Year: 1874

SOAaiudcb.


Every word of the play could be
heard where we were standing. as dis.
tinctiy as though we were in the pres.
ence of the speaker; and Us The ap-
plause of the house rolled out its thun-
der in admiration Of the fine periods of
our star. settled my cravat, refasten-
ed my glove, looked down at my boots
and up into the wilderness of ropes
and rafters close under the roof. and
then-slap, bang much sooner than
| expected-albcit for half an hour |
had been waiting for it-our cue went
of and we went on, one after another.


Probably our entrance was as good
one as Was necessary, yet | fancy |
stumbled at the threshold, or did
something a little awkward at any
rate l was disconnected. and forgot to
astkR9wsakSeH atthSs, tak Hss s evidently disposed to
treat me with some consideration.


There was little difficulty about
the volume of voice necessary to the
occasion. | fancied | was bowling
like a dervish, vet the leading lady,
who seemed to feel some personal re-
sponsiblity in nv department. whis-
pered word in my ear. 1t was
enough my face was on fire and my
throat as dry as leather, yet raised
my voice a half note and put on the
loud pedal.


After q half.dozen exchanges of
brief and unimportant lines, | was at
liberty TO look natural and hold my
peace till the close Of the scene. 1t
then occurred to me that was proba-
bly, the least natural Of Gods crea-
lures, and tried to remember what
people usually did with such unneces-
sary appendages So feet and hands.


l didn't rock from one leg on TO the
other in continual unrest, as most de-
butants do: / didn't, for this reason :
it was considered a heinous sin, and
had been warned against it At least a
hundred times during the previous
week, simply stood there like q
post, without one particle of express
sion in any member of my body, while
in my mind | was harping on my next
cue, and wondering when it would
make its appearance.


My guardian angel, our leading lady
of grateful memory, saw that l was
sinking into state Of petrifaction,
and bethought herself of q test that
was kill or cure in all such cases as
mine. was still unemployed, still
wishing that might appear natural {;
to be so in reality was out Of the ques.
tion.


Our leading lady seized me by the
arm with some firmness and walked
me down to one corner of the stage,
on TO the brink of the audience the
footlights flashed right under my nose
q million eyes seemed fixed upon me
in morbid curiosity; my head swan
l felt an uncommon sense OF lightness,
and should not have been much sur
prised to find myself rising into the
air and floating over the heads of the
whole house.


At this epoch in my life the gentle
lady, who had been cruel only to be
kind. called me to myself with a few
words Of encouragement, and we with.
drew into the seclusion formed by q
table and one chair, near the back Of
the stage, where at once became as
plucky as possible, and finished my
part of the scene in fine style.


Somehow managed TO make my re-
appearance in the next scene with con-
siderable composure the audience had
little terror for me then, and in order
TO make as much of the experience AZ
possible, l began to fret myself sbou,
my fellow-actors, though they we're as
kindly disposed toward me as any nov
ice conld wish.


l felt that l was doing with indiffer
ent success what they had achieved
reputation with, and the consequence
was q general tagging OF the enthu
siasm awakened by my exit with my
life at the conclusion Of the first scene
In the interval at the close Of the frs
act was the recipient of much kindly
encouragement, and likewise . littl'
advice concerning few stage impro
prieties that only an actor can hav'
knowledge Of. discovered that Their
are certain rules that must be obssrv
ed most of them traditional, proba
bly,; but the stage Is yet has not beel
sufficiently naturalized to admit o
their repeal. When one Of the ladie
dropped her glove and l was jus
STOPPING to get it for her, she imme
diately checked me, assuring me tha
must never stoop On the stage whe
1 it Was not absolutely necessary; sh


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