The Washington herald., 1916-09-30
Thursday evening. at home

Thursday evening, at home
Another long day has spun its hours
and l returned home tonight very, very
tired. Today there were seven or eight
hundred people in the little Indian vii
laze. The noise, the excitement. the call
ing out Of the directors orders above
the humble and the confusion. the re-
hearsing over and over again of some Of
the poor. stupid old people who could
not understand, the voices Of the chill
drsn. mocking and shrilI as they laughed
at the older actors attempting to put
realism into their work-all. you find,
have scratched upon your nerves after
the day is over.
Today we had quite an exciting ex-
perience. For color we had one of the
natives lead a young bullock down the
village street. One Of the children, who
had been playing with a toy pistol, acci-
dentalIy discharged it close to the bull
locks ears. The animal, terrified, jerked
his head so suddenly that he dragged the
rope out OF the hand Of the native leading
him.
A scream rose from all our lungs stimuli
taneously as the bullock made a wild
dash down the street close at the heels
Of many Of US. do not think I was ever
50 agile in my life, but somehow or other
I managed to climb like a monkey to the
top of one OF the buildings and remained
perched Up there on the roof until one
Of the actors. who had been a cowboy
in the West, lassoed the animal and tied
him safely to a tree
You have no idea how interesting
the noon hour at a studio is, espe-
ciaIIy when it is necessary to feed
several hundred hungry mouths. Each
individual is presented with a ticket
and then a long line is formed. For
our present temporary headquarters
We have erected a tent, and an hour
before lunch a truck arrives with
hundreds Of boxes from one of the
cafes.
In each box are generally two sand
wiches, Of meat, cheese or lettuce;
cake or pie and an apple. banana or
pear.
Then there is another tent where
each one is allowed a pint bottle of
milk or cup of coffee.
So as not to litter the studio, they
are asked to eat their lunches in an
adjoining ield And after the meal
Is over, 1t is the order Of the COM
pany that all papers be put back into
the box, the lid closed and as they
walk toward the studio. the box
thrown into large tin receptacle.
Perhaps it is the way of the people
everything, but today at the noon
hour. as I stood watching the crowd,
I heard no less than a hundred COM
plants against the lunches.
They do not give US good cream
for our cotfee"-"There isn't enough
butter on the bread"-"why don't
they give US two pieces Of fruit In
stead Of one?'-"T wish they'd send
US a different kind Of pie instead Of
apple"
I observed that the people who
grumbled the most seemed to be the
ones who have had the least in life
They did not notice that we. the stars
Of the company. were thankful for
our luncheons and enjoyed them
without complaining.
II makes me think Of a story my moth
er tells OF the days when she and my
father were frst married, and he was
a purser on a steamer sailing across the
Great Lakes For several months, the
crew had been complaining about the un-
interesting dinners-there was plenty OF
food and what there was Of 1t was well
cooked, but all longed for the luxuries
which the company could not afford to
provide them.
At last the captain took It upon him
self 70 serve them a Sunday dinner
There were clans on the half shell, soup,
fish, entree, roast turkey and "hxins," 4"
then pie Ia rode-three orders II they
called for Il