my arms around her neck
and cried, and she kissed me; I never shall forget how good it seemed to
really be kissed again by some one who was a mother, and whom I knew,
felt sorry for me.

"I had a very rough time in the new troupe. The manager was cross and
rude, and I had to study hard to catch up with the old members; we
rehearsed stiff and steadily, and started out in September, visiting
only small places first, and not making much money, so that our pay was
often behind. In a while I was promoted from chorus singing to
character, and I had no money to buy a wardrobe, so the manager paid me
fifteen dollars that he owed me, and advanced ten--"

Here Olive gave an indignant breath, but said nothing, on second
thought; and Ernestine went on, without noticing the interruption.

"I bought some stage clothes with part of it, and used the other to
redeem my ring, that you gave me, mama, that I had been obliged to pawn
for my board; but while I was working out the ten for him, I had to pawn
it again, and one of my dresses, as I hadn't a cent. We travelled south,
and were in Virginia a few nights before going to Staunton, and when I
heard that we were to go there, I felt as though I never could! I
didn't know whether Jean was there yet, and I didn't expect she would
come to an opera if she was; but to go there, and perhaps be so near
her, when I would have been glad to have died, just for the sake of
seeing, or hearing from one of you, in some way--oh, it was so hard! The
manager grew very much provoked and impatient because I coughed so much
and was so weak, and threatened to discharge me, as I was getting
useless; so I used to nearly strangle trying not to cough, and never
dared say I was tired again. The very evening we got to Staunton, Miss
Downs, one of the leading ladies, was taken quite sick, and the manager
told me I would have to take her part next evening, in 'The Bohemian
Girl,' so I sat up nearly all night to study, and sang all next day,
until I was ready to drop. When the time came to go to the theatre, I
was so faint I could not stand up and dress; I begged them not to tell
the manager, for I knew he would discharge me right there; but Madame
T---- heard of it, and sent her maid up with a hot whiskey-toddy, and to
help me dress, and that is the way I started out for the evening.

"You know the rest. From the time that I felt my voice leaving me, and
everything began growing dark, I did not know anything, unt