The Portland daily press., 1869-11-18
DAILY PRESS.
CORTLAND
Thursday Morning, November Is, 1859.
Anecdotes of Rlacready.
CORTLAND :

| liant in conversation as he is genial in his
writings and fascinating in his acting. Ma
cready was in the main, kind hearted man,
and full of consideration for all associated with
him, but subject to occasional tOrnadoS OF
passion, usually melted by the merest trifles.
An instance of this occurred in Boston, under
Burtons management. 1t was this actors
custom invariably TO be at his dressing-room
in the theatre an hour and halt before the
raising OF the curtain, so that he might have
time TO dress leisurely. Ore bitter cold night
he had Just thrown off his comfortable wrap
per and sat down, while bis indispensable at
tendant-a singular character OF the name of
Thompson-busied himself in preparing the
costumes for Macbeth in precise order and
with cat-like tread. Thompson had placed
the habillmonts in their proper places, and all
was ready for the "star" TO disrobe himself
ior the process Of personal Transformation,
when, with sudden yell, similar to that
which used to startle the public in "Werner,"
he threw himself back in his chair, his face
wearing an expression of utter despair. The
frightened va ct sought for an explanation.
Macready uttered not word, but sat still,
stony, and resigned. Thompson then looked
about him to see what he ha / forgotten, when
the irate actor shouted:
You-you-I with certain other words pc
culiar to Forest and Macready you beast,
can't you see?'
"See what?' mildly asked the other.
"Wbat? Oh, grant me patience! Con-
found your brutal stupidity, what do play
to -night?"
"Macbetb."
"Yes-well. Where is itp"
"Where is what?"
'My book of boards, you immaculate ass :"
With scream of terror, Thompson dashed
away, and the tragedian muttered continuous
anathemas durng hIs absence. He returned
with the missing article in wonderfully short
time, and while he was putting and blowing
from the eXertion, Macready tnundeTed away
at him in his jerky, stdccdtO style: ''Ah!
Thompson, Thompson! it ever man was
cursed with IN inconceivably besotted fool.
am that pitlable wretch. Great-ah-heav-
ems! For what unknown sin OF my early life
or what unrepented crime OF my ancestors,
am condemned to eI dure the purgatory of
your constant irritation. I-ah-brorght you
all this distance from your home. You know,
contound your tormenting soul, that prom
ised your family TO see that you took proper
| care OF yourself, and now,yo perverse beast
on such terrible night as this-you go out
| aoithOut yOur OUercOat!"
Macready's handwriting was curiously il
| legble, and especially when writing orders of
| admission to the theatre. One day, at New
Orleans, Mr.. Brougham obtained one of these
from HIM for tlienj. On handing it to the
gentleman the after observed that if he had
not known what it purported to be, he would
never have suspected what it was. ut looks
more like prescription than anything else" ,"
he added.
80 it does" said Mr. Brougham; "let us go
and have it made Cp."
Turning into the nearest drug store, the
paper was given to the clerk, who gave it a
careless glance and then proceeded to get a
phial ready and to pull out divers boxes. With
| another look at the order, down came a tine
| ture bottle, and the phial was half filled.
| Then there was pause. The gentlemanly
| attendant was evidently puzzled. At last he
broke down completely, rang for his principal,
| an elderly and severe-looking individual, who
presently emerged from the inner sanctum.
| The two whispered together an instant, when
| the old dispenser looked at the document, and
| with an expression of pity for the ignorance
of his subordinate, boldly filled the phial with
some apocryphal fluid, and duly corked and
| labelled it. Then handing it to the gentle
men who were waiting, he said, with bland
smile, "a cough mixture, and very good
one. Fifty cents ii you please"
A singular thing occurred at the st. Charles
Theatre, New Orleans, during Macready's
engagement. The play was "Vireinus," and
if ever the great tragedian felt himself pc
| destaled above common humanity, it was
|
this occasion he was just preparing himself al
the side scene for an imposing entrance
| when the Deltatus of the evening, Mr.
| George Farren-an excellent actor and a
| genial gentleman, but much sought after BY
| the jolly boys OF the period, and hence sub
| ject to occasional departures from the strict
| line OF temperance-stumbled up against him
in disagreeably familiar manner.
"Bi1," said he, in suspiciously husky
voice.
Sir" responded the great man, looking {
| million OF daggers.
81 want you to-understand, old boy-hi,
you're not agoin' to get-erra-many of thu
sylabes tonight"
"Why, what on earth is the matter witt
the man ?" irieidIy inquired Macready.
"Corned-my boy-that's all"
"Wbat do you mean by corned?'
"Tigh.."
"Ti bt?"
"Blue"
"Blue? Heaven! Oh, you don't mean tina
you are drunkw
.'Thats about the size of it, old fellow"
"This is dreadful-terrible How did yo'
get into such beastly state, and how sha
we go on with tine play"
"Don't ruffle your feathers about that" sal
Farren; "Pve Iust swallowed tumbler
vinegar and cayenne, and in about five mir
| uteS Ill be as sober as judge"
| Somewhat relieved by the assertion Mac
ready soflened down sufficiently TO give hir
what ass stance he could, and the play pro
ceeded without any particular notice bein
taken OF the lnebriated ce-turion, until b
came to the part where he had been discover
ed lying ON a bier-staee- dead. Macread
was busily attending to the arrangement {
the body, while the front scene was going on
but each time thai poor GeOrge-in who's
system the pungent potion he had taken wa
producing a sort Of qualmishuess-lttempte
to straignten himself out, he started bac
again.
"It's no use" he cried; "if lie down
shall be as sick as a cat"
"But, my dear fellow, you're dead-yo
must. The scene wont be long. Come, stretc
yourself out"
"M ell, then, get me pillow and I'll try,
said George in a tcne OF agony.
The pillow was brought, and in the mean
time Macready cautioned the stage carpenter
not to draw of the front scene until Dentatu
was comfortably fixed. "Now, for heaven
sake be careful" +" he said to them, land do nc
move until say all right."" The carpenter
nodded Compliance.
During this time, Macready, the pillow
his hand, was endeavoring to persuade Farre
to lie still, which was almost physical in
possibility under the circumstances. At las
in one OF his paroxysms, the anxious TRACED
an, wishing to console him, and leaning ov
him in painful but ludicrous contortion, sal
inadvertently: "a few minutes longer, an
you'll be all right"
The carpenters heard their cue and suddel
ly revealed to the astonished spectators a tai
leau never thought of by Sheridan Knowle
Macreadv rushed off the stage with a zoolog
cal howl, ana the ac.-drop descended upon
convulsed audience.-IVesternM Monthly.
The Southern States are LARGELY engaged