The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-04-11

AA"A1 VI IL AcNI1-dIQ Was she not
open to assault? Pooh, let her put
on all the airs she might. Sir Charles
knew her history.
But this Shropshire squire might in
terfere with his plans which, he had
to confess, We're not prospecting, the
actress seeming rather to treat the
famous beau and gallant as an OBJ
Ject upon which to sharpen her Wit
and her tOngue-ncither of Which
needed sharpening in the Ieast-and
naturally that made Sir Sharles more
persistent. Could it be that, unknown
to him, Peg had formed an acuuaint-
ace with Vane? Was Nane the stumb-
Ing block? When he SAW Peg on the
night she wore the wreath look to-
wards Nane's box Sir Charles was
angry, but elated. Tie had made his
discovery, he would work ouc his
schemes. So when, u few nights after,
he saw that Vane, carelessly looking
over the audience, recognized him he
at once sought the box Of the squire
and renewed his acquaintance. His
easy ANN his brilliant CONVERSE
sh:ref riend in the country gentlemen
look upon him as a great person.
Really. Sir Charles was only a gen
tleman Of vice pleasure, as he called
it.
After some conversation Sir Charles
said: Come. let us go upon the
stage!" If it had been proposed to
Vane to go to heaven he would not
have been more astOnished. Yes, to
the greenrOOm, then, to see the actors
and the actresses. Most of them sadly
djssOlute people, but interesting" Here
was q nance for Ernest Nane ac-
tually to speak to Peg W%offington,
and, filled with the greatest trepida-
ton. he consented to accompany his
acquaintance.
They threaded their way through
rusty velvet actors and fust1an car
penters and entered the greenrOoIn.
Vanc's apprehension gave way to dis
:appointment-Peg Woffington was not
there. But he was to a
! smart, jaunty and, to do him justice,
distinguished old beau, Colley Cibber,
ESQ, poet laureate and retired actor
and dramatist. This Cibber was then
(and time has not II the only
man since Shakespeare's day who had
both written and acted we'll. lie had
! succeeded where Dryden for want of
true dramatic taste, had failed. He
ampered successfully with Shakes
peare. His version Of Richard III"
is i%mpudent and slightly larcenous,
but it is marvelously effective. And
the most admired passages in Rich
| ard" which literary humbuSs who
P1t ~ N1Ao"
as the words of the Swan of Avon,
| are Colley Cibber's. Cibber was now
in private life-a mild edition OF his
own Lord Foppington. But to Clbbef
there were no stage and no actors
like those Of his younger days.
When Nane asked him the question
, nearest his heart-What he thought
OF Mrs. Notwithstanding old beau re-
| piled with a mild approval, but de-
clared that he had seen many an
actress to whom she was not fitted
to hold a candle. Mrs. Bracegirdle,
sir--ah. there was an actress. l have
| written her to meet US here tonight.
| She is, Of course, an old woman now
and acts no more. But, sir, YOU
should have seen Mrs. Bracegirdle IN
her day. Other actors and actresses
of note, men and woImen whose names
| vet live, were therein the greenroon1.
Among them were James Quinn, the
FaIstaff of his day; Mrs. Give, and
others. Suddenly Mrs. Wellington
came in with the manuscript of her
epiIoette in her hand, reading it in a
low voice to herself as she meHorized
| It. Every play had to have an epilogue
in those days.
! She was dressed in a rich SILK
gown Of pearl white, with flowers
and sprigs embroidered: her beauti-
full white neck and arms were bare.
1t certainly was a dazzling creature.
She had Il head Of beautiful form
/ perched upon a throat massive yet
shapeIv and smooth as a column OF
ala baster, a symmetrical brow, MACK
ives full of fire and tenderness, q
delicious mouth with q hundred vary
ing expressions and that marvellous
faculty Of giving beauty alike to love
or scorn. 9. sheer or a smile. But she
had one feature more remarkable than
aT-he eyebrows. the actors feature.
They were trongly marked: they
were black as jet and in repose were
arched like a rainbow. But it was
their extraordinary f~iexibi1ity which
made other faces upon the stage look
sleepy beside Margaret Wellington :.
In stature she was considerable above