Poor mother! the tears stood thick in her brave eyes when the landlady, on our third day in her house, remarked to her, patting me on the shoulder as she spoke: "You have a most devoted little daughter, here!"
And there was a distinct pause, before she answered, gently: "You mistake--I have a devoted little friend here, in Clara, but Blanche is my daughter!" She was a singular being, that daughter. It is seldom indeed that a girl, who is not bad, can yet be such a thorn in the side of a mother. She was a most disconcerting, baffling creature--a tricksy, elfish spirit, that delighted in malicious fun. Pleasure-loving, indolent, and indifferent alike to praise or blame, she (incredible as it seems) would willingly give up a good part to save herself the trouble of playing it. I recall a trick she once performed in my favor. I thought the _Player-Queen_ in "Hamlet" was a beautiful part, and I hungered to play it; but it belonged to Blanche, and, of course, she was cast for it; but said she: "You could have it, for all I'd care!" Then, suddenly, she added: "Say, you may play it with the next _Hamlet_ that comes along!"
I pointed out the impossibility of such an assertion coming true, but she grinned widely at me and chewed her gum as one who knew many things beyond my ken, and counselled me to "watch out and see what happened." I watched out, and this happened:
When the mimic-play was going on before the King and Court, my impish friend Blanche, as the _Player-Queen_, should have said: "Both here and hence, pursue me lasting strife, if once a widow, ever I be wife!"
Instead of which, loudly and distinctly, she proclaimed: "Both here and hence, pursue me lasting strife, _if once a wife, ever I be widowed_!"
_Hamlet_ rolled over on his face, _Queen Gertrude_ (Mrs. Bradshaw) groaned aloud, _Polonius_ (Mr. Ellsler) threatened discharge, under cover of the laughter of the audience, while guilty Blanche grinned in impish enjoyment of her work, and next "Hamlet" I was cast for the _Player-Queen_, to punish Blanche. To punish her, indeed--she was as merry as a sand-boy, standing about chewing gum and telling stories all the evening.
The "tatting" craze was sweeping over the country then, everybody wore tatting and almost everybody made it. I worked day and night at it, tatting at rehearsal and between scenes, and lady-stars often bought my work, to my great pleasure as well as profit. Blanche wanted a new shuttle, and her mother, who was under extra expense just then, told her she could have it the next week. It was shortly before Christmas, and next morning at rehearsal, with all the company present, Blanche walked up to Mr. Ellsler and asked him if he had any money.