West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-05-03

iOuBn- AS the pOpulace OF nome con-
slider myself a glittering success, and
Mac took me by the hand when they car
ried Caesars dead body out. and he said,
us three did ourselves proud Such
praise from Mccullough is seldom nc
corded to n supe. But ] don't consider
the populace of the imperial city Of
Rome my masterpiece.
Where | excel is in coming out be-
fore the curtain between the acts and
unlocking the carpet. Some supes 20
out and turn their backs to the audi
ence. showing patches on their pants,
and rip up the carpet with no style about
them, and the dust flies, and the boys
yell 'supe,' and the supe gets nervous
and forgets his cue and goes off tum-
bling over the carpet, and the orchestra
loader Is afraid the supe will fall on him.
But go out with quiet dignity that is
only gained by experience, and | take
hold OF the carpet the way Hamlet takes
up the skull of Yorick, and the audi
enco is paralyzed. kneel down on the
carpet to unhook 1t in n devotional sort
OF way that makes the audience bow
their heads as though they were in
church, and before they realize that i
am only supe ] have tho carpet I'M
hooked and march out the. way q 'Pisco-
pal minister does when 10 goes out be-
tween the acts at church to change his
shirt. They never guy me. cause act
well my part. But 1 kick on holding.
dogs for actresses.
Some supes think they are made II
they can hold dog, but have an am.
bition that pug dog will not fill.
held Mary Anderson's cud of gum once
while she went on the stage, and when
she came off and took her gum her fils-
gers touched mine, and had to run M
fingers in my hair to warm them. like
fellow does when he has been snow
balling. Gosh, but she would freeze ise
cream without salt. | shall be glad
when the theatrical season opens, cause
we actors get tired laying off,"
"Well, I'd like to go behind the
scenes with you some night" said the
grocery man, Offering the bad boy an
orange to get solid with him, in view of
future complimentary tickets. mo
danger. is thereT
mo danger if you keep off the grass.
But you'd "a died to SEQ my Sunday
school teacher one Saturday night last
summer. He keeps books in a store and
Is pretty soon week days, but he can tell
you more about Daniel ia the lions den
on Sunday than anybody. He knew
was solid at the theater and wanted me- TO
get him behind the scenes ono night, And
another supe wanted to go to the spar
ring match, and thought it wouldn't
be any harm to work my teacher in, SO |
got him a job that night to hold the dogs
for the Uncle Toms show. He was in
one of the wings holding the chains, and
the dogs were just anxious to go on, and
it was all my teacher could do to hold
them.
81 told him TO wind the chains around
his wrists, and he did so. and just then
Eliza began to skip across the ice, and
we sicked the bloodhounds on before
my teacher could unwind tho chains
from his wrists, and the dogs pulled him
right out on the stage on his stomach
and drawed him across. and he ierked
one dog and kicked him in the stomach.
and the dog turned on my teacher and
took mouthful Of his coattail and
shook 1t, and | guess the dog got some
| meat; anyway the teacher climbed up a
| stepladder, and the dogs freed him, and
the stepladder fell down, and we grabbed
the dogs and put come court plaster on
the teachers nose, where the fire extin-
guisher peeled it. and he said he would
go homo cause the theater was democrat
izing IN its tendencies. s'posc it was
not right, but when the teacher stood up
to hear our Sunday school lesson the
next day cause he was tired where tho
dog bit him, said 'Sick-emr in whis-
per when bis back was turned, and he
jumped clear over the Bible class and
put his hands around to his coattail as
though he thought the Uncle Toms
Cabin party were giving a matinee in
the church.