The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1915-11-09

am STAteIu1 many LH1u86, 8Hu
one special cause tor gratitude is 30
unusual that / have snatched half
hour In my dressing room while wait
ing for call to tell you about 1t. It is
that was not born with silver spoon
in my mouth.
Isn't that unusual? Most women
days with regret, but am glad I had
them; glad every hour OF the day.
When l see a little girl with q wistful
face pressed against confectioner's
window know just how she feels, and
khis feeling is good lor me, and / try
to make 1t good for her always have
mad enough to eat, but there were
ltimes when on the road that ate my
meals without pie and cake trimmings
Ehat might save enough out Of my
small salary to send home certain
AmOunt to my mother.
When l am given the role Of girl
who Is on the outside of the window
Of all the good things in life 1t is not
all art that makes me do 1t we'll. It Ia
experience, and It takes experience
like that to broaden the sympathies
and make ones soul grow.
One who began earning her living
when she was five, as / did, and has
kept at 1t almost constantly ever since
has necessarily been compelled to pick
up an education on the run, and owe
all l know to an unusually good mem
ory. have had little time to spend In
school. but my memory made every
every day / spent there count for more
Than just one day.
..- Ny First Speaking Part.
The first speaking part assigned me
was committed to memory that same
evening. did not go to bed until
knew every word, and when appear
ed for rehearsal next day with my
lines I'm my head" l caused amaze
ment. The manager was greatly inter-
ested when he learned how quickly
had learned them, saying l had sham.
ed them all.
Not only did l know my own lines.
but I subsequently found, without
trying, that / mcmorized the speaking
parts of other members OF the COM
pany. Once in the death scene in
"Uncle Toms Cabin" when l lay in
Uncle Toms arms, found this men
tai trick served in good stead. I was.
as l said, dying 1t was Uncle Tom g
cue to say something very touching
and sublime. II have forgotten my
lines," he said to me frantically. What
shall do?" Lifting my arms up feeb.
ly, as If for parting embrace, l drew
his face down to mine and whispered
his lines in his ear. On another occa-
sion the child who had the leading part
in play being put on in Brooklyn was
taken suddenly Ill, and there was rap.
i'd skirmishing for q child to take her
part. 1t fell to me. had just one hour
to learn the part, which was long, but
l went on and played it without re.
hearsal or bobble.
My mother taught all three of us to
read and write. and managed to &c
to school between seasons. As we grew
to better circumstances private teach
ers were employed to travel with us
and we have studied everywhere on
earth; on the trains, at hotel dinners
at railroad restaurants, eating ouI
sandwiches with our school books
propped up in front of us; between
acts on the stage, parsing and adding
and memorizing while changing our
costumes. and putting on many a make
up with q mind divided between grease
paint and the latitude and longitude
of Georgia. When it was vacation time
for my elders and the happy children
not on the stage it was school time fol
me, every vacation being spent In
classroom, and when was with Belas
co my makeup board in my dressing
room, with its blackboard and books
looked like desk In a school house.
No Room For Trash.
My memory has remained good be
cause l have never loaded it with
trashy literature. I read Hugo at the
age of eleven, was familiar with Sill
Walter Scott and had mastered Waldo
Tryne's In Tune With the Infinite
when very young girl. Occasionally
but very rarely, l read a modern nov
ell as an appetizer, and never read OF
discuss the sensational stories fount
in every days newspapers. l have al
ways refused to listen to or repeat 9
questionable story or joke, and an
grateful that my days are always toe
full for gossip. I think perhaps to this
refusal to clog my brain with the deb
ris Of indecency / owe largely the JOY
Of a memory that grows stronger ev
cry day.
have tried consistently to think