, 1875-07-17
THOMAS WILLIAM ROBERTSON,

This talcMtcst playwright, VII no dfaMas haro
dons much to arlH ruiI.Itiouising tlie uln1Grn
English htasat caue Of \ family tat Tor genrta-
thus had been connected will. tic theatrical
,,Enfesson. Ills father arli Ills grau,lfath~r Ind
sucteH1tyelv managed county EloIEe performs
ing oil the LtuGo!nEllro circuit, aid hutA "eIc
tncu OF literary ability ARD Ut UNCOMMON etlrrEy
and versatility. The efser OF tl,v v,vn ta!ft eight
different t>cxtreB IN tho to us Of D'etJu Sl+all-
ing. Noting ham, 1l-fora. cte. Tllo Mush:r OF
Nrbct tson waa GernaH. Of JeSnh extraction.
while l.fs father was Of Scottish descent. Tho
hoy was utncatod By NJ aunt, wi'o WIS herre'k u
1ellarkahlo character. Elk nIMihH Of every
tweIye wero sp"nt by young Robertson at a
Erctlclt ecluol, "llaro ue AhltoI rietilcA' Sisaa
with reSstl tn 1et!EIon; Lnt thesu were uefct
butrayel III Ills "sl1sn.s.
When tJ yrara ot ago. tho youth experienced
grrat disappointment in tho loatl of his aunt,
ullo failed u baluoath linn thu fur.uuu that tls
had counted UPON iahess.istg. Ac.ng luft
III ronury ho took 10 tho stagc Anl to writing
Tor i hye'!oJl, snl tye thu ntxk nftuen yrars
was forrrl Il, y IespuEuts rtsu4Glo With
poverty. lIo had merrl.ai All A4trcss vt srcat
sn7sunsl brants, aud now lt'lLnef nndettuux
Email parss. but With i'll suesrBs, NJ he rad nu
ekIIl ~ piaYAr, nlbelt III, rasd nrIro, ,3to AJrl
e,lAteuto lilo taiont Of thia so,t tlMt uts.e,s
pn,s nsed. Al times Ic MAS redncoI to tho utlira
t,f n, u,o,l.nr, recuiy,n; leu. tAan stlu wa.cs Ut
daily 1aborer. Through t!ns reio4 Df bttry
trial and lrivAtiun, ltubertsul cherished LII
Original thcnrisa VI t!.a art !e followed all!
l,yrtl, and hraYsly kept his courage from FAINT
ii.g utititElIe,
t,uo of the earliest Of hts plays, david Gar.
1i'h " was ol.re offered for fAl, and tie act!IiY
right wns actually snIL fur sly for three yraIn,
or fur $50 seaE lie play las slrco produced
alh,yo S5n,lK5l. "lionIu," lhs uoxt vi ltub.It-
h NJ pl.ca1t brought lts anil.nr tji light, tin
llisara: l4ric1 byer paid IN EIgIald fur tu right
II p1esut,t eustsly. Fur suuy ysara tho ll,aIIu.
hr,ip: of "Sorirty" went = begsl1Ig A,l,ony tlle
pr1rit,ai London thratTen. 1t was once rsEu lio't
10 lha noudy author by uao Of tho iusting Hill
a;erA of the CITY "i4h lllu word - l&'sh" written
across tho cosur. Fur searn tho piAy re'na'''sh
without \ bIt ur an opportunity fM teI'E''Het'Is-
tiuu. Al last, Wlrn ltobesta0u had 1e4cnef lna
.ihth year, "Suelcty" "as Moanrrd, tret ~
1Yefpoo. in tho sprng of lati1, ami blk MONTHS
after 1t tic little Aouso III Tuttf'ham stisf1'
London, nuder tho u,arase.ntas q! Ass' 1a.'"
croft A[ihs ,larie Wl.touJ. 10 ,hs lsts aau %
alr. Dyrnn, ltobcstzon oaea si,4 f'aAdattoh u
his nultohs A,ld reputation. Ioth ttieh!H 9ecoh'
uiEcl lhu ,ne.lt OF Ills dranla4, aud bo1A Eaye
him ali tho sii ard ehsous ussSutneht ii tAo1r
puNtr. u;t,
or th1eo yaals Le.ufu,-Mr. l;o!sst.an married
Msa FIpst tierAl4u ia ~. tla d'sl tour Years
later. ju February. ISL. loAtInE folr children,
tuu Of ml,esa wsta totns IN i'In 6y the first
rtft aud iva bs tIip xsc,ut RubeEtson'4. n,afa-
dy tlto,,sy VI tho Arurt, lncufabte IRON ths ba-
fust rlsy, "Wa1," Ut tua hi. jam&s IAea:se, and
lilo hostile clItcts1A It provoked.
Kob.slsun was robust and vigorous in frame.
And rather heSry Iea:u1ed. With ! E.Idy cum
pto.iou. Light bea.I, sud Slightly Jsw.ah cast
uE eauutuuaAco. Ills sye MAS rcuarAalIx brill,