Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-12-18
Joe Jefferson. hip Van Wrinkle.

From the Missouri Republican,
II Washington Irving had written
nothing else but Rip Yam Winkle bis
Immortality would have been secure
against all the chances and changes Of
time. The characters are few, the Incl.
dents not particularly original or start.
ling, and the style Of the narrative is
simplicity itself--yet what q wonderful,
inexplicable charm fingers about it, fas-
cinating US while we read, and clinging
to our memories from childhood to youth,
from youth to agel And when a story,
intended only for the quiet perusal of the
study, and fashioned out of material 30
fanciful and 80 tender, is brought
from its native atmosphere end ex-
posed to the glare of the footlights
and the thousand disenc hsntments of
stage business, and still preserves it's
spirit and its essence, the achievement
may be considered marvellous. Yet this
is what Jefferson does with rip Van
Winkle"-and be has done more. The
plsy is better than the story, and Bouei-
cault's and JeHerson's translation of
Irving is poem more exquisite in con.
ception and in 6aish than the original.
The rip" which looks out at US from
the pages of the sketch Book" is after
all but a good-natured Dutch boor; fond
of his dram, fond of his dog and gun,
and ready either TO roam through the
Kaatskills in search Of game, or romp
with the children of the village in order
to escape the work for which be cherishes
constitutional hatred. There is a
broad humor about the drawing, amount
ing almost to burlesque, but the fiuer
tints must be added by the imagination
of the reader, and without that
imagination the effect of the tale
is seriously diminished. Now it is
these finer tints which Jefferson lays upon
bis pallet, and with which he works out
porir ait that stands forth confessedly
masterpiece in the great gallery of liv-
ing pictures which owe their origin to
the highest efforts of dramatic genius in
all ages and in every land. Few per-
sons, We imagine, ever wept over Irving's
story, but tears staining the cheeks of
gentle women and moistening the eyes
OF strong men are no uncommon sight
when the ragged, homeless, hopeless,
helpless old man staggers upon the stage
a stranger and an outcast, forgotten alike
by the wife of bis bosom and the child of
his love. Was there ever more pathos
crowded into nine little words than when
RIP" after iDquiring for one and
another of his former friends, solilo-
quizes--" When we is dead how soon we
is forgotl' We pity the person who
can watch the interview with "Moonie"
without throb of sympathetic emotion,
"the hysterica passio. The climbing sor-
row" of poor Lear" Acting it is, but
acting so consummste that il ssasss TO
be artificial, and becomes thoroughly and
absolutely natural. This is why Jsffer.
sons rendition of "Rp Van Wrinkle"
is not worn tbresdbare. He plays it
night aaer night, week after week, month
after month, year after year, and yet the
character Is as fresh and charming IS
when he first called it into being. Ma.
ture is forever young, forever lovely-we
never tire of the sunshine, the flowers or
the sea. and the secret chords of the soul
which Jefferson touches are aka to these.