The Portland daily press., 1881-08-10
[Corr. Louisville Courier-Journal.]
A Strange Guest at an Actors
Dinner.

Some years ago when John Mccullough was
in New Orleans complimentary dinner was
given, to which Robson and Crane, the come
dians, were invited. Robson tells the follow
ing story of an incident which occurred:
at was a private affair, so that when saw,
sitting between Crane and myself, very
seedy looking old gentleman, my attention was
arrested, and began to eye the old chap with
suspicion. By and by ne began to attract the
attention OF the company. He was man of,
say sixty or thereabout, unshaven, and very
shabbily dressed. The night outside was bit
terly cold, and yet the old fellow wore a thin
summer coat buttoned up to the throat. What
first drew my attention to him was his appear
snce, and after that his appetite. He ate vora-
ciously, and his drinking kept pace with his
eating Again and again did Crane and re-
plenish his plate and fill his glass, and again
were they emptied. / confess that barbarous
sense of the humor of the thing came over me,
and gave way to it. From my pride of place
deliberately piled the ancient mariner with
wine, and made point of inviting the atten-
tion of the whole table to him. They all went
into the joke, and insisted, one after another,
upon drinking wine with the old man. The
idea, of course, was to get him ipsy, but here
we all failed, for the old gentleman had head
as hard as Socrates, and, moreover, seemed to
know when he had enough. The quiet whis-
per and nudge was going round the festive
board, Who's our friend? Who brought him
in?' etc. But it was quickly suppressed, for at
last, with quiet dignity, but firm courtesy, he
declined to drink any more, and no entreaty
could move him from his resolution. None Of
our party seemed to know him, SO we finally
concluded that he was poor relation or ac-
qualntance of some of the givers OF the BAN
quet, who had kindly rung him in for good
feed. In the meantime speeches were made,
toasts were drank, and slightly inebriated in
dividual sung OUT Say mine ancient friend,
won't you please give us speech? Something
about shakespeare, you know-he's the fel-
low."
Nobody, of course, imagined that the old
man would have the nerve to get up and say
anything, but he did. Well, sir, in the course
of my experience l have heard great many
people talk about the immortal bard, but on
this occasion heard in fifteen minutes the
most intelligent exposition OF Shakespeare's
genius that it has ever been my fortune to lis
ten to. And the whole thing was done so easi-
ly, and with such an entire absence OF effort,
that it was not until he had finished that we
all began to realize that we had been under
the spell of profound critic and an accom-
plished orator. And those who came to scott
remained TO pray. John Mccullough rushed
over and grasped his hand enthusiastically,
thanked him for the honor OF his prese nee, and
begged his name that the company might
know to whom they were indebted. For the
first time the old man seemed to lose his self
possession. He articulated few words, but
1t was plain his emotions were getting the bet
ter of him. : Crane filed him up a glass of
wine, and tne OLD man drank IL, and. after
little pause, rose slowly and with difficulty.
His manner had quite changed. He no longer
looked the keen critic and fluent orator, but a
weak, infirm old man who, in spite of every
disadvantage of appearance, still retained a
certain dignity-an elusive but unmistakable
something that pronounced him to be gentle
man.
Said friend to me as the old man got upon
his feet, Bob, this don't look like art; this is
natSre.' Gentlemen said the unknown in q
voice tremulous and full of pathos, Il owe you
all an apology. l have no excuse to offer for
having intruded upon your festivity, but L can
at least make the poor amend of confessing
that am an intruder. L came to this house
this evening on the invitation of man l
once knew, and stumbled by accident into
your banquet. 1 came here hungry and cold
(and L thought could hear the wind whis-
tling outside he intoned rather than
pronounced the words hungry and coldJ
and L could not resist the temptation.
1 wanted to eat and drink and get warm
And the old mans eyes dropped upon the
table, as if overpowered with sense of his
degradation.
Il know this is shameful, he continued, but
physical weakness sometimes begetS mental
weakness, and L have eaten nothing for three