The state herald., 1892-01-08

Sws| @ as possible"
81 S6iHSN This admonition
lz2zs4Z 4Z!5zss1ssp! didn't bother me,
as l was always prompt, punctuality
being my greatest vice-yes, vice, for !
don't sec how you can form anything
a virtue that makes one squander SO
much time and patience as my desire
to be on hand does. II go to q place
of amusement / am always there be.
fore the doors are open; ii go for n
train l am certain to arrive before
the ticket window is raised. am al.
ways the first one everywhere, and am
Obliged to wait SO long that my patti
ence evaporates itself in mild -cuss-
words.
But tonight was to DO early be.
cause was not going home. Merrill
and / had arranged to give the Others
| the slip and dine in tho restaurant
around the corner, then have a walk
and chat in the dimly lighted streets
near the little one-story building where
we always gave our dramatic enter
tainments,
How valued these bits OF time we
had togetherl ] never dreamed could
love man as l loved Merrill. l was
not handsome or witty, noryet clever.
but he said was winsome and inteli.
gent, had n superb figure, and more.
over was a splendid specimen OF vigor.
GUS, wholesome womanhood. I was
only 16, shy and unsophisticated, and
it was natural that this fascinating,
experienced man OF 25 should take my
heart by storm.
| Somebody-one OF those vulgar
busybodies who knows every ones
affairs SO entirelys-told me that he
was afilanced but didn't think OF it
=, twice. How could it be possible when
| WAS his little sweetheart, when he
wrote mea letter every day full OF
| love and devotion-letters that / nj.
ways placed over my heart and kept
there until tho next came; when he
recommended me the books | should
| read, and in every way showed me
that was his and he was miner
am now n suspicious woman; even
those who love me best accuse me OF
a mild cyniclsm; but surely then not n
leaven OF misanthropy clouded my
heart or brain. was true and fixed
rs the north star. Infidelity was to
me the greatest crime in life, and every
word was spoken from heart to heart
So we walked and we talked, and |
loved him in my shy way, and he
called. mo his darling-even now |
have weakness for n pan ii he says
darling" to mc-and | was blindly,
foolishly happy.
was poor; never knew what it was
to have more than one gown at time
! had no luXurics-the barest neces-
| stiles of life suliiced me; had to walk
miles in summers heat and winters s
| blasts. | had to toll at housework.
but was young, healthy, happy with
my books, cheerful temperament;
l had him and i had perfect free
dom.
I'VE were all amateur actors in our
set. He played leading juveniles and
! any part that ran with his, be 1t
soubrettc, leading woman, ingenue or
comic old lady.
That night, we were to play David
Garrick." lie interpreted David, !
| the iovc-lorn, hysteiical Ada Ingot,
who so madly loved tho actor, but
not any more than loved my hand
some, blue-cyed David. | have read
somewhere that the most treacherous
eyes in all the world arc these clear,
| lisht-blue ones that melt into yours,
and his were OF this kind, eyes that
fascinated one with their appealing,
loving glanccs.
Well, that night our walk and tall,
came to an end too soon, ns all good
things do in this weary, satisfactory
world. We slowly made our way to
our little ThesSian shanty, so hailow-
ed TO me now from its memories OF
my first heart.break.
We scrambled into our costumes,
slapped on our make.up-a little
black on the eyebrows. thick line
under the eyes, n daub OF the hare's
foot on either cheek. little touch OF
red on our lips, and that is all we
knew OF the great art of makeup, the
actors most useful friend and aid to
characterization. With this we were
handsome in our own eyes and In
those OF our admiring friends, who
gathered in numbers to hear us
spout" and here may say. for
truth, that the prctentious dramatic
schools oil today are far less successful
as developers OF latent genins than
were these attempts Mt characteriza-
ton afforded by amateur societies.
The first act opens with Ada de-
claiming Hamlet and bewailing her
utter inability to eet out oil IL that
pathos, subtlety and poetry that Gar.
rick does, ending in n soliloquy on him
and her love for him. Enter father
you all knowit; the famous Sothern
played II as none other ever did or
ever will. II went swimmingly and
the curtain fell amid tempestuous mp.
plause. We had company call, then
ran of to change our togs for the sec.
ond act.
dressed quickly and hurried out to
meet my sweetheart. We always had
n little chat between acts, behind the
big woodland curtain that stood Mt
the back OF the stage when not in use;
from there we could sec everything 90.
ing on upon the stage, and knew when
affairs Were In shape for the curtain
to go up. We never rose to the dignity
oi n call.boy; we had none but actors
in our stock company, and each man
and womnn n star.
reached our private box, ms We
called IL, but he was not there, and
after waiting N moment impationtly,
young blood is so rcstivo, crcpt out
and begun TO look for him. No Mer-
rill. II was nearly timefor the curtain
TO rise: the boys were giving the draw.
inr-room set It's iinnl touches, md
tears came TO my eyes ms thought OF
thcprecious timoilying. when ! iancicd
lhcnrd his voice, My heart lonpcd with
ioy: hnstrued to the proporty.room,