Part 20 (2/2)
As a result of his half-proain presented herself at the theater, and was engaged for the tere in the marches and dances of a play called ”The Seven Sisters,” for which she was to receive the large suht She, as later to be known as one of the great emotional actresses of her day, whose name was to be on every lip where the finest in draun to mount the ladder toward fame and fortune
Very curiously and cautiously she picked her way around the stage at first, looking at the scenes, so fine on one side, so bare and cheap on the other; at the tarletan ”glass s,” at the green calico sea lying flat and waveless on the floor At last she asked Blanche:
”Is everything only make-believe in a theater?”
And Blanche, with the indifference of her lackadaisical nature answered, ”Yes, everything's make-believe, except salary day”
Then came the novice's first rehearsal, which included a Zouave drill to learn, as well as a couple of dances She went through her part with keen relish and learned the drill so quickly that on the second day she sat watching the others, while they struggled to learn the rily deentleman sent me out of the ranks, sir,” she answered, ”because he said I knew the manual and the drill”
The star refused to believe this and, catching up a rifle, he cried: ”Here, take hold, and let's see howalone, burning with blushes, blinded with tears of h her paces, but she really did know the drill, and it was no small reward for her misery when her persecutor took the rifle from her and exclaimed:
”Well, saucer-eyes, you do know it! I' out his hand to her, he added, ”You ought to stay in this business--you've got your head with you!”
Stay in it! The question ould the e appearance had coone!
In those days of rehearsals, costuirl's dress is most important, as there is so little of it, that itperson was now a member were supposed to be fairies in one dance For the second act they wore dancing-skirts, and for the Zouave drill, they wore the regular Fire Zouave uniform
At last, the first perforht, and so croas the tiny dressing-rooirls had to stand on the one chair while they put their skirts on The confusion was great, and the new-comer dressed as quickly as possible, escaped down-stairs, and showed herself to Blanche and her ht
To her surprise, after a hter, their eyes staring into her face In telling of that night later, she said; ”I knew you had to put on powder, because the gas hastly, but it had not occurred tothe sael weep! I had not even sense enough to freeto them My face was chalk white, and lon on ht red spots
”Mrs Bradshaw said: 'With your round blue eyes and your round white and red face, you look like a cheap china doll Come here, my dear!'
”She dusted off a few thicknesses of the powder, removed the hard red spots, and while she worked she reo to your glass and see where the color shows itself Of course, when you are o by a different rule, but when you are just trying to look pretty, be guided by Nature' As she talked, I felt the soft touch of a hare's foot oncheeks and she continued her work until my face was as it should be toand the ending of my theatrical instruction What I learned later was learned by observation, study, and direct inquiry--but never by instruction, either free or paid for”
And now the e entry had arrived ”One act of the play represented the back of a stage during a performance The scenes were turned around with their unpainted sides to the audience The scene-shi+fters and gas- up Theorders wildly, and then a dancer was late She was called frantically, and finally, when she appeared on the run, the ht her by the shoulders, rushed her across the stage, and fairly pitched her onto the ireat airl in the ballet had been picked out to do this bit of work, and she had been rehearsed day after day with the greatest care for the sether ready for their first entrance and dance, which followed a few irl had a queer look on her face as she stood in her place; her cue ca footsteps of the stage-er; 'That's you,' he shouted; 'Go on! Go on! Run! Run!' Run? She see on?' cried the frantic prompter
”She dropped her arms limply at her sides and whispered; 'I--I--c-a-n't'
”He turned, and as he ran his iirl shrank back from it He reached o on there?' he cried I nodded
”'Then for God's sake go--go!'
”I gave a bound and a rush that carried ht e, and danced andwith the rest, and all unconsciously took h shadow and through sunshi+ne--to follow by steep and stony places, over threatening bogs, through green and pleasant meadows--to follow steadily and faithfully for many and many a year to come”
To the surprise of every one, when salary day cao to claim her week's pay Even on the second she was the last one to appear at the box-officeMr Ellsler himself was there, and he opened the door and asked her to coned her nahed, and said, ”Don't you know your own name?”
The fact was, on the first day of rehearsal, when the stage-er had taken down all na at the scenery and did not hear hiirl, what is your name?”