon the Go Giess of Chance At this
Capua. or Pc sadise OF Pleasures. which
was then. al is still. called Grantham,
Ralph had W. III nigh taken a step which
would have Z JADE his story much less in
teresting to us. L nough perhaps fuller of
incident. For 10 made acquaintance
being youth of innocent heart. and apt to
believe in the. hol iesty and virtue of every
body-with the ,mpany Of players Now
it happened. frs t. that the troop were
sadly in want of q young actor. if only 20
play up to the ma nagers daughter and.
secondly, that thi ! young lady, who was
as beautiful as the day and as vivacious
as Mrs BracegirdA (she afterward became
a most famous Lon don actress, and mar
ried an aged earl( asst eyes Of favor on
the handsome la6l. 'onged very much for
him to play Rom, o TO her Juliet. or
Othello to her DESC emona, or any other
part in which the b eauty of handsome
woman is set off by IL beauty of hand
some fellow. thing hich very few act
resses can understand they think. which
Is a great mistake tina IT is better for
them TO be the only well avored creature
on the stage Wherefors the manager
took Ralph aside privately and offered
him refreshment, either ale. r rumbo. or
Barbados water, with tobacco II he chose.
and had serious conversation with him,
providing all his victuals. and those as
abundant as the treasury woult allow,
and salary say FIVE shillings a eek, to
begin in a few months, as soon as h , had
learned TO act. aud to teach him the rudi-
ments. and the honor and glory of PLAY ing
principal parts. and his own daughter to
play up to- and a possible prospect of p
pearing ~ Drury Ian
II was tempting offer the stage-egen
the stage In barn -seemed splendid to
the lad. the voice and manner of the AN
ager were seductive, more seductive still
was the voice of his daughter When she
lifted her great eyes and met his he IL EN-
bled and could not say her nay W hen
she laid her pretty hand upon his. and
begged him to stay with them and be her
Romeo, what could be reply2 Yet he re-
membercd in time that he was OH his way
to seek his fortune. that the troupe were
obviously out at elbows. all horribly poor,
and apparently badly fed. that to fail in
love with an actress was not the begin.
ming he had contemplated and that Drlisy,
for her part. would certainly not consider
a strolling actors life as the most honora-
BILE In the world He took resolution;
he would think no more upon those limpid
eyes, he hardened his heart. he would fly
He did ay. but not before the young
actress. who was already beyond his own
age and ought to have known better. had
laid her arms around his neck and kissed
farewell. with many tears, to her first love,
who would not love her in return But
her father was not displeased. and said.
speaking more from a business point of
view than out of paternal tenderness. that
she would act the better for the little dis
appointment. and that it does them good,
when they are young. to feel something of |
No. 49, II, 4 -
put backbone into their attitudes and
real tears in their eyes Nothing on the