The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-25
THE Story OF A POPULAR LONDON
ACIOR.

. LONDON, June 11.-An old gentleman
whom I met the other day who has q great
enthusiasm for the dramatic art, which share.
was reRre'ting to me the dave which be remem-
bered when actors, BY which he meant the
Kembles, were gentlemen and scholars and
tcek their place In society as suoh. There was
good deal OF the laudator temporis deti in this,
and unless had been. az became me, too modest
to point out his error to him, could oy more
hst OF names have convinced him that there
are several gentlemen, and not a few who are
also scholars, now upon the London stage. The
real state OF the case Ia that Vt IA not gifted and
cultivated men who are wanting to the stige so
much now, as that vitisted taste which has
only Just begun to be purified has rendered
their services unnecessary.
From all I have heard OF the Kemb
men, that Is, OF the family-from their contem-
poraries am inclined to believe that their act
ing, admirable as II was In perception and
cuii walton, wanted the touch OF genius which
in Edmund Kean made up for the want 81 the
qualities which they had And fancy that N
Mr.. Herman Vein, for instance, who Ia In the
highest sense of the word gentleman and q
scholar. had fallen upon the kemble DAYS In
stead Of these, he would have taken higher
place on the stage than he now holds. have
never Understood WHY Mr.. Vein has not got
hrnier mold OF the public than he h =. Hts acting
~ tast ed bv the criCak out " " caviare 10 tne
genera and though he mas often unobtrusivcly
saved poor piece from failure, he has never
made one Of those eclatant successes which at
once establish an actors fame. He Is but rarely
seen. ON occasions OF benefits and such like
things, In what IL called great part; and there
fore should not describe him as successful
actor. hut the causes which insure success are
m nifoid and very often inexp,icuhle. Accident
very often creates spurious repntat,on Ior or, a
touch 81 nature which tfinKs hts audieDc into
sympathy with LIN and II he Ia man with a
accidental success for ever aud ever. JudiciUus
| advert isement, paragraphs inserted from time to
| az erward conir ,d lctcd viii do a GOOD deal In
this ", and careful cultIv ttion Of useful peo-
ole viii pernaps do yet more; OF conIse an
| worked, as all actors are he mas to keep mis-
| eyes constantly nxed upon the weathercock Of
public opinion, In addition to the great fatigue
| OF STUDY and rene lr.sl.
| But an &C or who has won his way up by hard
| work alone, and VINO, tmly believtngin his ow u
| powers, makes hiu>eif rather than his critics
In the press or the audience, the a. blter OF his
his Undertakings, has hard time OF II IN many
ways. He has been known, let u say. FOR four
or hve years. as All actor OF undoubted clever
ness Ia character part~; and. DER laps. the dis.
srtistic and literary c,rcles have prOphesied for
| him a brilliant future. but IA yet he has oo-
tanned no lame in the broader sense OF the word,
aud as an actor OF areat ABILITY but no wide re-
| nOwn he has not been sought after outside the
limits OF his own profession, except by are
struck young men and DeUple who like to make
for themselves an artistic IDOL In order to prove
what artistic minds they Lave. Suddenly his
whole lie changes at one stroke. He hnds a
| manager VINO believes la him, and brings MIN
out IA great part. IL Ia part for which. phy-
sicaly ana mentally, he Is admirably qIaiified.
| He succeeds, aud to an almost Unprecedented
| extent.
| comedy becomes n great psychological Inter
| prefer" the rrttcs are unanimous Ia their
pr se. ana the actor Is .ised 10 tue very pinna-
! Gle Of profession success. Then gradually. IN
| ms success with the Iubhc grows greater and
greater, adverse influences neSin to work against
| HIN. His professional brethren express their
doubts AS To bis capacity, anu attribute his sue
| cess, which has been the product OF labor, To n
happy chance. Tney and him JEALOUS. ovsrbear-
| ing, everything, PROBABLY, wnicn he 10 not. On
| the other hand. there are many people outside
his profession VINO dnd him fascinating. strange,
poe ical, II, ronic, aud great many otner .htnss.
| witch lie also very likely Is not. The widest
stores are circulated ABOUT his private life. He
| Is unmarried and wasting with an unrequited
passion; he has three wives, each OF whom ne
| has deserted; hi, parents are " poor put hon.
| actor OF past geDeration; he smokes
| OPIUM he never smokes at all; ne never
goes to bed he sleeps all day; he Is the
his conscience. Meanwhile he is gradually as
Stunning the position winch my old fiend spoke
| OF as occupied by actors II a former time. lie
Is sought after by tue beau monde Ia every
sense. IL YOU 20 into his room In the morning
| you find tue table Uttered with cards Of invita-
lion from people VINO nave met MIN once IN a
crowded room, aud with requests for autographs
sIS at a IL its Sessssi WITH
for his heip, mis- ID vice. Ills society, his money.
| Duchess l kes DIX AT tue tue tro VIII n lie
| performs, and goes three times week to seq
| him. Ladies OF rank md fashion sur Uund him
whenever he appears In Dir wing room. All
| this suddenly cohtng upon man woo few
months before was living la comp ,rative OBJ
scurty, Il eminenuy calculated 10 turn his
heal. II Is tlustn tnat nothing IA SO hardly
forgiven success. aud this may nave some
| tning to do WIN the changed tone II critic SIN
| which Rreets MIN when ne appears in otnrr ar
! duous characters. Wn, re merits were discerned
before, fault, IRE now seized upon; ins,e II oi
announcements VI JuiiciOus advice TO correct
these faults and IN prove Yet fuftner his merits,
IN paper after paper ne hnds bi.ter cOndeinna-
ton Of MS temerty Ia attempting what any sen
have told uim he could not do. They are all
In the same tale, and the tale is 50 igno-
r.ntly enu cluiusily told that IL not
surprising II ne aoand Jns tue reading of
criticisms In DISCUS, and loses tue cnance
| Of nnuinR the griius OF truth In the hedp If
folly. Now his friends In the great world are
filed with lndt nation At the ol. ~pntmy nured
against their Idol daily. This " tier writes q
him L. to MIN now great ms performance has
been; the Countess OF fnat wonders at tue vul-
cirily AMI stupiIiy Of the urers anu the iuOl
can hardly ,sc pc beng convinced, SO of on Is
be to,d Of II, that ne Is TOO hne an actor Tor tue
appreciation Of the puolic. Nnt wall ne the
end Of ,hs WA the inn te mud,sty aud sound
judgment of the actor-wnu, t'r "A wOnuer, Is
capable OF recog NJ the defects Mncn are
manly due t. the absence OF ans training scho pol
for dctOrs N Elgliud-will tnrss IA lties carry
MIN bar,niess through tne sturdis Of diverse
criticism and too friendly tashOn2 lime only
eau show.
FROM A CABIN ON rHE CLIFFS.