A Time to Dance-My America 3 (4 page)

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I asked Jed again about seeing

Hamlet.

He said many people wanted to see the play, and it is extremely difficult to get tickets. I asked him to please, please keep trying.

December 23, 1865

Jane Ellen and I went shopping for our Christmas dinner today at Washington Market. I have never seen anything like it!

Every day, farmers bring their produce from the countryside to the market. Hundreds of beef carcasses hang from hooks in the ceiling. Butcher counters are piled high with ducks, turkeys, and chickens. Women carry baskets filled with breads, pastries, and muffins.

There seems to be much more food in the land since the war has ended.

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Christmas Eve

We awoke this morning to a blanket of snow all over the city. I was delighted -- I thought we were surely going to enjoy a beautifully white Christmas.

The beauty lasted only a short while, though, for soon it began to rain. The cold rain washed away the snow, and now our street looks dirty and bleak again. I fear our first Christmas in New York will be a bit dreary.

December 25, 1865

Christmas Day

I was wrong. Our first New York Christmas will not be dreary at all. We awoke to a beautiful Christmas morning. It is like a soft,

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spring day in the middle of winter. Pa said it is our Christmas gift from the Lord.

Later

I am happier than I can say. I have been given a priceless treasure.

This evening, when it came time to open our Christmas gifts, Jed and Jane Ellen handed me a big box wrapped in green paper.

Everyone watched as I opened the box. Inside, I found a great nest of crumpled newspaper. Buried in the newspaper was a brown envelope.

I opened the envelope and pulled out a small slip of paper.

I stared at the slip of paper for a long moment before I realized what it was: a ticket to the Winter Garden Theatre for the evening

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of January 3. That is the night Edwin Booth returns to the stage in

Hamlet!

I am going to see

Hamlet!

Hooray! Hooray!

December 26, 1865

Tonight I asked Mrs. Wood if I might be excused from my duties as a dresser to see Edwin Booth perform

Hamlet

next week. I told her my brother had given me a ticket as a Christmas gift.

Mrs. Wood said my brother must be a very important person, as tickets are almost impossible to get! She said that for such a special event, she would certainly arrange for someone to cover my duties backstage.

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New Year's Day

Pa got dressed in his best clothes today. I asked if he had a job. He said, "No, I am just going calling."

Pa going calling?

January 2, 1866

There was a very unkind article in one of the papers today about Mr. Edwin Booth. The writer thought that rather than playing in

Hamlet,

he should play in

Julius Caesar

-- as the person who murders Caesar!

This is mean and unkind. Mr. Booth never supported the South and even retired from acting when the President was assassinated. I hope he is not booed when he appears onstage tomorrow night.

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Tonight I will finally wear my lacy yellow dress. I had been saving it for a special occasion. Jane Ellen and I spent much of the day working on it. I have grown so much taller in the past nine months that we had to let out what we had taken up last spring!

Later

Jed and I are at the Winter Garden Theatre. Hundreds of people are crowding to get inside. Women are wearing gold powdered wigs and jewels. Men are in their finest coats and hats. This is clearly a great occasion. We must hurry now to get to our seats.

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I am finally settled in my seat. But I must put away my writing now, as the play is about to begin.

Later

It is near midnight. I am home. I have had an astonishing experience. I will try to write about it tomorrow.

January 4, 1866

I will now try to describe what happened last night.

I saw Mr. Edwin Booth perform

Hamlet

at the Winter Garden Theatre. He was not booed. In fact, people cheered and cheered when he

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appeared onstage. They waved handkerchiefs and threw bouquets of flowers.

Mr. Booth took a deep, deep bow. When he stood up, there were tears in his eyes. Then he went on to perform the play.

There was an entire castle onstage. There was a ghost, and soldiers, and much fighting with swords. And in the center of it all was Mr. Edwin Booth.

Mr. Booth did not shout or wave his arms as many of the players did. And even though he sometimes spoke the poetry of Shakespeare very softly, I understood every word.

I was so sad when he was killed that I cried and cried. But when he came out for his curtain call, I wept for joy that he was not really dead.

I wish life could be like that.

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I have been reading

Hamlet

in Jed's Shakespeare book. As I read it, I see and hear Mr. Edwin Booth, over and over.

January 8, 1866

I am weeping again. I just read the words spoken over Hamlet when he dies.

"Goodnight Sweet Prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." Isn't that beautiful?

January 9, 1866

This morning, I talked with Jed about why Mr. Edwin Booth is such a great actor. I reminded him that when President Lincoln gave his speech at Gettysburg, a magazine said he had spoken "from the heart to the heart."

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That is what I believe Mr. Edwin Booth does onstage. When he performed

Hamlet,

I felt I always knew exactly what he was thinking and feeling. He spoke directly from his heart to mine.

January 10, 1866

I think I am in love with Mr. Edwin Booth. I cannot stop thinking about how he looked in his black costume, and how he walked, and how he spoke. He is surely the greatest actor who has ever lived.

January 13, 1866

There was an engraving of Edwin Booth on the cover of

Harper's Weekly

newspaper today.

