The penny press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1859-1860, 1859-11-08
"reminiscences Of Distinguished Actor

ELLEN TRER-Ellen Tree had great
gift of woman's winning softness. She
was an elegant graceful, delicate actress;
refined, we'll studied; playful, lively, sar-
castle, in comedy; her Rosalind, Mrs.
Oakley, Lady Teazle, Beatrice, were all
charming performances. In certain
line of tragedy, too, she displayed great
concentration ofpassion, subdued inten-
sity, q suppressed fire, that seemed to burn
her up and gnaw her heart as in the
Countess in mLove," Ginevra in the
Legend Of Florence" and others; the
woman spoke out in all these. Her Mrs.
Haller was the most naturally touching
performance of that character which l
ever witnessed. She is a noble creature,
too, in face and form, not unlike Ristori in
many of her personal traits; but in the
highest walks of tragedy as Lady Mac
leth, Lady Constance, in "King John,
and such parts, she is deficient in massive
power Of execution, defect which her
intelligence, great as it is, and her con-
scientious study of her author, are made
quate to supply. She is a charming
artistic, and high-souled woman. Would
the stage had many such! A.
LUcIus JUNIts BooTH.- first met Booth
(pere) on Simpsons benefit at the Park
theater, in 1874, previous to his (Simp-
son's) going to- England in search of nov
elites; for which purpose it was hoped
that this benefit would put him in funds
Poor Simpson, he was always at low wa
ter mark; and the fortunes of the Park
theater annually grew more desperate.
On this occasion, a sort Of ola podrida of
acting and singing was got up. l was re-
quested, and .assented, to play the second
, act of the I4ady Of Lyons" and two
scenes from Julius Caesar" with Booth,
including the great quarrel. scene, in
which he was to be Cassius, and7l Brutus.
Knowing Booths irregularity in business,
| did not 60 to the theater for rehearsal,
as it was pretty certain to be lost labor.
At night, he did not arrive till very late.
some time after the hour at which our
scene ought to have commenced; conse-
ouently, did not see him till he rushed
on the stage to me, after the flourish Of
trumpets, which announces the arrival Of
Cassius On he came, with o brusqueness
quito in character, confronted me, stopped,
gave his usual long sniff sort of drawing
in of the breath through hisnostrils, which
was habit with him-made dead halt,
glared, and said nothingl l supposed at
first, never having encountered him pro
iessionally, that it was his usual mode Of
commencing this scene, and that the long
pause was merely the herald of the COM
ing storm--a lull before the thunder crash.
! waited patiently; but not sound, not
word, Booth still glared on me mysteri
ously, with blood shot eye. AT last, when
| thought this pause threatened to
''Stretch out to thecrack of DOOM"
| began to suspect the cause of the mys-
terry and, as gently as possible, suggested
that We had waited long enough by giving
him ''the word, in an under tone:
"Most noble brother, you have done mo wrongl'
This recalled him to himself, and broke
his abstraction; he gave another of his
snifls-said, soto voce, to me, "Thank
youp'--and coolly enough proceeded
with his part
Most noble BROTHER you have done me wrongl"--
and so the scene went on.