I was born at No - The MAN & Other Families

18went out from the foreign department. There were no typewriters in these days. The headof the foreign department was a wretched little German called Weiss. Although he washead of a department and a married man with several children, his salary was only fiftypounds a year, so he used to borrow money from both inside and outside the office. Heeven borrowed a pound from me. His creditors were continually dunning him at theoffice. He discovered I had a knowledge of French & German so used to give me theFrench and German letters to translate, but I never got any credit for this as he didn'tinform the powers that be of my doing so.My first experience of the theatre, apart from the Pantomime, was when David Watsontook me one night to the Theatre Royal to see Irving in "The Bells". I was tremendouslyimpressed with this gruesome piece and especially with the powerful acting of Irving.Although I have seen a good many plays and actors in my long life I have never seen onewho could compare with him.On Saturday afternoons I generally went with the four Taylor girls (chaperoned by AuntTaylor) all of whom were enthusiastic rugby "fans", to see the football matches played bythe Glasgow Academicals at Kelvinside. In these days there were no grandstands or seatsof any kind provided at football matches. One simply stood on the grass, which wasgenerally wet, but we got a good deal of excitement all the same. This and a very rarevisit to the pit or gallery of a theatre (6 d) was the only kind of diversion I ever couldafford while in Glasgow. It was at this time I had my first experience of musical Comedyin seeing "H.M.S. Pinafore" at the Gaiety Theatre. It was all the rage at this time. I havesince seen at various times and in various places most of Gilbert & Sullivan's operas andcan play most of them from beginning to end. In my opinion there is nothing like themand I never tire of hearing them.After a few months with the Taylors it was decided I should not trespass on theirhospitality any longer and Aunt Taylor was deputed to select a "safe" boarding house forme, as I was considered too young and innocent to take lodgings for myself. Theconsequence was that she chose for me a boarding house kept by a Miss Gilbert, a veryelderly and plain old maid in a street off Sauchiehall Street (Berkely St. I think). I wasvery miserable there as I had to have my meals with her alone and I used to spend myevenings alone in my rather small and gloomy bedroom.The salary I was receiving (1 pound per month) was of course quite inadequate, so mymother had to send me monthly remittances. I knew how hard up they were at home so Ipracticed the strictest economy and never spent more than fourpence on my lunch. I veryseldom indulged in any amusement besides a very rare visit to the pit or gallery of atheatre, which cost sixpence or a shilling. As far as I can remember the only plays I sawduring the two years I was in Glasgow were; "The Bells", (Irving) "H.M.S. Pinafore","Carmen" (Emily Soldene & Signor Leli), "Cloches de Corneville", "Madame Favart","La Petite Mademoiselle", "Merchant of Venice" (Ellen Terry and her husband Chas.Kelly), and the Christmas Pantomimes. That makes about ten visits to the Theatre in twoyears, or an average of less than one every two months.