Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 205: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

tte moe SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. “Well, Miss Hendon, for your sake I’m sorry | to say there is no vacaney ; and business is too dull to allow me to add to the number.”* “Then my last hope is gone,” sighed Mildred, turning away with a sad heart. She had passed over the threshold of the little room door, when Mr. Thomas, the super-master, called her back. © “What do you say to a ticket-night?”’ he asked. ‘“‘ The manager, I am sure, will let you have one, and you can doubtless sell a good many.” “ Alas! sir, I know but few. I have madeno acquaintances.” “Well, you know best. Butas I can’t give you an engagement, I will induce the manager to allow you to send in tickets, if you like. Suppose you only sell a hundred, you will receive the price of fifty, and that may be some help to you till better times turn up. Iam sure there are few of the company but will assist you to dispose of them ; for, despite the cruel slanders hurled upon the profession from so many quar- ters, and from the pulpit especially, there are not a more kindly disposed class of persons in the world than those who tread the boards.” _“T know it, sir,’ said Mildred. ‘* Would that their traducers were so kindly disposed, so feeling, and so generous as they. I know, too, that to those in the profession the appeal of an unfortunate member is never made in vain, from the highest to the lowest. But, sir, I cannot avail myself of it, for I may as well speak the truth out. I have not, nor could I procure, the means to obtain the tickets.”’ “What! so down as that ?” said Thomas sadly. MGS Binion . The answer trembled on her lips. “Stop a bit,” he said. “Stop a bit. The curtain will fall in a few minutes, and then I’ll see if I can’t raise enough among the company to help you on.” / “Oh, sir, I do not wish it,” she said. “Don't you? Then I.do. You sit down there, and I’ll see what canbe done. T’ll put a shilling down myself, and I dare say I can getyou afew more. Why, a penny each will do it.” “T do not like taking from those who are almost as poor as myself,” said Mildred. “There is an old saying that many can help one: and if all the world would only acknowledge the truth of that, few would want. It may be painful to your feelings, Miss Hendon; but pride and poverty should not be suffered to go hand in hand. I can see no shame in accepting aid from others, for the day may come when you can extend it tothem. Ha! there goes the bell.” The curtain had rolled down, and hidden the group upon the stage from the auditoriwm, and the actors hurried to their dressing-rooms. Mr. Thomas left Mildred sitting in his apart- ment, and, with a strip of paper in one hand and a pencil in the other, proceeded on his mission. On the top of that paper was written “'Thomas, one shilling ;”’ and without a word, he held it up before « gentleman who was absorbed in a deep draught of porter, which a boy in shirt-sleeves had just brought him in a pewter pot. 207 The man glanced over the rim of the pot on to the paper, and after gulping down a draught of the liquid, remarked— “Put me down the same. directly.” No question did he ask on the worthiness of [I'll give it you the poor girl to sympathy. It was enough for him to know that a fellow-labourer in the same field as himself desired assistance to cause his heart to expand, and his fingers to roam to his pocket. No painful or embarrassing questions—no insulting remarks—no annoying advice—the actor left that to those who grudgingly give, and insultingly advise. To another and another went the ballet- master, and as he left each a coin jingled in his hand, and the point of the pencil traced the name of the donor, and the amount of his or her dona- tion on the paper. Slanderers of the votaries of the stage! if you would learn a lesson in true charity and benevo- lence, you may learn it behind the scenes of a theatre, and learn there, to your shame, how base are the lies daily uttered by the detractors of the poor actor. From the leading man to the call-boy, the actor, the scene-shifter, all opened their hearts and pockets together, and where one had not a coin in his possession, he borrowed it of his fellow labourer, that he might be as charitable as he. And this was done for one whom scarcely any of the company knew. It was enough, she was a dancer out of employment who needed aid. She had asked it at their hands, and found it in their hearts. In the course of half-an-hour Thomas returned to his room. His slip of paper was written and figured on both sides, and the few last lines were cramped in. A smile was on his face as he placed the paper in her hand, and, as Mildred gazed upon the pencil marks, her eyes filled with tears till she could not make out the names or figures. -©There, Miss Hendon,” he said, “‘ you will find one pound two and a penny. That will enable you to get a few hundred tickets printed, beside giving you a shilling or two to get along with. I can’t tell you what night the manager will let you have it, but I should say about Wednesday fortnight.” . “Sir, I know not how to express my grati- tude,” said Mildred, as a tear fell upon the paper in her hand. “Never mind about that,’ was the reply. ““Get your tickets done as soon as I let you know the night, which I will do to-morrow by note, and then, if you send me some, I'll push them out among the company, who will do their best with them, I am sure.” “T am sure they will,’’ she replied. “Yes, you may depend upon that. There is the money. It’s nearly all in halfpence, but that don’t matter, I suppose ?” “T am indeed thankful for them,” she said, as she placed the coins which he took from his coat pocket in her handkerchief; “and I sincerely GDOOKS EOL (E©)