A few memories

88 A FEW MEMORIES
nicious traditions I soon learned that the train of those companies was worse than no training all Like the animals in Noah's Ark, they w composed of two and two "leads," "heavies/5 " veniles," " walking," " utility," etc., and, if the 1 atre was prosperous, a dozen or two " thinke of both sexes. The vocation of these was, parently, to listen, think, sympathize with joys and sorrows of the hero and heroine, c gesticulate wildly and indiscriminately. T] were accused by utility persons, who were a roi higher on the ladder, and who occasionally m; such remarks as " Yes, my lady," or " The chai waits, my lord," of carrying their gestures ir box, and using the same on all occasions. E; week brought a different star, with a round new plays, to these companies (long runs w almost unheard of then), and they had frequen to memorize their parts while standing in • wings during the performance, awaiting th cues — "winging a part," it was called. Raj study, a hurried rehearsal daily, the rearrangi of their costumes for the ever-changing plays, 1 them no free time to reflect upon the charact they were to enact; and for this uncomir amount of work they gained but a meagre i