Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-12-18
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
Miss Orme, the kind hearted bal
let mistress, stood in the left front
watching her cohorts perform upon
the stage. Behind her back she held
concealed two large dolls.
"Im going to show them to the
girls now. It's so near Christmas,
/ cant watt" she said, looking up
at me.
AS she stood there issuing her
commands, inaudible sin 'front.' to
her cleaning hosts, two tiny girls
marched past, pages of the big state.
ly Amazonian general. One with
fiaxen wig was all in pale blue, and
one in pink had locks like night, and
such pretty pair as they we're!
81 have something for you, Edna
and Gertie, called Miss Orme. "Not
quite so quick, Miss Lindgren; mind
your Notwithstanding for each
of you. Wouldn't you like to know
what it is I? Maybe it's fanny pig
cut out of a potato-quicker, quick.
er, quicker one, two, three, four
further back, Miss Kemp, you are
hiding the Fairy Trlnce. Well, now,
it's for Christmas, and LII show it
to you if you'll be good. Who put
that rug out so far? Kick it back
ten inches, MIR. Vose. Want to see
it2 Well-look II
And up at arms length went the
two dolls-one faxen haired and one
such beautiful brunette, both trav-
elled Parisians and very big.
Miss Orme's face shone with pleas
ure. Over her shoulder peeped q
red Mephisto, nodding and beckon-
ing to the two girls.
The pretty pages hupgered with
all their little mother hearts for the
beautiful babies. Edna stood like
veteran. Gertie took one impulsive
step forward, then faltered back
again, and 10 the end of the scene
both little ONES maintained their
professional decorum, with faces
that somehow contrived to look
brighter than before.
Not so Ellice. Ford IS. Her look
grew more anxious and worried as
the evening went on.
II hope she won't break down.
said Miss Orme, professional instinct
reinforcing her friendly feeling as
she watched the girl critically from
the wings.
The sight Of that face, drawn in
the agony of suspense, made me
think of all the others I had known
in the stern bondage of the stage,
hiding sorrow under the guisc of
gayety. 1t taught me in a flash the
real meaning of the ballet.
g All the work Of clever men; The
spelling of lumber and canvas to
make sham palaces the women pos
turing and grimacing in the sense
less gestures that men hate, love,
hope, despair or supplication to the
dance teacher and to the audience
mean nothing at all; the kicks and
the piourettes of the soldiers and
Amazons the imps and the devils
gnashing their teeth in impotent
subsection to the angels posed on
the stairway | bad built; the cleo
misunderstanding the paper roses,
wired wings and canvas masonry
with waves of radiance, red and blue
and yellow and golden-in all this
prankiDg of the painted host that
brave little drummer boy, marching
and countermarching, advancing
and retreating, lightfooted, with her
heart of lead, taught me 10 see 8 la
Dor of pure love.
The strain of watching was too
great. | rushed out into the open
air for moment.
The fog had deepened. / never
saw anything more beautiful than
the way it turned the humdrum, fa-
miliar street into . iairyland vaster
and more wonderful than the stage,
all peopled by good gnomes running
up and down increasingly beneath
the fuzzy blobs Of light the lamps
all busy preparing the earth for the
day OF The coming Of the Christ.