Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-21

some Passages from an Account of
Him by an Intimate Friend.
MR.. JEFFERsoN,s CHILDHOOD.

Some Passages from an Account of
Him by an Intimate Friend.
MR.. JEFFERsoNs CHILDHOOD.
His earl est years were passed In his fathers
paint room, where he had to fetch and carry,
grind the colors wash the brushes, or go upon
the stage In chlldren's parts, for he played
"Rolla'sn child when only three years old; idle
ness had no chance to spoil him, for he was
always too busy for idleness to catch UP with
him. One OF the most vigorous and original
ant and Impressive takers we eve r listened to.
with mind turiously cultured, and in certuin
directions profoundly so, with a taste in art and
literature reflned and beautiful. Joseph Jeffer-
son never had more than three months of what
we call schooling" His father and mother,
pursuing their profession, were wandering up
ana down the Mississippi river with their little
company Of players, and were seldom more
IMAM few days in any one place; once, how
ever, ill-fortune stranded them at Mobile and
mere lot quarter Of a year Joe was sent to
Scnooi; there he was matrculated, there gradu-
ated His parents were gentle, loving folk, fond
enough OF their boy, but work for them anu MIN
was necessity, and when they could gain the
Time they taught him as best they could.
HIS FIRST ATTEMPT TO ACT.
. 1t was at the ST. Louis Tbeater, and he was
then In his fourteenth year. The occasion was
patriotic one. probably Fourth of July cele
brat1on, and Mr.. Field, member of the COM
pany and father of the sparkling writer AID
indifferent actress Miss Kate Field of our day,
had written and set to the music of "The Star
which were assigned to the various actors and
actresses, and one which was given to young
jefferson: His name was honOred with place
on that nights bill, and opposite to iG were the
words, ellis first appearance on any stage
The part assigned him was not a great one, but
he had an exquisitely beautiful voice (even now
above singlng); hts mother-and she was a
WidOw-had trained him in the music, words
and business Of the ode for weeks and both
hoped that the debut would be successful.
They
after the fashion OF mothers The night came,
the curtain went up, and he took his place upon
than alive with fright. He became conscious
that his mother was watching him, and, al
though half blinded with fear, he saw ner hands
tremble up to her mouth, say the tears filling
her eyes, and saw her trying TO smile encourage
ment to him through them; yet after the first
line or two he broke down utterly, and amid a
storm of patriotic misses he tottered off at the
wing, to which his mother was cllnging for sup
port, SO great was her distress. He flung him.
self into her arms, crying out through his sobs
and hers that he had failed-that he should
never succeed. We have set before the portrait
OF that lovely lady and loving mother, and,
recalling the bitterness to her OF those wretched
days OF struggling widOWhOod and of that
nights failure, we have wished that she could
share In the success that has come to her boy,
and to sit down with him In that beautiful home
in an atmosphere of affection. where instead
only her portrait hangs in an atmosphere Of
reverent and tender recollecttons.
JEFFERSON'S FIRST STARRING TOUR.
He and Clarke agreed to star In the country
oakland, Md, a summer resort On the summit
OF the Blue Ridge. These two great actOrS-as
great then as now, we thtnk-appeared in ''The
afteTWard. Jefferson played COUSIN Joe 's and
Clarke ''Sir William Evergreen" with pretty
Josie Parker as "Margery." The total receipts
were just SIP. Dividing that sum fairly be-
the bucolic highlands. Mr.. Clarke, In relating
this experience, always adds that Jefferson be-
guiled him to Oakland, not because he thought
knew there were trout streams adjacent, for
jefferson loves fishing better than playing or
making money.
A SINGULAR "REMINISCENCES.
At Hobart Town, in Tasmania, he produced
for the first time In any one of those distant
British dependencies Tom Taylors "Ticket-of-
Leave Lex Man" having among his audience over
600 men bearing tickets OF leave. Throughout
all those English provinces there Is In the
large towns highly cultured and refined So
ciety, and In none OF them are the social condi-
dinarily, Mr.. Jenerson'S audience there repre-
sented the best elements of society, but on this
occasion 1t was chiefly composed of as depraved
their country for their country's good or wore
their hair cropped short. They had gone to
the theater, nearly all OF them, armed, pre-
class; he says they were the most dreadful au-
d1ence he ever saw, and when the curtain rose
he was appalled, by their menacing scOWls re-
marks and gestures. All he asked, however,
was a hearing, which was sullenly conceded
him; ne threw all his power OF earneStneSs and
pathos into the moving scenes Of this vigorous
play, and as he proceeded he won completely
the sympathy OF his curious audience, moving
them to tears or to demonstrations of approval
or denuDciat1on Of the situation, according to
their different dispositions When at the end
there is some good in the ticket-of- leave mao,
tumuituous as to threaten to lit the dome s Of
the theater from its combining walls.
Mr.. JEFFERSON AT HOME.
There Is no attractive beautiful element 10
the character OF the play that is not more
strongly displayed In the character OF the man,
which make his audience admire and love "Trip"
make those who know Jefferson admire aud
love him more. "Rip's" love for children, dogs
wiDsome insoucance, his poetic Imagination,
his keen artistic perception, are the very under
pinnlngs OF Jenerson's being. These are from
sun is to the Alpine peaks, warmth and
splendor. He chose his home up among the
hills of the Passaic, surrounded by great forest
1t been already built in the valley among his
trout streams when he found it he would have
climbed up to them as Strip" did. He is
mighty hunter and fisher; troops of children are
knees; the dogs browse by his hearth or lie at
his feet, welcome friends and guests always
the writer In the Spectator whom we have
quoted asks, sis Mr.. Jefferson ever quite sure
as he walks about that Schneider Is not at his
heels?" When he is at home Schneider Is
always at his heels in the shape of
magnificent setter OF pureSt blood presented
to him by son OF Horace Howard
Furness, esq.,, the eminent Shakespearian schol-
ar, or OF beautiful Scotch collie of unsullied
strain, bought by him OF a Highland shepherd
as we fished together on the shores of Loeb Lo-
mOnd, or OF gigantic dun mastir called
Schneider, sent him by an enthusiastic ad-
mirer. II Mr.. Jefferson is fonder of anything
than wife or child or dog or tree or running
water or growing grass and corr, 1t is of flowers
They bloom everywhere in, over and about his
home In summer, and in winter they fill the
long Conservatives which he has built for
them. man OF singularly sweet, gentle and
sincere nature, OF strong likes and dislikes, full
OF Imagination colored by superstition, OF pro-
found religious Onvictions-Which are his own,
and upon which we shall lay no coarse hand
with an underflOw of shreWd thought that I'M
percepttbly affects his art, and which shows it.
self therein to watchful eyes especially In
Grip" and CASA Trenchard," and even In "BOb
Acres" He Is, Ia fact, all the better part of
RIP" with all the baser part omitted. 'What
are you teaching your bOys?" we once asked
him. "TO fish and-tell the truth, )" was his slow
thoughtful reply in the words of Sir Walter
Scott. So might Grip" In his shrewder moods
have answered the same query.-[L. Clarke d.
DiS i'm LippincOtts Magazine.
CHIPS FOR THE HOUsEKEEPER.-USe kerosene
to clean unVarntShpd furniture