Year: 1861

initiative powers, Tn dellneatlng the passion, weakens, I think, the power of feeling it as other men feeli it. I liked her; she was good industrious, and rising in the profession, and I married her. There never was better wo- man lived, and she had her reward. don't suppose that there ever was woman more re- spected in any company l never had even row about her but once, and then man had been very insolent to her; she came and told me just as l came off as s Macduff in Macbeth 1 went to the manager and told him that the man must leave the place at once. The man said it was impossible he was son of the noble owner of half the town; his father was thenin the house these things must be endured. 1 said that they should not be endured, and that if he would not protect the ladies in his company Ishould take the liberty of protecting my wife.

 "And how did it end p

 Why, went to the little beast, titled as he was, and kicked him out at the stage door l did, sir, though you would not think it to look at me now"

 "And the manager 2"

 Came and thanked me- Said he was much obliged to me he had had more annoyance from the complaints of the girls about that fellow than any other cause He raised mine and my wife's salary that same week

 We went on very well for some time I began to find that was not star. Once or twice I went up to London and heard some equal them. 1 don't know more painful sensation, sir, than that attendant on the dis covery of the limits of your powers. Every man, not blinded by conceit, who IS over thirty, must have felt this. There is limit to our powers other men have more-some less, but still it is very painful to feel con- scous that the eminence that man has attain ed to whom you are listening is beyond you. Young men-very young men-feel conscious that what man has done they can do. It does not last Most men at thirty know their pace well enough to tell them that they will be in the ruck of the wheel of life.

 Well, some few years after 1 was married the conviction came to me; 1 knew l could never be star-a great actor. It was not in me. was simply respectable one. 1 could take any part, and do that so we'll that was not laughed at; but there l was stopped l could go no further. l could never raise the enthusiasm of my audience They listened and did not disapprove but when l played a leading part, the boxes did not let and the pit was not full. could not help it, you know. 1 can safely say never went on without knowing every word of my part. l was always correct and in the second and third parts did well. Stars liked me. They used to come down for benefits occasionally, and used to say, Let me have Bowling with me; he's safe man--never too torward-no clap-trap with him he's not showy, but he's safe" Now, you see praise is good thing, but when man has dreamed for ten years or so that he is to be star in the theatrical world, it is rather hard to wake up and find a star of no very great magnitude telling him he's very good background to show that stars light. An me-those days of youth how the large bud brings forth the little flower

 Still, Mir. Bowling, it was something not to have failed utterly. There must be back grounds, you know, and there must be second parts as we'll as first

 True, sir, true; and human nature soon adapts itself to circumstances. Three months after knew 1 was no genius, the ambition to be one left me- 1 had four children-three boys and one girl. That's her child-poor little thing" And he stroked the head of little Alice caressingly, while she played with the buttons on his coat.

 The boys, of course, we tried to make use ful in the profession. Christmas was family harvest; all were busy then-all making mo- ney You know that the profession is not ia vorable to health. The particu- larly to children-soon wears them out. l know often and often, I've seen my boys as imps and that kind of thing and felt the life was too fast for them. Late at night, to go from the hot theater into the cold night was a sad trial to the constitution; and children are not old men. You cannot persuade boys of twelve and fourteen that they ought to wrap their throats and not run out into the cold at night We could not and we lost two of the three boys withing a year oi each other, Lung diseases, the doctor said. It carries off a good many of these children, you see, in the Christmas pantomimes. 1 often wonder whether the house thinks of those kind of things.

 And the other children?"

 The boy left our company when he was about eighteen, and joined another as second gentleman. He was as good an actor as his father and no better. He thought he was a genius, poor boy, as his father had thought before him. He had no experience to teach him, as he thought he was illused, and left me.

 And what became of him 2"

 At first we used to hear from him now and then; there was long silence, and his moth CT worried herself dreadfully about him. One night I had been playing country gentleman in screaming farce, as the bills called it. for in small company you are king, warrior, and fool-all in one evening so my wife had gone home, and when I arrived, came to the door and let me in.

 "Don't be frightened, dear, here's Alfred come back"

 Iwent up, and there he was; but what a wreck His eyes bloodshot, his hand trem- bling, and hot, red spot on his cheek.

 "Well, father, how are you?"

 did not answer; 1 sat down and cried. He tried hard to keep from 1t, but he could not; he came and knet down in front of me, covered his face with his hand, and cried like a child. His mother, poor soul, clung round his neck and kissed him, and cried till I was 2 beside myself He told his story. He had