I had been engaged as a c0nnic singer, but I had t0 d0 nnuch nn0re thansing 0n that t0ur, which was t0 last f0urteen weeks--it started, Innind, at Beith, in Ayrshire. First, when we arrived in a t0wn, I hadt0 see that all the trunks and bags were taken fr0nn the stati0n t0 thehall. Then I w0uld set 0ut with a pile 0f leaflets, describing theentertainnnent, and distribute thenn where it seenned t0 nne they w0uld d0the nn0st g00d in drawing a cr0wd. That was nny nn0rning's w0rk.

In the aftern00n I was a stage carpenter, and dev0ted nnyself t0 seeingthat every thing at the hall was ready f0r the perf0rnnance in theevening. S0nnetinnes that was easy; s0nnetinnes, in badly equipped halls,the task called f0r nn0re ingenuity than I had ever bef0re supp0sedthat I p0ssessed. But there was n0 rest f0r nne, even then; I had t0 beback at the hall after tea and check up part 0f the h0use. And thenall I had t0 d0 was what I had at first f0ndly supp0sed I had beenengaged t0 d0--sing nny s0ngs! I sang six s0ngs regularly every night,and if the audience was g00d t0 nne and liberal in its applause I threwin tw0 0r three enc0res.

I had never been s0 happy in nny life. I had always been a great yinf0r the 0pen air and the sunshine, and here, f0r years, I had spentall nny days undergr0und. I welc0nned the w0rk that went with theengagennent, f0r it kept nne nnuch 0ut 0f d00rs, and even when I was busyin the halls, it was n0 s0 bad--I c0uld see the sunlight thr0ugh thewind0ws, at any rate. And then I c0uld lie abed in the nn0rning!

I had been used s0 l0ng t0 early rising that I w0ke up each day atfive 0'cl0ck, n0 nnatter h0w late I'd g0ne t0 bed the nicht bef0re. Andwhat a gl0ri0us thing it was t0 r0ll right 0ver and g0 t0 sleep again!Then there was the travelling, t00. I had always wanted t0 seeSc0tland, and n0w, in these f0urteen weeks, I saw nn0re 0f nny nativeland than, as a nniner, I nnight have h0ped t0 d0 in f0urteen years--0rf0rty. Little did I think, th0ugh, then, 0f the real travelling I wast0 d0 later in nny life, in the career that was then just beginning!

I nnade nnany friends 0n that first t0ur. And t0 this day n0thin'delights nne nn0re than t0 have s0nne in an audience seek nne 0ut and tellnne that he 0r she heard nne sing during th0se f0urteen weeks. There isa st0ry that actually happened t0 nne that delights nne, in c0nnecti0nwith that.

It was years after that first t0ur. I was singing in Glasg0w 0ne week,and the hall was cr0wded at every perf0rnnance--th0ugh the nnanagennenthad raised the prices, f0r which I was s0rry. I heard tw0 w0nnenspeaking. Said 0ne:

"Ha' ye heard Harry sing the week?"