The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-10-04
Edwin FOrest-A Sketch of the Great
Tragedian by Brother Actor.

hAShtlol DIS tiIC OplillOh VI dH lultlllSGul
actor and friend of the famous ira
gedian. Mr.. Barretts article is in a
measure a review of Mr.. Algier's Life
himself as disappointed. "The most
Mr.. Barrett, " is the endeavor of the
biographer to maintain his hero upon
the highest of human standards" In
attempt to review even the leading Incl
dents in Forests life, but simply 'to
| pay a tribute of reverent affection for
some general remarks on the drama,
and Mr.. Forrest as one of its best ex-
| ponents, Mr.. Barrett says:
| My own acquaintance with the great
man began one winter evening twenty
stranger and youth, saw Mr.. Forrest
Theater. The impression of that per-
formance has never been effaced by any
subsequent effort of his, and has certainly
never been disputed by that of any
other actor. His greatest Shakesperean
parts were Lear, Othello and Coriolanus
The former grew mellow and rich as age
! StiiiC OIi, NllilC IL SIlll ISpdlIlctl VI
its earlier force. His Othello suffered
from the same causes, although his
grand intellect was apparent to the last
in all his work. Coriolanus died with
him" the last of all the Romans" He
was greatest, however, in such parts as
Virginius, William Tell and Spartacus.
Here the mannerisms of the man were
less apparent than in his Shakesperean
| Nnrfn
the rugged massiveness of the whole Gre
alton. Hamlet, Richard and Macbeth
were out of his temperament, and his
! his fame. / can testify to
the warm interest which Mr.. Forrest
took in all young actors who seemed
earnestly to desire advancement, and
were willing to labor for that end.
While l was fulfilling an engagement at
the Chestnut Street Theater, in Phila-
delphia, many years ago, Mr.. Forrest,
then at home for his vacation, occupied
box nearly every evening during my
| performances, and between the acts he
would send me in few lines upon
card of an encouraging character, or
L was only too happy to be thus in
structed, and felt deeply the compli-
ment paid to me in this way. In all his
suggestions and corrections / found him
to be in the right. l never rebelled but
once, and he kindly referred me to the
| authorities upon the subject, when [ was
taught humility, and my apology and
thanks covered the shame of my rebel
lion. During this engagement i saw
much of him socially, and rarely dis
! npuora1 Of c
character for which he was noted among
men. He spoke invariably of his fellow
actors with tenderness, and when he had
been deceived or his confidence had been
| abused, he silently passed the offender
by. In this respect l presume his con-
duct had undergone a change from his
earlier habit. Success had made him
egotistical, certainly, and this egotism
showed itself sometimes in humorous
way, sometimes in serious one.
My last days with him were passed in
New Orleans, where he was acting, and
[ was remaining to assist in the opening
of the new theater there. His health
was poor, and he rarely left his room till
evening. He would send for me in the
morning for breakfast, and it was a
pleasure to me to know that 1 could as
sist him in mitigating ennui of sick
room. Here l learned how extensive
had been his reading and how much of
his education he owed to his professional
training. He often declared that to be
a successful actor man must have ac-
quired liberal education in the pro-
gress of his professional work. He
certainly was an excellent illustration
of his own theory. He loved books
| koap1u ap1 Epo1y fbor, too Ha vUoS
going through Texas oil his way home,
after finishing his engagement in New
orleans, and | sent him for his reading
en- route copy of Lecky's Rationalism,
which he had never met. He wrote me
most fattering letter of thanks from
| Galveston-the last l ever had from
his hands-and particularly dwelt upon
the favor l had done him in calling to
his knowledge an author who paid such
a tribute to our profession, fact which
alone would have made him an admirer
of Lecky. The impression he left upon
me | have tried to tell in this brief
sketch, and am only paying a debt to
a friend when ask that when the faults
of Mr.. Forrest are rehearsed justice may
be done to his virtues, which would
more than trim the balance.
In summing up life like this, where
strength and weakness are in forcible
contrast, it is impossible to deny that no
man had appeared before his time who
was destined to exercise so great an in
f1uence upon the drama as he did. He
loved his art with all the fondness of a
woman, and he gave his life and fortune
to it. Possessing the grandest qualifica-
tions for an actor, he omitted no labor
to improve himself, scorning alike the
evasions of the sluggard and the trickery
of the charlatan.
INDIANAPOLIS Journal: 1t may be
mentioned as an Interesting fact that
the latest files of French papers re-
ceived on this side of the Atlantic con.
! tain vigorous discussions of the proba-
bility of the accession of Nj. Thiers to
, the Presidency in case of MacMahon's
defeat in the approaching election
) Thiers was eighty years old at the time
of his death. At that age most Ameri,
, can statesmen have been long since
shelved, even if they still survive, but
in his case his party evidently regarded
him as the coming man up to the very
time of his decease, and the newspaper
, discussions of his probable recall to the
5 Presidency are scarcely outrun by the
Gdblt Ol Ills uedlH. IL II
) quite remarkable case of vigorous ole
: age, and shows that the public men o
Europe understand the art of preserv
ing their powers and usefulness mucl
better than do those of this country.
: DENNIS DOYLE, of Boston, hear,
| voices in his wifcs 81 eeping apartment
the other night and grew desperatel,
jealous. So he crawled out upon tn
: roof, down the water spout and into tn
, kitchen window. Mrs. Doyle heard tn
e noise, was sure it was a burglar, an,
$ quietly called to her brother, who wa
up stairs, to protect the house. AS th
brother came down stairs, Dennis lai,
ror the enJ s%pRpsGd pose aespOlsr Ip%S Oi ms haPp
/ Fortunately he didn't hit, and now tn
!. comedy of errors ends with the dis
eovery that tho yniea which tho ,aoln,,