For minutes and minutes you may only be aware of very shiny square-toed
boots and black-trousered legs and a newspaper that hides the
of him. On most days it will be "The Times", on Wednesday it may be
"Punch", and on Saturdays "The Spectator." "That is a gentleman's
reading," he says. When the paper is lowered, as he turns a page, you
behold one of those oldish gentlemen with a rather pleasant bad temper
who really only mean to demand by it that young people shall pay them
the compliment of "getting round" them. As the time of the performance
draws near he is apt, at each lowering of the paper, to count you up as
you sit there waiting, and if there are not enough of you he looks very
disapproving indeed.
Alice watches you furtively almost all the time as she knits or
crochets. For audiences make such a difference to her, and she is
always hoping for a good one. It need not be a big one to be good
(Uncle Edward likes them big). To be a good audience is to take your
share of the performance by enjoying it in a simple jolly way--if you
can.
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