, 1874-12-06
EDWIN BOOTHS ENGAGEMENT.

Mr. Edwin Booth, the distinguished actoE,
begins At Mcyicker's Theatre, . week from TO-
morrow night. the first engagement b. hs
played during the present dramatic season. 1t
is also the first new engagement he has mada
since he went into bankruptcy; and it Via With
extreme difficulty that he YVES persuaded 70 re"
eume his professional career At the present tina.
Like most true artists, Booth has been :
rec1nse in private life, and has acquired tho
acute sensitiyepess Of bot-houss plant. His
financial endorsements hare preyed upon hs
mino to an extent that almost induced hun to
abandon the stage iu the very prime OF Lie ana
in the heyday OF his SUCCESS. He could not seps-
rate his bankruptcy from Disgrace, md conld uot
reconcile himself to earning money for himself
while he was bopelessly in debt to o1he5s- III.
miefortunes are realy the result OF sn o7e1-zea!-
ous devotion to the dramatic art and, he Gu
be- blamed at all, it Is only as 'e may ola1ne Ny
other enthusiast who over-estimates his capar
tY for elevating the public taste. La
Booth been selfish. g1asp1ns'
money-making man, he would never na''
known pecuuiary embarrassment. 1ness
has been no time within the past ten or d'7e9
Years that be could not earn clear hans'e'
thousand year in the pursuit. Of his proisss'o.
He is ; man Of excellent habits and s1mple mo-7
Of living; and, deduct;ng from his posslo!eeAn
ines his cost of living, he might have been poF
sessed OF largo fortune. like many ether me-.
bers OF his profession win much less taiens. n'
built his New York theatre with tho Pe
pose OF providing the mettopols -
the country with q fit dramatic tfooE@
sud he produced the legitimate u11lA
in the most artistic and historically accn.se
setting that it ever enjoyed The patfonsse ="
received was liberal, but not equal TO als ~
bilious striving after excellence. Ihe oa4tI-a
Of this theatre cost him very much more '@
be had reckoned On, aud he persistentlg tefass, ~
to resort to tawdry sham in order to saSe n4ne@s
in h.s productions. Like many other enl1s ~
men in his profession, notably Charles hes1 ~.
Macready, lie desired that Shakespeare shonl1 -
presented to the public in sfyle 1an' 49, -.
mensurate with the exalted character '. ,.:,
works. In thus Booth succeeded besono :. ~
predecessors, but it was ut great pefsonA
riice. His own engagements In No" 1otA
always remuneratlve. and The ia ee an1'u1
money he earned throughout the coonu5 :,
consc1entiously put into his theatre o N'..,1
could make no headway upon the sccnn'1'. ~,
debt, owing to the enormous cost of nis P'oat
tons, ard, after + heroic struggle Of se.s,
years. he gave 1t up. Under sucn e',s -,
stances,. bankruptcy Gun scarcely be resas'e9
humiliating. ,c..
We IRE glad that hr. Booth his oeen ..o ~.
suaded out Of his despondeucy. aud taas ea IL
will be the first city to show him that Aa'o1 II
his misfortunes he cannot count the "o's.
all,-the loss Of friends. The American 0@
cannot afford to lose Mr. Booth. Win 'oe
tirement OF Charlotte Cushman from too 49, 49,.
3lr. Booth will be the most eminent fepiesst .et
tvo of his art in this country. He has ne,:. 49,.
wandered into the by-waya OF dsanans Iro.1
ture, but has kept close IN tue u,
path Of the legitimate 1t is not 2io'~ .ts
personal presence that is valuable, D"s y
excellent Influence which be e1erts. % 'o'o ~,
Edwin Booth can attract large audiences " n.
to art, there will be an eacoafas s...e
to others TO strive after the IDEAL 4ne a' nn
always subject to vicious assaults from -.
people in the introduction OF 1neretricious p'..
needs such q model. His dnanciai enoA4 .ara
ments cut no figure in the case lnsse IN.
brought on by 1nwise ventures, ~nlco "'' aica
duced By an ambition which in ITSELF "sS .oae.,
one. But after he haa made ever! uo. D..rs
effort to Day his debts, and has suffered se n.
penalty for his anthusiAsm, he u anan'1