The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-06-22


of desired silence. Instantly the most
profound silence prevailed. and he went
on with his part. His rendition of The
Stranger" was perfect up to the first
Injecting scene - but from that to the
end, his acting was cold and unnatural.
At times his gaze was fixed upon the
left center, and at such times he trem-
bled, then, starting wildly away, as If
trying to tear himself away from some
dark horrid spell, he would burst forth
In the most imprisoned strains OF woe
that ever smote the ear of man.
/ Many of those present knew that he
wandered wildly from the author; and
some attributed these flights to the right
cause, though he made no allusion to
the awful scere which I knew was con-
stantly before him.
At the conclusion of "The Stranger,
|, he was loudly called for, and at last ap-
peared before the curtains, his eyes still
4 fixed upon the gallery. Like statue,
he stood there amid the thunder Of ap-
plase, and the deafening cries Of
speech speech II and the shower of
bouquets that fell around him thick as
; hail. At last without moving his eyes
from the gallery he gave his head slow
negative movement, then turning he
: walked with faltering steps to the spot
where Nelly had expired, and, sinking
on his knees, stretched his hands heav-
onward and looking up, broke forth in a
deep piteous wall.
i ooh Nelly, thou angel of my happy
past IF thou dost see me now, and the
deep anguish in my burning heart, doth
not the dew Of holy sympathy bedim thy
glorious eyes ? If could feel one tear
from heaven fall on my aching heart.
and know that it fell from the angel eyes
of my lost love, as she stood gazing down
upon me from the shining window in
heaven, not all the jeers and mockery of
selfish earth could chill the fervid glow
of grateful happiness that would prevade
my soul.'
. Every heart was thrilled, and almost
every eye was wet with tears, Maldens
buried their faces in their handkerchiefs
and sobbed aloud, while sturdy men bow
ed down their heads to hide "these mes
sengers of sorrow from the Utmost depths
of a troubled SOUL" those silent heralds
ola weakness of which, for some reason
? or other, men are ashamed. I have
witnessed many trying scenes, my life
has been full of them, but never, before
Or since; one to compare with the pres
ent one.
10 hear an actor-a man whom the
Rev. Mr.. Smith would tell us is heart
less wrctch-in such piteous tones, bewail
the loss of his wife-a woman whom the
Rev. Smith would tell us ''lewd, vicious,
and depraved. To see the elite of a
great metropolis so deeply participate in
his sorrow-the Rev. Smith should have
seen his face, and heard his voice, as
turning suddenly to the audience, he
said:
''And do We, also, weep? I thank
you for your tears. [ knew not that
my sweet little Nelly was SO dear to 9th
ers as to myself thought that I stood
alone in my grief, but now see helittle
song bird embalmed in tears of SORROW
ing city, and my heart swells with graft
tude. But could you see the ghastly
apparation by which my gaze is met on
every hand, it would CONCEAL your blood,
freeze up your hearts, and paralyze your
senses. But enough of this. still have
work to do. Forgive whatever you may
see in me that ill-becomes the actor
pardon the wanderings of my unsettled
mind. Indulge me in few brief rhaps-
odies through WHICH to vent my surcharg-
!, ed soul of the wild unmanagable.agon
that rankles there"
After a brief pause he walked slowly
off. When the curtain went up on the
third scene of the first act of ''Michael
Erie" Elmer was discovered, crouched
. under weeping willow tree, and attired
; in the fantastic array of maniac He
wore wig of long, black ringlets in con-
) trast with his wan face assumed the hue
) of death. His deep-set eyes sparkled
) and flashed as he rolled them wildly from
side to- side; with his right hand he gath
cred his cloak about his breast, while
with his left, he held his ringlets from
his eyes and face. Still maintaining his
crouchant attitude. he advanced to the
centre, and; in low, hoarse, but per-
fectly audible voice, commenced the
speech:
It's very eold-I have magnificent
palace" etc., and finally concluded the
speech with a contortion of the features
painful to see, as he uttered the words,
and saw her die" The bitter anguish
couched in these four words-as he rem
dered them-sickened every heart, and
an involuntary shudder ran through the
entire audience.
His acting was ''fearfully perfect
throughout the play. and many who, like
himself, could not overlook the semblance
of reality, were heartily glad when the
awful scene was over. His warning to
Mary Woodward was powerfully rem
dered. His attitude, his pale face, and
the deep, measured tone of his voice, all
conspired to lend magnetic subtlety to
his acting, and render the scene op-
pressively impressive; and the young
actress who personated MARY" trem-