The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-28

Of the ''Skylark" especially fingers IN the memory
as wonderfully beautiful and touching. Sometimes,
II the tragedian was In the mood, he would
driis on into Rotations, one especially,
called 'The Idiot Boy" that would melt the
1rmest heart into tears. Occasionally playful
mood would come upon him. and he would
tell negro story and Illustrate 1t with a snatch OF
melody, perfect In its initiation and rolcking fun.
EDMUND KEAN.
Not deeply read Forrest was q widely stu
dious man In all concerning his own profession.
member on one occasion his reciting the Otheo
speech in the third act OF the play after the
manner OF Kean. whom he Lad supported as
IagO. Kean was his ideal in acting. He never
spoke Of MIN but with extravagant admiration.
In fact, FORESTS praise or blame was always
clothed IN exuoerant adjectives Kean
he believed to be the greatest actor
that ever lived When he played IagO
to him his own presence sunk out OF sight,
and he felt ne was but the re1ex OF Othelo.
There ID snatch OF q story which wish could
remember OF visit Forrest paid to Kean one
morning at his hotel In Albany when the Eng
lsh tragedian was in melting, perhaps maud
lin mood. and entertained his visitor by sing
ing:-
You IN ay break you ny shatter the vase You will:
But the scent OF the roses will hang round 1t STILL
HIS limitations OF Kean and Others whom he
liked were only equalled By his exaggerations OF
the elder Booth and Macready and those whom
ne disiked. On these points he was morbid. His
life was tinged with three or four hatreds which
never took shape IN his speech without the most
extravagant denunciaton. The jury system. mar
rage, Charles O'Con0r and Macready were the
subjects which reused HIM. An unfortunate mar
riage had ruined his lie. jury had defeated him
In his suit Charles OConor had conducted the case
against him. Macready had been his rival, and not
always, perhaps, courteous rival, in England.
These were points OF irritation and they were sub
jects which those who knew his weakness and re.
spected his character always took pains to avoid.
Proud Of his genius and conscious OF his
power, he was irritable to the last
degree. slight paragraph showing lack of appre-
citation or dislike wounded him. Then came bursts
OF angry passion and libel SUITS In this often
fancy that Forrest resemDed Walter Savage l. an
DOR as he is described by his oographer. or
Dickens character OF Boythorn, IN "BIeak
House." which is known to be based on Landor.
1t as often question whether Forests bolster
GUS talk upon these subjects was affected or had
become habit with him. He was too frank
man TO be insincere on any question, and, there
fore, suppose that these expressions were the
convictions Of q man who either strongly loved or
hated.
FORREST AMONG HIS PICTURES
But as The figure OF Forrest comes out Of
these shadows it IS always IN gentle aspect.
cannot recall an occasion when he was angry or
even impatient. I see him slowly trampng
through mis- picture gallery with heavy foot point
ing out one after another of his paintings. His
taste In art was not taste but prejudice. He
had likes and dislikes. which he asserted IN the
most curious way 81 would not take $4,000 for
that picture,u he would say, pointing to pretty
little thing by the German painter Meyer OF girl
padding in the brook with her fair feet II sit by
it for hours and hours, and feel the cold rush OF
the water IN my blood and on my BRAIN" There
was copy OF a Spanish picture OF an Andalusian
boy playing on guitar, which he always insis ted
was original MurillO. There was a Napoleon
at Moscow" the Emperor standing at window,
drawing back the curtain, while he sees through
the frosty pane the beginning OF the fire, and
indicates by the darkenng scOwl upon his brow
that the flames or Moscow presage the downfall
OF MS house. He would stand before this picture
and dase upon IN high emphatic speech as one OF
the finest conceptions OF modern art. There was
another collection OF three MISUNDERSTANDING"
'Noon" and '.Night''-wel known to art con-
noisseurs, pleasant enough, but nothing striking,
which he was always proud 10 show TO his visitors
There was the painting OF his dog that accompanied
HIM his travels through the West when he as
young stroling actor "HowI loved that d0gl"
he would say, with strange tenderness OF voice.
"That dog was the pest friend ever had. He had
brains enough to be President OF the United States
When he dead mad him painted. | have
always loved dogs account OF that one." In
fact, az Forests opinions were this character.
ACTOR AND CRITIC
His criticisms on Shakespeare were marked bv
,mpatience of any reading but that which pleased
his own fancy. remember his contending with
another actor almost to The point of angry con-
troversy as TO whether Hamlet meant "a sea Of
troubles' Or ''siege OF trOublesn Forrest always
read the line:-
To take up arms against siege of troubles;
and, lest the criEIcs might not understand him.
was wont to place the strongest emphasis upon
'siege." He had reason for everything, and IN
his stage business was most exact and metnod-
cal man. Nothing annoyed him more than to
have the text of Shakespeare recited i'm.
perfectly. His industry was boundless. He was
punctual In appointments, hard in money mat
ters and toward the close OF his lie extremely
So He never shirked a pecuniary engagement
His constant lesson to young men was "industry,
industry" There are stories OF his harshness in
stage discipline but he was never harsh except
to those VINO deserved 1t. No young actor Of
merit was ever pushed back by him. have heard
many stories OF his Kindness and his courtesy
from one who played with him during
the last years Of his life, and who is
now In the front rank OF our tragedians,
"FOrresL" ne said, twas always considerable.
II the business OF the stage required you to 60 to
the 'front.' ne always gave place. II You desired to
make point IN any speech ne always acted to
you, and you ieft always while on the stage that
he was following you and supporting you. 1t was
only to those who were incompetent or imperfect
or seemed to lack enthusiasm in their that his
anger broke forth. He hated snam and cant and
folly, and In rehearsing piece would insist upon
the actors going through the business over and
again until they became as per-
feet as it was possible to be. He mad
perfect knowledge OF stage efrect and dramatic
art. On the stage he never thought OF the audi.
ence-never saw it, He played his part correctly,
earnestly, always doing the best he could. He
never skipped the business or shirked the lines
Perhaps the strongest pOint in the character