Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-07-09
countonauce that he could render most

'''',' ~ =,
ludicrously grotcsque or painfully sad
So great was his control of 1t that, in
the long line Of characters which he
played, II seemed like the faces of
many men, each expressing u different
individuality. In the wide range oil
his parts there were both gay and
grave, and in all of them the same ar
tistic qualities were paramount.
Mr.. Burkc's drama OF "klp van
Wrinkle" was originally announced at
the Arch Street Theater, Philadelphia,
in the year 1850, with the adapter as
Rip, and his half brother, Joseph jet
ferson, then twenty years old, as Sch,
the innkeeper. In 1855 Hackett sub
stituted this version for his own, play
ing it at the Broadway Theater, New
Nork, for the first time. 1t was this
adaptation, in some degree altered BY
him, that Joseph Jefferson originally
played at the old Winter Garden, New
York, and later in other cities OF the
United States in 1858 or 1883, and IN
which he appeared in all the British
Australasian colonies a year or two
after, and prior to his debut in London
in the present version. The latter IS
essentially different from Burke's play
which follows more closely the story
of the "Sketch. Book" and lacks alto
gether the sweet, tender humanity
and the wierd spirituality which per-
wade The combined work OF Jefferson
and Boucicaulti 1t makes nothing OF
the parting from or meeting with the
child Meenie, but much OF the dialogue,
which was Burke's own, has been WISE
ly retained. The speech containing
the notable line, "Are we SO soon ior'
got when we are gone 7" is Burke's,
not Boucicault's, though Jefferson has
transposed and altered it for the bet,
ter. 1t is introduced in the original
when Rip, returning to his old home,
is told that If he be Rip, and an impos.
ter, some one OF his old cronies VIII
surely recognize him. He answers,
"To be sure they will Everyone
knows me in Kaatskill. (All gather
around him and shake their heads. }
No, no, | don't know desc peoples
dey don't know me neither and yes
terday dere was not dog in the vii.
lage but would have wagged his tail
at me now dey bark. Dere was not
a child but would have scrambled on
my knees now dey run from me, Are
we so soon forgot when we are gone
Already dere is no one wot knows
poor Rip Van WinMe." We never saw
Charles Burke play this part, though
we have seen him play many others
and can testify to the greatness OF his
genius and the perfection Of his art
Il it were art, for to those who happi
ly saw it, il seemed Nature itself, How
he spoke that speech, however,, W.
have been told by John Sleeper Clarke
our truant comedian, who is so Just I
man and so free from professional Jeal
ousy that he could not If he would
praise the dead at the expense Of th'
} living. Mr.. Clark says that in the de
livery of these lines no other actor ha
, ever disturbed the impression that thu
, profound pathos OF Burke's voice, face
and gesture created II fell upon tn
senses like the elimination OF all NOR
| tai despair, aud the actors figure, q
! the low sweet tones died away, sym
} bolized more the ruin OF the represen
. tative of race than the sntferings O
3 an individual his awful loss and lone
t liness seemed to clothe him with 81
! pernatural dignity and grandeur whic
= commanded the sympathy and awe 9
4 his audience. Mr.. Clarke played Set
] with Mr.. Burke Tor many consecutly
3 nights, and he relates that on eacI
+ succeeding night, though he was Away
6 aware of what was coming, eve
d watching for It, when those lines wer
= spoken his heart seemed to rise IN b
Y throat, choking bin, and his cheeS
n were wet with tears for Burke
Q manner OF pronouncing 'nen wae
It tender and pathetic that not only "a
n audience, but even the actors on u
70 stage, were affected by IT. Mr.: Jene
Il son, remembering how his orotn,
D. spoke that speech, has adopted a a.
r. ferent mode est is possible that
10 might speak 1t as he did, but Il
n, leaves the sentence unfinished, the re
le son untold, but II is an open secret
those who know how deep Is the re
at erence Of the living R'p Tor the de'
Of one; they know that there are ion
b, of Charles Burke'svolce even whicn a
ii held in too sacred memory py I
II. brother ever to be recalled by hi
,e upon the stage. In speaking OF hl
it only few months ago, Mr.. Jeners
as said "Charles Burke was 10 actll
C. what Mendelssohn was TO music.
Id did not have 10 work Tor his ehects,
"a | do +; he was not analytical, as 1 o
p- Whatever he did came TO him natur
II, ly as grass grows or water runs
m was not talent that informed ms
aa but genius"
he Between these hali-brothers, bur
lip and Jefferson, there was feeling Oh
he lowship, a something stronger 70
by fraternal attachmcnt--a degree VI
nd iectioDate devotion which has pass
on into stage 'raui''vh' a"1 -
lie artist Charles Burke had no warn I
he enlogist than Joseph % Sene,son n,
no can still remember ouar'es ~ pu, han,
en- standing at the wing nervous,s % aSaasso aoso
or, ed in the acting Oh Mrs. 'envsovn vao,n
M lady Of generous culture, swee,n "
&" and loveliness, but IN ,nose uays e. ,A'
en- ing force 10 her art nus n's ioyo %n,oa,ad ~, ;
ic- was extended 70 AL 'na' o',IIu ~ Il,
cy Joe, and some.lmes wnoa zoo sn9 ami"
ng lady was sPeAk'pg nea ;,"IS h;s ''v gsro q