Woonsocket High School - Quiver Yearbook (Woonsocket, RI)

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24 THE QUIVER After making arrangements for an omnibus to take us to the Globe Theatre, we retired for an hour or two in order to become rested from the effects of the morning’s trip, for the play did not begin until three o’clock. About half an hour before the arrival of the omnibus, we attired ourselves in our new plum-colored suits, w hich had just arrived from Paris, for we did not wish to be outdone by any one at the playhouse. When the man arrived, we entered his conveyance and were rapidly driven through the narrow, crooked streets, wondering all the time that he did not kill us or some innocent, unoffending pedestrian as he bowled along. As soon as we arrived at our destination, we descended, and he collected the exorbitant fare of three-pence apiece. After looking with some repugnance at the rather ugly exterior of the octagonal shaped building, we paid an admittance fee of two-pence and entered. Once i.iside, we stopped, gazed around the building, and noticed, first of all, that the buildnig had no roof over the central part, or pit, as it was called. There were three tiers of galleries, which extended entirely around the end of the building towards us. Then, at the farther end of the building and extending into the central part of it, was a good-sized stage, with railings around it and a balcony and trap-door at the other end of it. We were told by voluble by-standers that, by paying a few extra pence, we might obtain seats in the galleries. or, better yet, by paying as much as a shilling, we might sit on the stage. This latter course appealed to us, as we were desirous of showing our new plum-colored suits; and as we were persons of affluence, we paid our shillings and were duly ensconced on the platform in all our glory. In a few moments, the afore-mentioned trap-door opened, and a person ascended and placed upon the bare stage a placard bearing the inscription, “This is a Blasted Heath.” This done, he rapidly gave place to three boys so well made up as witches that it would have been impossible to detect the fact that they were boys if one had not been so informed by a garrulous gallant who sat beside us. The actors did very well considering that they were handicapped by the total absence of scenery and the lack of stage properties, and acted their parts with gusto, seeming really to live their parts. We noticed that the actors and “actresses” were dressed very richly. Upon inquiry, we learned from the informative gallant that their clothes had been given to them by their noble patrons. (It seems that each company of actors has its own patron in some noble lord, who has them perform for him and rewards them with his cast-off garments.) We observed, as the play went on, that the only change in scenery, if it may be called such, was the change in the placards, which told us

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THE QUIVER 23 who was coming ashore for some provisions. He saw a form floating in the water and upon examination, found him to be my husband. Everyone drew the conclusion that he must have been sitting on the i ailing and fallen overboard. You know it was an odd thing that, although he had practically lived on the water all his life, he had rc-vcr learned to swim. He was buried in a little cemetery behind the church where we were married, and your mother and I used to go every day to oflfer a prayer for him.” Grandmother’s story was ended, but I saw something new in her smile that I had never noticed before. It was a smile, not only wistful, but very brave. LOUISE ULLMAN, ’24. A DAY IN “YE MERRIE OLDE ENGLENDE” We were awakened at early dawn by mine host of the Red Lionne Inn, a coach-house on the road from Cambridge to London, in order that we might partake of a hearty breakfast, served smoking hot. before we continued our tiresome journey by stage-coach to London. However, we could not do full justice to this excellent meal, for the “Tally-ho” of the guards sounded in the courtyard before we finished. There was much scurrying around and altercation with the other passengers, but finally we obtained seats in the interior of the coach, where we were packed between an old lady who was afraid of highwaymen and an old gentleman whose only comments were upon the class of people with whom one was forced to travel. W e endured this atmosphere until we reached London, where we made haste to descend at the sign of the Crowne. As we had reached this hostelry at dinner time, we indulged ourselves to the extent of eating a savory dinner and then, while we tossed off a mug or two of ale. for such was the custom of the times, we read the poorly printed billet, which had been handed to us upon our arrival. Since entertainment was needed to free ourselves from the disagreeable feeling which had been contracted during the morning’s ride, we decided to attend a new play, “Macbeth,” by a fairly well-known playwright. William Shakespeare. We learned that it was being played at the Globe Theatre under the capable direction of that gentleman himself.

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THE QUIVER 25 the location of the story at that particular point. One thing that impressed us as the plot progressed was that the actors were feeling their p rts more and more; and finally, when Macbeth and Macduff Uiet in the last scene, they fought so fiercely that several people screamed and one woman fainted and was carried out. As soon as it was finished, we went out in company with those gallants and their ladies who had been on the stage with us, for we of the higher class took precedence over the common herd. As we proceeded homeward in our hansom, which we had hailed upon leaving the theatre, we remarked on how quiet and attentive the audience h l been and predicted a great future for an author who could produce such a play as that which we had just witnessed. We also told each other how fortunate it was for the players that they were so obsequious as not to intrude upon us gallants and thereby cause any disturbance. We may also be pardoned if we boasted a little, of what v.e should have done if there had been trouble. When we were gathered in the great room of the tavern in the evening, we recounted our adventures to our friends and, with them, recalled former experiences in the theatre in which the actors were not as talented or as peaceably inclined as those in the day s play. We called to mind the time when the actors were so poor that the audience, from the pit, pelted them with vegetables, eggs, and other missiles, which, to say the least, were in an advanced stage of decomposition, and then ended by tossing the unfortunate actors in a bi nket. We also recalled, with keen enjoyment, the time when we gallants were on the stage as usual and the manager repeatedly erossed in front of us and committed several other such offenses. When we attempted to chastise him for his impudence, the company rushed to his aid and clashed fiercely with us. Between them and ourselves, the place was nearly wrecked, when the watch, summoned by some meddlesome person, appeared. They.put an end to the fray bv arresting the actors and clearing the theatre. The. players were committed to the work-house for a period of three months because they had had the audacity to interfere with us. KENNETH FEGAN, ’25.