Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-25
AN ,ApfdR's STORY

zone of the times when I did not walk
in.' said anr,actor of various pedestrian
experience Who was Scontributing his share
of the hard-luck stories at a recent after
the-shew syhiposiuml was when our angel
vanished, one bright Sunday morning, and
left the company stranded in a little Iowa
town of six thousand or seven thousand in
habitants. u
THE angel had started of with US from
Chicago, and-I am bound to admit that he
was gamer than the average angel for
matter Of three dismal weeks of one-night
stands, during which we had played to
capacity in the shape of teeming multitudes
that often figured up fully S4.35 on counts
of the houses.
1.-The angel had not said anything about
tagging the outfit. but we all felt that he
couldn't and wouldn't stand the gait, as it
were, much longer.
80 we were not greatly surprised when
he turned up missing on that brilliant. sun
shiny morning l speak of, when We gloom
lily piled out of the train and made for the
hotel in this little Iowa town of six thou
sand or seven thousand people.
THE show had been advertised there, but
none of us had the remotest idea that we
would perform there. We were, for all OF
our expectation of it, too much stunned by
the disappearance of the angel to care to
speculate on what was going to become OF
US, and especially as to how we were gong
to get back to New York, where most OF
us belonged and had some sort of shelter.
I'VE just sat down to breakfast in the
hotel dining room, wondering over each
mouthful how the meal was going to De palo
for by an angelfess organization Dut not
the LEGS glad and thankful to get 1t.
well, there was long, uncertain day
ahead of us, and none of us cared part1cu-
larly to be compelled to engage in sunday
thinking, which is, at best, sad sort OF work
in one-nighr stands, &c. when one of the
men suggested that the whole outfit go to
church the suggestion was received WIN
instant applause
1--WE ali logged out in the best that we
had left and sailed Off blithe enough on
the surface for folks whose hearts were
really heavy, for the nearest church
II don't know what sort OF church II
was-of what denomination, l mean-out L
do know that they treated us very kindly,
considering that we were strangers ana
certainly not prosperous-looking actor FOLK
in hard luck The usher gave us good seats
away up in front, fixed us each out with a
hymnal, and quite won us by the kinoiy
attention he bestowed upon u.s.
Now, one of the strong features OF our
show was our quartet. 1t was composed OF
two men and two women. They all had
very sweet voices, indeed and their tones
blended beautifully. In fact, there We're
often times on that trip when felt so lone
some on general principles that it used to
break me all up to listen to the mellow sing
ing of that quartet. -....-, ,
hymn the quartet members, who happened
to be standing right together, looked at
each other, and then they somewhat falntly
Joined in the singing. They were Oh.
nervous at first, for it had been a good
many years, probably, since they had sung
any hymn music, but after the first verse
they got together and began to sing.
1.-The hymn was Lead, Kindly Light
L, - a
out in the second verse of that ny mn II
was SINGULAR to notice how the voices OF
the congregation began to drop out IL
wasn't long before that quartet was singing
all alone. And I want to go on record as
saying that never, before or since, have |
heard hymn music SO perfectly moving as
our sweet-voiced but poor and storm-peaten
auartet's music on that quiet Sunday morn
ing in the little Iowa. town, with the pros
chrruping in the trees outside.
THE quartet sang on alone, with the I'M
spoken but understood consent OF the con-
gregation. The minister had instantly rec
and he gave out Rock of Ages MY Re.
deemer Liyeth,' Safe in the Arms OF Jesus,
and, finally, Nearer, My, God, to Thee, one
after the other. He might as well have
given the hymns to fhe quartet alone, Tor
the quartet alone sang them. The congre-
cation was in more OF, less OF trance, ana,
when it comes to that, guess there WASH 7
a one of US In that company or stroiiers
have done whole lot better with our lives,
odd times. If we'd only half tried.
when it was all over the minister walked
down to the rail and cordially thanked the
quartet for the music, and then he ad-
dressed us as very welcome strangers with
In the gates. After the services We're over
the two men and the two women of the
quartet were surrounded by the congrega-
ton and overwhelmed with kindly words
for their sweet music. The congregation
didn't side-step. either, when 1t was found
that we were just up-against-it theatrical
folk. ...r
ION the contrary, many of the most I'M
portant and influential members of the con-
gregation insisted that we give our show
on the, following night, angel or no angel,
and we did give it. and they turned out
and hacked the house to the doors, and then
they made us stay another night and
packed the house again.
..There was a fair division of the re-
ceipts, and-weIl, we all made New York
in the vanished cars that time.
..And, although probably none of US has
gone to church very much since then, I'd
be willing to wager 60 cents that there isn't
a one of us that isn't a lot better down be-
meath the epderms for that little accidental
stack-up we had at church in the little
Iowa town with the bees a-droning outside"