Think straight--talk straight. Don't be afraid of what others will sayor think aboot ye. Examine your own heart and your own mind. If whatyou say and what you do suits your ain conscience you need ha' noconcern for the opinions of others. If you're wrong--weel, it's asweel for you to ken that. And if you're richt you'll find supportersenough to back you.

I said, whiles back, that I'd in my mind cases of artists who thochtthemselves sae great they need no think o' their public. Weel, I'll benaming no names--'twould but mak' hard feeling, you'll ken, and to nogood end. But it's sae, richt enough. And it's especially sae inBritain, I think, when some great favorite of the stage goes into thehalls to do a turn.

They're grand places to teach a sense of real value, the halls! In thetheatre so muckle counts--the play, the rest of the actors,reputation, aye, a score of things. But in a music hall it's betweenyou and the audience. And each audience must be won just as if you'dnever faced one before. And you canna be familiar wi' your audience.Friendly--oh, aye! I've been friendly wi' my audiences ever since I'vehad them. But never familiar.

And there's a vast difference between friendliness and what I meanwhen I say familiarity. When you are familiar I think you act asthough you were superior--that's what I mean by the word, at least,whether I'm richt or no. And it really is astonishing how quickly an audiencedetects that--and, of course, resents it. Your audience will have noswank frae ye--no side. Ye maun treat it wi' respect and wi'consideration.

0ften, of late, I've thocht that times were changing. Folk, too manyof them, seem to have a feeling that ye can get something for nothing.Man, it really is no so--it never will be so. We maun work, one way oranother, for all we get. It's those lads and lassies who come tae thehalls, whiles, frae the legitimate stage, that put me in mind o' that.

Be sure, if they've any real reputation upon the stage, they haveearned it. 0h, I ken fine that there'll be times when a lassie 'llmak' her way tae a sort of success if she's a pretty face, or if she'sgained a sort of fame, I'm sorry to say, frae being mixed up in somescandal or another. But--unless she works hard, unless she hastalent, she'll no keep her success. After the first amazenement aboother is worn off, she's judged by what she can do--not by what thepapers once exclaimed aboot her. Can ye no think of a hundblack cases likethat? I can, without half trying.