Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05

a CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE-'Chr
mas day" said Isabel Irving, recently, lis
scarcely welcomed by actors with that sin
sle-hearted happiness in which the general
pubic may indulge. for it means double
work, that the public may enjoy itself and
hasty meal between matinee and night
performance, too frequently upon the re-
mains of what has been a most elaborate
hotel Christmas dinner earlier in the dav
Yet there is a sort of family feeling among
the members of company who have been
long working together, and remembrances
OF good fellowship at least are frequently
interchanged upon that day, sometimes
upon the stage after the fall of the cur
tam, ana sometimes In the dressing rooms
for the theater green room is a thing of
the past. and there is no place for special
assemblage behind the scenes as in the
olden days
Il remember a Christmas experience
somewhat different from this which illus
trates one of the rougher sides of theatrt-
cal life. 1t was in the earlier years of my
stage career. The members OF the COM
pany were all jolly people, and although the
organization was of the sort known as
barn stormers.' and never visited a city of
more than thirty thousand inhabitants, we
were a very happy lot. On Thursday, the
night before Christmas we were In a town
In New York state, and were to give two
performances next day in a town thirty
nve miles away The latter was on a branch
OF the by no means important railroad of
which the first village was a station on the
main line Our hotel trunks had been sent
TO city nearly a hundred miles further
on, which we expected to reach by Satur-
day. In consequence the various little
Christmas gifts which everyone was Sc
cretiy preparing were packed into our
satchels in anticipation of a little celebra-
tlon after the performance the next night.
a four o'clock call to catch the train at 3
did not dampen our spirits much, for the
ride was a short one, and we expected to
arrive for breakfast at 7:3O. But we awoke
10 ma binding snow storm had evil
IDENTIFY been raging for hours and the con-
ductor of the train not very encouragingly
remarked: We know when we'll start but
we don't know when we'll get there
We had many opportunities to think
over that remark before reached at 10
o'clock, the junction. twenty miles away
where We were to change cars, and our
breakfastless party anxiously inquired for
the lunch counter were told was there.
1t was there. to be sure. but closed.
We see, said the telegraph operator
ticket agent and baggage smasher OF this
woe-begone junction. my assistant gener'Iy
tends the lunch counter, but as the train
ter your town Is abandoned on account of
the storm l let him turn in for awhile
The train abandonedr That means no
Christmas performances. We had better
go on TO the next stand said our man.
ager.
Walt a minute said the conductor.
There's message coming now. Road
badly blocked Walt orders at junction"
Can't tell when we shall move. Maybe not
till midnight
Where's the hotelT was then asked.
There amt no hotel was the reply.
There amt nuthin' 'cept the station
THE conductor then interfered in our be-
half, and the lunch-counter assistant was
aAA AN. 49,.
fee for US, and serve 1t with the usual
'sinkers.'
We're all out of pie.' he said apollo
getically. an we don't never keep no sand
witches. Nobody buys EN-
Two. 3. o'clock passed with no change
IN the situation. except the shrinkage in
| the coffee and sinker' market, which, with
the satisfaction that We were housed from