ic entertainment.

The curtain went up, or rather was pulled aside, on Alfred's first
minstrel show. Seated in the semi-circle were Billy Storey, bones and
stump speech; Amity Getter, interlocutor or middleman, vocalist and
guitar player; the Acklin Brothers, vocalists; Billy Woods, flute and
piccolo, guitar and vocalist; Charles Wagner, violin; Billy Hyatt, clog
and jig dancer; Tommy White, clog and jig dancer, and Alfred, singer,
dancer, comedian, stage manager, property man and superintendent of
wardrobe.

The little school-house was packed--sitting, standing and leaning room
was all taken, even the window-sills were occupied.

Lin, seated near the stage, was lost in amazement at the improvement in
the troupe. Her head nodded and foot patted in time with the tunes with
which she was familiar. When Storey and Alfred concluded their double
song and dance, (this was a new number to Lin), she led the applause and
hustled Uncle Jack back of the scenes requesting the boys repeat the
number. Alfred had profited by reading the book Harrison had presented
him.

The song and music made a very great impression on Lin. Late and early
you could hear her voice as she went about her work singing:

"I feel just as happy as a big sunflower,
that bows and bends in the breezes,
And my heart is as light as the winds that
blow the leaves from off the treeses"

There was but one mishap that marred the evening's performance. The
front curtain was run on rings, on a small, tight wire stretched across
the entire width of the school house. The curtain that formed a
background of the stage, and behind which the performers dressed, was
much too heavy for the small nails with which it was secured. Someone
pulled on the curtain and down it came. Alfred and one or two others
were changing their costumes. Alfred with surprising nimbleness jumped
into a large trunk, concealing himself so quickly that the audience
caught sight of only his feet as he plunged head first into the trunk.
The other two members were completely confused and ran into a corner
turning their backs to the audience.

[Illustration: Hatfield and Storey]

Dr. John Davidson and Othey Brashears were seated in the front row,
grabbed the curtain and held it head high until all were costumed. It
was then replaced and the show went on.

Lin, in commenting on what Alfred considered the most unfortunate
accident that ever befell his show, said: "Well, ye ju