The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1906-06-16
THE ACTOR AND
THE SMART SET
loOpyrIshs. y Jo.spn .. Bovls..l

(CopyHsht By Joseph y. Bowiss.)
God bless you. my little lad" his
,ather, the tragedian. had said, one
night. land make good actor OF
you"
'Oh. sure!' said his faded mother,
the ex-columbine. STOPPING to pick the
steak from the little stove. Sure. it's
In the blood"
mo, wife," said papa, In booming
tones: 1T is in the brain and in the
heart" and he tapped his forehead and
placed his hand upon his chest with
grand gesture. II attribute large
measure OF my success in life to always
coming straight home to supper. Be-
ware Of the smart set who would be
amused. Society is slow poison to our
art made my rigid rule when a
stripping, and have adhered to 1t TIL
brown locks are silvered. Don't ac-'
| cept their invitations-or their f1attery.
Be the host, not the guest. l entertain,
or so endeavor, every night at eight.
| do not care to be entertained when
my party breaks up. My friends, II l
have any. can always see me-by pay
ing at the door. But to your pillow,
my young fellow"
Now, troupe of theatrical fairies,
flying over the town that very night,
came down the chimney of the humble
lodging house and left for the sleeping
child all their richest gifts. They gave
him q fine voice, keen observation,
sympathy and intuition. They gave
him the gift of laughter and the gift
of tears; and then flew on without
waking him.
He grew up, became good actor,
and soon began to draw "big money"
The Dads voice had ceased to boom,
and Nuns had danced her last dance
with Death for her harlequin.
: He owned theater himself. AS he
said, in confidence to journalistic
friend, he very soon could not keep the
money out.
He now only wanted leading lady
lin his theater and in his life also
for all to be we'll; some one to act the
adventures in the spangled frock on
the boards, when she was working;
I and to play the wife at home, when
she was resting. But before he found
a her he had received his first invitation
1 from the smart set. One Sunday night,
4 he found himself at glittering board,
: surrounded by lords and ladies. and fine
r personages Their faces glowed like
: the dull gold plate on the sideboard;
!. their eyes shone like the cut-glass; but
their conversation did not sparkle like
the effervescing wine. They were walt
ing for him to amrse them.
''Affable party of dcadheads as ever
I've met!" he said to himself, and was
somber and morose-till the saddle OF
mutton. Then he began to tell an an
ecdote to the lady by his side, and the
8 whole room fell more silent, hanging
: on his words. The voice which the
4 fairies had given him had tones OF the
Q grave double-bass and the laughing
s bassoon, and rang clear and true, like
! fine old bell. setting the Bohemian
: glasses tinkling In sympathy as he re-
4 lated how the fuddled old supe said,
? stand back and let the parson cough
3 How that anecdote went! 1t was i'm
: possible not to be pleased. The buffers
all hid their faces; one footman stood
paralyzed, with the asparagus protrud-
, ed between a countess and cabinet
l minister; another forgot the beans. a
third carried the tomatoes out into the
! pantry and frankly exploded with
them.
The other guests chirruped like
happy birds. After his trained bull
II cNv t.nl-
/. chill on the ear and the glasses ceased
! to throb. Ripping! shall die Of
} laughing! What was it? Didn't quite
catch the point, but the delicious
! mimicry!" and so forth.
, The ladies refused to go to the draw
: ing room until they had compelled him
to give the Parsons cough just once
! more. "It's privilege" said lord,
} offering his shaking hand, ito meet
i great artist thus" and the poor old
chap meant 1t.
On the following night he went from
his theater to hear little music in
, ducal mansion, and when in the
, small hours, he reached his rooms, ne
gave the supper waiting for him to the
| landlords cat.
Now at the Actors club the old
/ barbarians saw at glance that the
, man was poisoned. The poison came
out in his talk. He was full OF 1t.
Business. dear boy, business!" he
, called 1t, knowingly.
{ bad business" said the savages.
) He bought white waistcoats, ceased
) to quote Shakespeare; shook hands
r just under his chin, and would say,
Dear lady, remember I have only So
Sundays. I cannot cut myself In
piecesl" Heaven knows where he had
got Dear lady" from; but he always
used IT. now.
You must know that the fairies
meanwhile had visited the theater and
become SO displeased that they were
, taking thcir gifts away. For "gi,. |,
thing. and take thing is good fairies
playtbing."
This fellow" they cried. is simply
slouching through his part. He Is mol
| acting at ALL The only true acting hi