“My friend Polly Love was with us. Polly is a probationer also, and
sleeps in the cubicle next to mine, and after the rehearsal we went to
the gentlemen's chambers to tea. I can hear what Aunt Anna is saying:
'Goodness gracious! you didn't do that, girl?' Well, yes, I did though.
In the interest of my sex I wanted to see how two boys could live in
rooms all by themselves, and it's perfectly shocking how well they get
on without a woman. Of course I wasn't such a silly as to let wit about
that, but after I had examined their sitting-room and cross-examined its
owners on its numerous photographs (chiefly feminine) and tried how it
feels to hold their big pipes between one's teeth, I whipped off my hat
at once and began to put things straight for them, and then I made the
tea.
“By this time the gentlemen had changed into their jackets, and I sent
them flying around for cups and saucers and sugar basins. It turned out
that they had only one teaspoon in the place, and when anybody wanted
to stir her tea she said, 'Will you oblige me with _spoon_ please?'
What fun it was! We laughed until we cried--at least one of us did--and
eventually we managed to break the teapot and a slop basin and to
overturn a standing lamp. It was perfectly delightful!
“But the best sport was after tea was over, and Glory was called on
for imitations of the people we had seen at the theatre. Of course she
couldn't imitate a man when she was in a woman's frock, so being as
bright as diamonds that night and twice 'as impudent as a white stone,'
[* A Manx proverb] she actually conceived the idea of dressing up in
man's clothes. Naturally the gentlemen were enchanted, so I hope Auntie
Rachel isn't terribly shocked. Mr. Drake lent me his knickerbockers and
a velvet jacket, and Polly and I went into the bedroom, where she helped
me to find the way to put them on. With my own blouse and my own hat
(I am wearing a felt one now with a broad brim and a feather), and _of
course_ my own slippers and stockings, I made a bogh of a boy, I can
tell you. I thought Polly would have died of delight in the bedroom,
but when we came out she kept covering her face and crying, 'Glory, how
_can_ you!'
“I'm afraid I sang and talked more than was good for the soul, but it
was all Mr. Drake's doing. He declared I was such a marvellous mimic
that it was simply a waste of time and the good gifts of God to go on
hospital nursing any longer. And I do believe that if anything happened,
and the need arose, he would----
“Only fancy Glory a public person, and all the world and his wife going
down on their knees to her! But then it's fearful to think of being an
actress, isn't it?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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