The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-12-02
How an English Actor Receives his
Friends.

How an English Actor Receives his
Friends.
Henry Irving has private supper
room of his own behind the scenes Of
tho Lyceum theatre. In this apart
ment-which IL, in fact, = suite Of
rooms, for the crimson curtains scpa-
rate the supper room from q pantry
leading into q kitchen-the celebrated
London actor receives his friends al
most every night of tho week. It 10
seldom that he sups alone, and on Sat-
urday nights he presides over quite q
numerous company. This private SAL
le a naangey is approached by crossing
the stage and passing through q room
hungwith armor and weapons. Irving's
supper room 10 that where the members
of the Beefsteak club used to meet be-
fore they removed to their present
quarters, next the Folly theatre. The
Beefsteak club, which has for its rul-
ing spirit the duke Of Beaufort, does
not seek publicity, and surely no rem
devious could have been better suited
to its confidential character than the
rooms in which Mr.. Irving now re-
ceives his friends. The motto Of the
Beefsteak Is still inscribed in antique
gilt letters on tho crimson wall of the
recess where q pianoforte stands 1t
reads:
Let NO one take from ous this threshold
Words uttered hero IN friendly confd encei
This motto 10 like the oath of the
lover In s'Tricoche ct Cacolet," and pre-
vents my taking advantage of the sit
uation, but as I may not tell you
what Irving and his friends said, I
may at least describe the scene. The
apartment, although not very large,
has lofty ceiling, and is paneled in
oak. There is portrait of Charles l.,
which may have been Irving's model
for his makeup in Willis play, and
Jack Bannister is painted, too, in his
habit as he lived, and knights armor
stands mounted in one corner. The
supper table is spread in the centre of
the room. Some of the guests have
been in front, and there Is no limit to
their expressions of admiration over
their hosts acting as they sit chatting
prior to his arrival from his dressing
room. They are all Irvingites to
man. Besides Mr.. Stoker, q young
Irishman, who is the enthusiastic bus
mess manager of the Lyceum, and to
whose energy and tact considerable of
its success is due, there are such men
as Lord Henry Somerset, son of the
duke of Beaufort; Mr.. Farqunr, broth
OF Sir James Farquar, and very pop
ular club man: Mr.. Armstrong, an
critic and patron of the dra-
ma, from Manchester, and u number of
others, including witty Irish Nj. p,
who tells many amusing anecdotes of
his countrymen, and occasionally in
fuses o dash of politics into the whis-
of his humorous expe-
riences. To them enter after time
Mr.. Irving followed by curly dog
known as s'Charlie," who is wont to
sit upon chair during the repast and
make known his wants in the most
unmi istakable fashion. "Charlie" is
of a breed undetermined, but makes a
very smart appearance with his close
y-clipped light hair and expressive
brown eyes. Mr.. Irving comes into
the room with a swinging tread and
shakes each guest cordially by his
hand. His manner is extremely SIM
pie, unassuming, and friendly, and hc
has much the same personal magnet
ism as that exercised by the late II.
J. Montague. He does not wear even-
ing dress, but is quietly and comfort
ably attired in gray morning coat
and dark trousers. His eyes look out
piercin.ly through black-rimmed eye
glasses his hair is worn long, but, if
make myself clear, without any af-
fec stion Of being 90. He eats with o
relish and talks very little, but he is q
capital listener. His favorite excla-
nation is, Dear mel" He is, l fancy,
much interested in American theatre
;als, and was greatly absorbed by
,ome Of the accounts OF the magnetism
II our favorile actress, Clara Morris.
With Booth aud Mccullough he is
,uite familiar-C0r. Philadelphia
Times