He has dark, wavy hair, sad eyes, and a

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strong nose. He looks very thoughtful. I wonder, I wonder what he is thinking about.

January 15, 1866

I have noticed that Mrs. Edmonds is staying longer and longer after Charles's lessons. Today she and Pa sat together in the parlor for almost an hour.

After she left, Pa went to his room and played his violin until Jane Ellen called him to supper. His music was joyful and spirited.

Could Pa's feelings about Mrs. Charles Edmonds be like mine for Mr. Edwin Booth?

January 18, 1866

I spoke to Jane Ellen about Pa and Mrs. Edmonds. She thinks it is good for Pa to have

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a lady friend. She said he must be very lonely. I told her he shouldn't be lonely, that our house is filled with people. She said there were many ways to be lonely.

January 20, 1866

I have been thinking about Pa's loneliness. Perhaps Jane Ellen is right. I myself have sometimes felt very lonely, even in our crowded little home.

I am sure Edwin Booth has felt terrible loneliness in his life. I can tell from the sadness in his eyes.

January 23, 1866

I have done a bold thing. I have written a letter to Mr. Edwin Booth. Here is what I said:

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Dear Mr. Booth,

I had the wonderful pleasure of seeing you perform

Hamlet

at the Winter Garden Theatre on January 3. I feel your performance changed my life.

I am concerned that you might be feeling lonely and sad. I heard that you had retired from acting because of your brother John. I am very glad you changed your mind. I believe President Lincoln would be glad, too.

If you would like to correspond with someone who understands your loneliness, I would very much like to hear from you.

Yours most sincerely,

Virginia Dickens

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It has been nearly a week since I wrote to Mr. Booth. I still have not received a reply. But I know he is very busy.

January 30, 1866

Last night Pa played at a very fancy charity ball for the Nursery and Children's Hospital. Mrs. Edmonds had helped to organize the event. The conductor of the orchestra was an acquaintance of hers, and last week she arranged for Pa to play his violin for him.

The conductor said Pa is very talented and hired him on the spot. He even said he might have more jobs for Pa in the future.

Mrs. Edmonds and Charles went to hear Pa play at the ball. Afterward, they all went out for ice cream! I will admit I was a bit jealous

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when Pa told me this. But when I thought about Pa's loneliness, I calmed down.

I wonder: Are Mrs. Edmonds and Charles lonely, too?

February 5, 1866

Another play opened in the theatre today. It is called A

New Way to Pay Old Debts.

There are only five actresses, so I will not have to work nearly as hard getting everyone dressed.

February 6, 1866

Today when Mrs. Edmonds was here with Charles for his lesson, she spoke very sweetly to me. She said, "Your father always says such nice things about you, Ginny. I hope we can get to know each other better."

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I wonder when Pa says these nice things. Does he call on Mrs. Edmonds a lot?

February 7, 1866

Pa is growing a beard! At first I thought he had just forgotten to shave for a few days. But when I asked him about it, he said he had been the only man in the charity ball orchestra who did not have whiskers. He thinks the beard might bring him luck.

I think he will look very handsome. But I will miss seeing the dimple in his chin.

February 11, 1866

Nearly three weeks, and still no answer from Mr. Booth. He must get many letters from people who admire his talent. I imagine it takes him quite a while to answer them all.

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Today is President Lincoln's birthday. He would have been fifty-six years old today.

I once read that President Lincoln grew his beard because a little girl told him he would look more handsome if he had a beard.

I wonder if Mrs. Charles Edmonds has anything to do with Pa's whiskers.

February 16, 1866

Wonderful news! Today Pa was offered a regular job with the orchestra that played at the charity ball! Perhaps his beard has indeed brought him luck.

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An amazing thing has happened. I am so excited I can barely write. It is the most wonderful thing that has happened to me in all my life.

Tonight I am to have a part onstage! I shall perform the role of Waiting Woman in the play A

New Way to Pay Old Debts.

Here is how this came about:

When I arrived at the theatre tonight, I learned that the actress who normally plays Waiting Woman had come down with a terrible case of laryngitis. She cannot speak above a whisper.

The Waiting Woman actress is very close to my height and size. When I heard about the situation, I spoke right up. I told Mrs. Wood that the Waiting Woman costume fit me perfectly and that I was sure I could perform

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the role! The play closes in less than a week, and Mrs. Wood does not want to hire another actress for only a few performances. So she agreed!

I shall have only three lines, but Mrs. Wood says they are very important to the play and I must speak them loudly and clearly.

Here is what I am to say:

"Foh, what a smell is here!"

Then: "I begin to feel faint!"

And finally: "Sweet madam, keep your glove to your nose!"

Later

I am dressed in my Waiting Woman costume. I was very confident when I spoke to Mrs. Wood, but now I feel my confidence is leaving me. I wish Mr. Booth were here to give me advice!

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In less than an hour, I will be onstage. I keep saying my three lines over and over and over. Mr. Ponisi has told me not to worry, that he will be there to call out my lines if I forget. That would be so embarrassing! I pray, I pray that I do not forget my lines.