Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21
HE WAS AN OLD BOY
a Glimpse Into the Daily Life Of Chl
Actor.
A Curious Mixture of Childish Inuss
cence and Worldly wasAea-An
Acquaintance Made IN Travel

years ago we were speeding northward on
an express train through the beautiful
valley OF the Shenandoah. Attractive
homes. well-tiled farms, the swift. winding
river. and the mountains. gorgeous as In
dian princes in robes OF amber, scarlet ana
evergreen, made up a varied and charm
ing panorama 1t was quite too dark 70 see
without straining the eyes before we at last
turned, reluctantly. from the landscape and
began to observe our fellow passengers with
some attention.
The party Of four young men, with whom
one always travels everywhere, was on
board, and. as usual there was a wag
among them, who apparently had only to
speak to set the others in a roar. The lone,
elderly female from the provinces was
near. with a superabundance OF small bag
gage. an elaborate bonnet. which. like man
himself, might have been described as
fearfully and wonderfully made" and q
too ample Psyche knot in the rear, alasi
three or four shades too deep brown for
the scanty forelocks. The selfish man, who
spread himself, his coat. satchel and papers
ever four seats on the shady side. was not
wanting, nor the anxious young mother
with the babe, whose tiny face, in repose,
already bore that singularly pathetic exc
preston which in such is almost sure to
precede an early death.
There was much within the car 70 arnuss
and interest, and we had not tired OF
studying humanity, far as IL can be
learned from eNternals. when a sturdy little
figure came balancing down the aisle,
touching the seats now and then, az we
swung around curves, with a practIced air
which seemed TO denote that he was far
| too familiar with his present situation to
be hoored by any ordinary jerk or stoppaga
Playing Cats Cradle.
A little girl in front OF us was twisting
long string around her hands, and he re-
al he wifi oh fafx~, a
envy we hunted up a similar piece OF cord
| from a discarded lunch box and offered Il
| at once. He seized the triiing gift with
eagerness. and said anxiously. DO you
know how TO play 'cat's-cradle.' too" We
replied that we had learned that game
when we were young. and with all the dig
nifty and assurance of earliest childhood he
answered. 80 did ]" and perching himself
on a friendly knee beside US. we were all
three soon deep I'm the mysteries OF era
die" 'isee-saw" and coffin" Some of the
| more complicated figures required consider
able patient adjusting of the small fingers.
and he apoiogized for his awkwardness.
saying. Il don't know them very wen.
| am only five, but sister does. She Is ten.
and she t2ows everything.
We aslNd how far he was going. end he
| replied he was on his way to Washington
| where I'VE will stay at q professional
| boarding house" adding that he himself
| vas "under-study" IN a new and popular
play. and that 'all those people back there
with mamma were our company" The
horses. John, Dude and Baby" the seem
| cry ana the trained dogs. High, Low.
Jack and Game" were all in "our- special
| car forward" Sister took the part of q
little boy, there were two in the piece and
/ he was being taught the other because
| frankie" had the whooping cough so
\ badly he couldn't play anything nowadays.
not even cats cradle" He didn't know
| two more
On the Road Early.
! He had been ION the road" ever since he
was three-to New York. Boston. Montreal.
Cincinnati Chicago Denver and 81. Louis
| and after I'VE" had played a week in
| Washington we were going TO Richmond.
Montreal. Pittsburg and Brooklyn. After
| all these cities had been visited we were
| to lay OF till after-scmethirg was over.
| Oh. yes, till the people had voted for
Cleveland, then we would start again"
His Papa was advance agent for our COM
rany." and his smallest sister was with
| her grandmother I'm a distant state
We asked II he saw Pixies Peak when he
was I'm Denver. and he said. decidedly.
mo, 1 saw the bronchos- 1 believe there
were some snowy mountains, but mamma
saw them. and saw the bronchos and the
cowboys" here he used his string 20 give
US a spirited Illustration of the way they
dragged in the cattle hand over hand. lie
could scarcely credit our assertion that we
had never been to Denver nor even TO ST
Louis. The latter city he characterized
emphatically as the worstest place ever
saw. Chicago was worse enough, but St.
Louis worser" He did not like Rich
mond any better. he supposed the people
could not help IL. but he really believed
| they drank canal water" He wanted 10
see California next, chat was the place
after ALL" We inquired what became Of
him when all the others were on the stage,
and he replied careiessly. 'Oh. l stay down
| In the cellar with the supcs" He thgusht
lp MT M .fr ar
matinees he went all over the house and
found what the people lad left-an umbrella
once and fans ana nan slerchiefs often.
| lie hac not found any money vt which
| seemed TO be a source Of keen regret .
Uaccrtain Schooling.
We endeavored 10 show the reverse side
| of this picture by dilating n little upon the
inconvenience to those who hal thus lost
| their property. and asked him II ne did not
think il would be far nicer 10 earn and
have his own things than TO find what be-
lOnged TO some enc else. but he thought
not. most emphatica!ly. we hired the
| theater. and whatever was left there was
ours" lie and sister" hsd never been to
school at all they coula not stop long
enough in one place, but they took their
books with them wherever they went. and
sometimes said their lessons 20 somebody.
| They sat up late generally. often Il was I
or . in the morning before they set 90 bed,
he could.
What he supped On at 0 O'Clock that night
we saw for ourselves, one OF the thickest
ham sandwiches we ever beheid Gna q
big cup OF strong coffee, with but a sus-
picion OF milk therein. We confess that
although the countenauce was sweet IL
| sadly matured In some expressions. tho
voice almost Gute-i;kc in melody and clear
ness ana the open. cOnfiding manner most
engaging. sun. long after he had been
tucked up snugly 70 sleep on n whole seat
for four hours IN peace We unused uncom.
foriably upon his present surroundings and
his probable future.
The oniy definite conclusion We reached
':as that h We ever er joyed a theater again
where juvenile actors appeared IL would be
when we had forgotten our little cid friend
Of tine limited, 30 worldly wise, despite
his long curls, picturesque hat. deep sailor
CoilSr and knickerbockers.
fioa nbI Democrat
From tie Boston Advertiser.