Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-06-09
John Forster.
BY BLANCHARD JERRoLD.
From the Ga,,r,,,o,,,, 49,,

'.4ineu unuer II. lhe mStter bore a stron,
resemblance to that OF Macready on the stage
50 that when Forster played Kitely with th
dickens amteur troupe he was accused o
serVi4ely initiating the great trasedian, o
whom he was known TO be passionate ad
mlrer, and the most enthusiastic and at III,
same time discerning critic. | PLAYED a mi
nor part with the great company and remem
Der the Infinite amusement we derived from
the great tragedian airs which our Kitel,
maintained throughout the rehersals, and il
the greenroOm. lie insisted upon having tn,
best dressing-room, and, on the night OF th,
performance, upon holding himself aloo
from the rest Of the company. Wher
tue late Duke of DeyOnshire came to the the
atre he brought with him a basket of superE
Ohatsworth pines and grapes as an Offering
TO the company. Mr.. Forster was shut VI
IN his own dressing room, and the basket wa,
opened and tasted in his absence-an offenc,
to hls dignity Of first tragedian, who should
have been prayed to select before his humbl,
coHtrTes, which he seriously resented-or a,
seriously as Dickens, my father, and Marx
Lemon would permit
After the performance our Kitely wa,
sweeping grandly out OF the theatre, when
my father said to Dickens Take care. OF
he II 60 home with Mrs Macready."
Forster succeeded Dickens in the editor
ship of the DAILY Ners, and many were the
stories OF the new editors grandeur of ad-
dress and autocratic bearing towards subor-
dInates which speedily circulated through
Whitefriars. The printers boys trembled a.
they approached him the sub-editors were
under the spell of his majesty. Poor
knight Hunt, who afterwards became editor
OF the paper and died in the harness, had
scores Of stories Of the high and mighty chief
to tell. But the story that held its ground
IN every part Of the establishment was that
| OF he cabmam who called for the editor at
two IN the morning to convey him home TO
| Llncln's Inn Fields The cabman found it
difficult to make the Office porter understand
whom he wanted. When described as the
stout gentleman, the porter replied that
there Were several stout gentlemen in the
editorial department. Was ne tall or short.
Neither one nor t'Other, the cabman an
swered impatiently. "You know who l
mean-l mean that there harbitrary cove.
The porter went direct to Mr.. Forster :
room. and told him his cab was waiting.
There must have been something OF com
mandlng excellence in the young man who
ewing nothing to fortune or to powerful
friends, came up to London, and while yet
youth took his place among the leading lit
erary men Of his time So completely had
he established his position in 1881 (he was
then twentY-fye) that he then became engag-
ed to L. L. L., who was at the height OF her
fame and courted by hosts of admirers The
story Of this engagement Is very melan-
OH s+ 4.
mental TO the lady's character got abroad .
and were 50 systematically concocted and 50
widely disseminated that it was resolved TO
force the slanderers to speak out, to trace
the SANDER TO its source, and 50 to end 1t.
L. f. l.. herself insisted ardently on this in
quiry. We are told that the refutation
which the evil report met, in the course Of
the investigation, was as efectual and com
plete as il was possible to be. What fol-
lowed Is described in Blanchard 5 Life Of
l. E. L.
Nv hat should follow, then, but the full
hlment of the marriage contract? As there
was not the slightest scruple previously, on
his (Eorster > own account, in the mind OF
the other party to that contract, SO not the
slightest scruple remained now as an i'm
pediment. The bare existence of such
scruple would, Of course, have been fatal to
her peace and happiness. There was none
affecting her honour in the remotcst degree,
Yet the contract was broken of by her.
However strong and deep the sentiment
with which she had entered into 1t, she had
the unhinching resolution % resist its
promptings and in the spirit Of the com
munlcation at this period, between her and
the gentleman to whom she was engaged, II
Is not difficult to perceive that the same
high-minded feeling on both sides, the same
nice sense Of honour, and the same stub
born vet delicate pride (neither, perhaps,
discerning in the other the exact qualities
that governed the conduct Of both) so oper-
ated as to dictate present sacrifice Of aiiec-
ton, ana the avoidance of contract under
the circumstances which had so controlled
the parties to it..
The shock was very heavy 10 poor, deli
cate l.. E. L. who had brave and turbu-
lent spirit housed in gossamer frame.
From her sick-room she wrote to Mr..
Forster the decision her proud spirit die
tated
81 have already written to YOU two notes
which fear you could scarcely read or IN
| der stand | am to-day sitting up for an hour,
aud though strictly forbidden to write, it
will be the least evil. wish could send
YOU nv inmost soul to read, for feel at this
moment the utter pOwerlessneSs Of words.
have suffered for the last three days de
gree Of torture that made DR.. Thompson
! say, You have an idea what the rack Is
now 1t was nothing TO what | suffered
from nv own feelings. | look back on my
whole life-I can find nothing to Justify my
being the object Of such pain; but this Is
not what | meant to say. Again | repeat
that | Will not allow you consider yourself
bound to me by any possible tie. To any
friend to whom YOU may have stated our en-
gagement, | cannot object to your stating
the truth. Do every justice to your own
kind and generous conduct. ! am placed IN
at most cruel and difficult position. Give ne
the satisfaction Of as far as rests with my
self, having nothing to reprOach myself with
The more | think, the more | feel | ought
mott cannOt-allow you-to unite your
self with one accused cannot write II.
The mere suspicion Is dreadful as death.
Were it stated as a fact, that might be dis
| proved were it difficulty Of any other kind,
/ might say, look back at every action Of my
life-ask auy friend have. but what an
\ L
against the assertion of mans vanity, or
the slander Of vulgar woman's tongue? ? |
feel that TO give up all idea of a near and
dear connection is as much my duty to my
self as to you. Why should you be exposed
to the annoyance-the modification, OF hay-
ing the name of the woman you honor with
your regard coupled with insolent inslnua-
tons YOU never would bear it.
Il have Just received yon notes God
| bless you-but-
After Monday | shall, hope, be visible ;
at present it is impossible. My complaint Is
Inflammation of the liver. and ! am ordered
complete repose-as if il were possible
Can YOU read this? Under any circumstances,
! the
"Most grateful and atiectionate Of
your friends.
al. E. LANDoN."
lie. Is. marriage with Governor Mac
lean. of Cape Coast Castle, and her tragic
death, happened within little more than a
year from the day when the foregoing was
written to Mr.. Forster 1t has been often
said by many who knew the betrothed, that
L. f. L. was piqued at the resignation with
which Mr. Forster received his dismissal
That feeling which was not love prompt
ed her to accept the suit of Mr.. Maclean was
evident to all her friends. 1t Is probable
that the authoress of 1.-The Vow of the Pea
cock" expected her lover to treat her with
extravagrant chivalry; to refuse his congo
though given again and again to listen tl
no reasoning away of bis love, and to wor-
ship his mistress only the more passionate
" for the dark clouds that had settled oyei
her head. Whereas she was met by mar
of honor who. while maintaining the com
pletest faith in her innocence and remaining
ready to marry her, was sufficiently master
of himself to defer to her arguments wher
she showed cause why their engagement
should be at an end.
BuppHA's CoMANDMENTs.-"By gentle