Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-01-18

fooiman, attempting TO make love like deli
cate youth TO charming girl" On showing
see anything I might write about him, he read
IL twice through, emph asi Eng the close of each
perusal with an angry "Ugh!' He said nothing
more, and never reproduced his embodiment Of
BulweI's French gardener save once. Thenit
was done in consequence OF an express d wish
on the part Of some friends to see him in this
character.
His observation that eve are all learners was
undoubtedly the expression of thorough con-
viction upon his part. Up to the very hour OF
his death he was a close and unremitting read sr
and student, not alone in his profession, but in
everything which bore upon 1t. When speak
ing with any person upon subject he believed
him to understand more thoroughly than HIM
self. Edwin Forrest was the best and most pa
tient OF listeners, rarely interrupting, save by
question for the purpose Of acquiring more in
formation. At the same time, he had a very
effectual way In his own library of bringing any
purposeless conversation to a close. This was
by rising ard methodically pacing its whole
length-Some sixty feet On his return to bis
seat, the words OF which he wearied hal gene
rally come to a close.
He has not unfrequently been stigmatized as
cynical. This is complete error.
Occasionally he might seem morOse, and utter
an epigrammatical rebuke on a younger &C
quaintance's folly. But, who that had ever
seen the tender respect he displayed to all wo-
men who were worthy Of any respect, his re-
markable love for children, his answering
friendship, and his quietly undenOnstrative
affection for his mother and sisters, could justly
name him a cynic? 1t would seem that this idea
must have arisen from the seclusiOn in which,
when in Philadelphia, he lived-a seclusiOn
more apparent than real. He kept himself
rather from general than particular society.
When in that city, did omit spe nding my Sun
day morning with him, he never failed reproach-
ing me for doing so. Even subsequently,, when
our professional relations were ended, and was
editing daily paper there, he seemed hurt to
find was unable to visit him as frequently as
had before done.
One fact about him IL sufficiently singular
He did not possess one particle of the common
weakness of his prOfessiOn-yanity. He was
neither vain Of his person, his ability on the
stage, nor his other requirements. Proud, he
most undoubtedly was. But Forests pride
tentiOn. Unless You CALLED it, it rarely made
itself visible.
There is such a characteristic anecdote Of
him, which, in one Of bis more laxative moods
he told me himself, that, although, in com
mencing this paper, il vas my determination to
exclude everything i could not personally
verify, shall repeat it, as nearly as possible,
in his own words:
when was quite young man, and just
beginning to make my way as an actor, was
down at Mobile. had let me tell you, quite
enough to do. i was the leading man, and
sometimes had to cram with half a dozen parts
a week. However, liked work then. The way
i used to study was to take a long walk before
rehearsal, and read the part through again and
again, until I'd learned it. Well, about four
miles beyond the city-MObile wasn't then
large as it is POW, nor as cultivated and peopled
round its Outskirts-was a fine sweep of green
and nat ground, continuing for some three
quarters OF mile, and then broken up by a
thick belt of palm trees and underground. This
meadow, il would be called here, was a
favorite studying-p place Of mine. One baorning
I'd gone out there with tOlerably long part
OctOroOn in the 'MOuntaineers'-and, with NV
head bent over the bOOk-it was a printed copy
of the play-was hard at work. What made me
look, don't know; but did. Just coming out
OF the clump OF palms, saw what at first fam
eied was large dog. Its three or four first
hon fs fnyy arIS mo hnu nnx-inn \
was mistaken. II was big wildcat, puma.
or something of the sort; and. when realized
what the thing was, 1 began to shake with
something that, If not fear, was remarkably
like it, had no weapon with mel never car
ried one. Even my penknife was left on my
writing-t table, for / felt in my pockets for it.
away. What use would my legs have been
against the animals in a race for life? Every
instant the brute was coming nearer. l re-
manned mOtIonless, my eyes fixed in horrid
sort of fascination on the tiger-cat, while cal
culated what sort of chance would be mine in
the coming struggle-mine for existence, its for
a breakfast All at once, about twenty yards
from me, the thing crOuched, its eyes glaring
into mine, and its tail slowly wagging to AMI
fro in very playful and interesting manner.
what dld TINS pause meanI All at once re-
OF the fixed glance of the human eye on the in
furiated brute creation. Had mine magnetized
II? Not at all. Rising, it made two more
bounds forward, and then crOuchcd as before,
right opposite me, its tail still wagging. I
could scarcely keep my eyes from following its
motion. However, 1 fastened the brute's gas
unwavering glance. Then It turned its head
on one side and then on the other. If only
had pistol with me! had not, so / waited,
as the internal puma did-possibly, So il seemed
to me, some three or four hoars-probably some
ten minutes. AT last il rose again, slowly and
earnestly contemplated me, and then, either
appalled, by my eye, or taking me for a carved
image, as 1 had not stirred, and not reishing a
meal OF wood or stone, Ii passed SLOWLY away.
i was about making tracks i'm the opposite di-
rectiOn from it, when-it was lucky i had not
done sc-abOut forty or fifty PAGES from me,
1T sprung round anu once more crouched.
flashing backward and forward, and its head
rocking from side to side, as ii it wished to
verify its ideas touching my not being crea-
ture Of flesh and blood. How long this con-
tinued was only enabled to guess afterward
But it did come to an end. Slowly it again rose
and, allowing its tail to drop between its hind
legs, ran-yes, gentlemen, it ran away-away
In the most sneakingly, cowed manner possible.
pletely vanished in the palm and brush belt at
the far end of the meadow. The four miles
this is mentioned to demonstrate nv speed-be-
tween the spot upon which had been standing
anti Mobile, were covered in less than half an
hour"
"And how large, may 1 ask, Mr.. Forrest,
inquired one Of his auditory on this accession,
Twas the puma?'
al didn't measure it, sir''
'.Of course. But how large should you sup
pose it to have been?''
"Thirty-tive feet from its snOut to the tip
OF its tail, if reckon its inches by the scare
morOus twinkle in his eye. "NOt half all inch
less"
There rose, Of course, a genuinely Homeric
burst Of laughter at this reply.
c. G. ROSENBERG.
r>rr;Hlo se>u> iv> q Noma~orio