It was early in the day when Mr. Wrench arrived at the fair with his two companions, but nevertheless crowds of persons were already assembled.
As they joined the body of the people the noise was almost deafening, but a noise so like that of people enjoying themselves that he must have been a flinty philosopher who could get out of temper with it.
No gathering of this sort was complete without Richardson’s celebrated show, in which a melodrama of a most touching nature was enacted in the brief space of twenty minutes, or from that to half an hour.
Richardson himself at this time was gathered to his fathers.
He was a dumpy, pock-marked man, with a red face and a long brown coat.
Reading and writing were not included in his accomplishments, but he was a kindly-disposed, persevering, honest little man, much given to dirt and the drama, who contrived by praiseworthy industry to amass a large fortune.
It was his boast that some of our most celebrated actors and actresses were, at one time or another, included in his troupe.
The late Edmund Kean in his early career acted at Richardson’s show.
The great Mrs. Pritchard, who played with David Garrick, began life as a performer at fairs.
Numbers of similar instances could be cited of other distinguished members of the theatrical profession who were wont to strut their hour upon the stage at shows and booths.