The daily critic., 1890-06-20
A BABY ACTRESS.
The way Miss Victoria vokss Made
Her Debut.

'.NN.-' '.aN NNI'AANarA AaAA AA.'"AN'NA
hat am the oldest of the Vokes sis
ters This is erroneous. Jessie was
several years my senior, and I am
wear or two older than Rosina. who Is
The baby of the family. Now. 20 con
tinue this true and only confession
have ever made My father was. many
years ago. naval and military uniform
maker on Regent street, London
] say maker, and not tailor. be.
cause his business was principally in
the manufacture of the gold and silver
lace which adorns English uniformse
One Of his intimate friends was Mr..
Cresswick the manager Of the Surrey
Theatre and NV father received large
order from him 20 make the gold lace
adOnments for gorgeous band of for.
eign maiorgcuerals, wanted In a spec.
tacUl8r meloGranm.
10 was this friendship of my father
with Cresswick that led 10 his infant
family becoming the band Of strolling
players known 10 crowned heads and
the popUlace rs the Nokes family.
We were an taken by father to see
The uniforms Of the major. generals.
Cresswick gave ms n box. I was baby
in arms, but / went with the rest and
on that very evening made my deJut.
In the piece was a baby Just about
the time that the baby should have
been brought on 10 be kissed bv its
poor, persecuted mother it was taken
with cramps and the management was
IN a guandary
At that point lifted my voice and
Cruwed at Fred. who was trying 10
cfnrH mn 1,fa hrnI .4F AZ.
box, and Cresswick saw his salvation.
He rushed around to us. LEND me
yOur baby, NOkes he cried. ''But.
my dear sir" exclaimed my aston.
ished father "Oh, that's an right.
Mrs. Nokes can stand in the wings.
Now give me the baby and save the
scene. | was deposited In Cress wick's
aims and my mother followed. Fred
clinging to her skirts and my father
bringing mp the rear Rosina, Of course.
was not born.
] was placed in the arms of the "af.
flicted Countess aud slowly carried 10
the footlights, where ! was kissed and
went over and all the other things
which stage heroines do. All through
II ] crowed heartily as my baby lungs
knew how A big round Of applause
greet my efforts $50 / have been told)
and when ! was snatched from the en-
brace Of the afflicted Countess" by
one of the tiercest looking Of the major
generals the action was received with a
storm Of Kisses from the pit and gal.
lory. ] was restored to the lap of my
legitimate mother and my debut on the
stage was over.
For the next five or six years we
children had the run Of the Surrey
Theatre, and my fathers business with
theatrical people increased until, by dc.
gtCCs. the flavor Of the STAGE permeatcd
the whole family First one of us.
then another, aud sometimes an fout of
us Fred, Jessie, Rosina and mysc f.
would be given small parts iu uauto
mimcs-thc very happicst occurrences
of our little lives MetOok tO the foot.
lights as though We had been born
there, and one day We We're described
IN AL The papers as "thu clever little
Nokes family" That sealed our fate.
Fathers business was not as prosper.
Gus as It had been, large salaries were
offered for us and we became pro.
fessioBals.
We always travelled IN charge Of an
aunt dear soul, who was our in
stTuctor and second mother. Now, |
suppose we have part to learn. The |
lines would be dictated 10 us and the 1
faults Of spelling noted and corrected. |
Then We would parse the lines, next
learn them by heart and then write |
them out from memory. Ia this way |
we became letter perfect in the role aud |
with each part increased our knowledge |
Of writing, grammar aud spelling.
Then the plays In which we took part /
often suggested questions OF history |
geography and most OF the other things |
that come 10 the school child's educa-
tion, and all these things we seemed 10 |
acquire as a privilege, not as a task. As 4
for the various ealistheniC, terpcshOrean |
OF aerobalie accomplishments, we began |
with the dumb bells, continued with |
the Indian clubs and progressed TO the |
uapeze.
In fact We went through daily exactly |
the same kind Of healthful exercise |
which Is now so fashionable with what /
you call In this country the athletic |
girl OF course, as We were of the /
stage stacy, We took instruction In bal |
lei dancing, and liked il Just as much /
as We liked everything else connected /
with our theatrical life. Fred's trick /
of sending his legs over our heads was |
really the result of an accident
Rosina was in his way one night on /
the stage while he was doing a gTotesdue
hOTnpipe, and Fred sent his legs iyfng |
over his tiny sisters head The act
was Immediately applauded Fred al /
ways was sharp al catching on 20 z
point, and for the rest Of the week he /
pTacticed with US until his legs Topped |
over us like the sails Of a centreboard /
cutter, and when FaWdon was adopted /
as one Of as he soon learned the same
trick
h Ksntuoky Colonies MAY go 10 Church.
FI0m ne KsdIlHg Messenger.
The Louisville Courier Journal refers
10 The new Kentucky law forbidding
the appearance Of any drunken men al
church with a bottle Of whisky" This /
is not such an unWaTTantable infringe /
ment upon the liberties Of the people. |
Il doesn't debar drunken men without /
bottles of whisky. nor men with i