The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-11


a ssrAnxs suest nc an Actors binner.
some years ago when John Mccnnonsn
wes In New Orleans 2 complimen.sly rr.na~
was gigen him, TO whicn hocson auu 49,
the ~comedians, were invited. isooson NV,
the following staFy OIL an inesue"' ""
occurred: 49, uhan 7
s.w citing between Crane aud myseu, .
ve,y seedy looking old gentleman, my ~.
~,ea,snp was arrested, and l began TO eye y
old chan win suspicion. ~ ana py ne
hey,u 10 attrent the attention OF the coHpa-
nv He was a man OF, say, Sky or tsers-
aiauts. unstayen and very sha0buJ oressep:
srha NIGHT outside was bitterly cold, anu
ast The ol5 Fellow wore a this sumfaef coat
isS,nnad IN % the throat. What Hrst
@-aw INV attention to him was bis aNpeh-
enee. and after that his appetite. he ave
-nrscionsIg- and his drinking Kept pace WIN
49, aesino AgaIn and again did Crane ana
l~anlenish his plate and hl bis glass auu
again and aQain were they emptiea' 4 con,
g.. that n barbarous sense Of me neHoI VI
ths tbinoeame over me, and | gave way 10
4, From nv pride OF place, delDerate.
lsv aiied the ancient mariner WITH VINE Anu
shade : noint OF inviting toe attention OF
ltbe whole table to bin. They all went inlo
the Joke, and insisted. one after anotner,
anon drinking wine with the ola man. Tue
itdea. of course, was TO get him upsy' put
here we all failed, for the old EentIemlh
had a head as hard as Socrates, ana, more,
| over, seemed TO know wbes DC nau
enough. The quiet whisper ana nuuse
was going rourd the festive Doare, wuoS
our frieDdP Who brought nun M &c
Ru, /, was auickly suppressed; for at last,
wifi a.ouiet dignity, but frm courtesy, he
deeIlped 10 drink any more, and no en-
treaty eouid move him from bis resolution.
None of our party seemed to know him, so
yye Gnslly eoncladed that be was a poor re-
lation or acquaintance OF some Of the giyers
Of the BANQUET, who had kindly rung hipi
In for n good feed. In the mean time
speeehes weremade, t0asts were drank, ana
a slightly mebrlated individual sang u I:
. Say. my ancient friend, won't you gave US
a speeehs Something about shsksPesie'
YOU know-he's the fellow
Nohody Of course, imagined tnat tue
old man would have the nerve TO get up
and say auythiAg, but be did. wen, SIT,
In the course OF my experienced have Dearo
a great many clever people talk ABOUT tue
immortal bard. but on this occasion L heafd
in 6ftoen minutes the most intelligent expo
sItion Of Shakspeare's genius that 1t has
ever been nv fortUaet to listen to. ANA Tue
whole thing was done so easily and Win
such an entire absence OF effort that II was
not until be had finished that we all began
IN realize that we had been under the speil
NJ a profound critic and an accomplished
orator, And those who came 10 scou re-
manned 10 pray. John MCCULLOUGH rusueu
over and grasped his hand entnusiasticai'y'
thanked INN for the honor OF MS presence,
and beggedhis name that the company y
10 know TO whom they were lnueOted' ror
the first time the old man seemed 10 lose MS
I seIf-possession. He articulated anew words'
but IL was plain that his emotions were
getting the better Of him. Crane nlIed DIN
I'D a glass OF wine and the old man drank
it and. after a little pause, rose slowly and
9Th dfficulty. His manner had quite
hanged. He no longer looked the keen
critic and fluent orator, but a weak and In
firm old man, who, in spite OF every disad-
~yaataoe Of appearance, still retained a GER
tain dIgnity-an Elusive but unmistakable
something that pronounced him to be a
gentleman.
"Said a friend 10 me as the old man got
upon his feet Bob, this don't look Ike
art; this is nature 'Gentlemen,' SAID the
unknown i'm a voice tremulous and fuli OF
pathos, Il owe an apology to you all. /
have no excuse to offer for having intruded
upon your festivity, but | can at least make
the poor amend Of confessing that | am an
intruder. came to this house this eve
ming on the invitation OF a man L once
knew, and | stumbled by accident into your
BANQUET. | came here hungry and cold
and I thought I could hear the wind Whis-
Ting outside as be intoned rather than pro-
nounced the words fhungry and cold
and | could not resist the temptation. |
wanted TO eat and drink and get warm
"And the old Nuns eyes dropped upon
the table as II %overpowered with a sense OF
his DEGRADATION.
al know this is SHAMEFUL he continued,
sbut physical weakness sometimes begets
mental weakness, and ! have eaten nothing
for three days. For three weeks past l
have not slept 10 a bed, but stolen a rest In
doorways, or In a chair in the Office OF some
hotel. Sometimes / have walked the streets
till DAYLIGHT. Such things, gentlemen, tell
heavily upon a mar OF my age. Other
wise no man with a remnant OF pride
left could have acted as L have done to-
night. But l thank God that have at last
retained courage enough to tell the truth.
And now, gentlemen said the brave old
man, strengthening up with wonderful Dig
nifty OF manner, accept my gratitude Tor
what | have received. l have eaten and
drank with you, and am refreshed aud
grateful. / trust you Will pardon my in
fringement of hospitality and common hon.
esty and permit me to DEPART"
The dinner party immediately raised q
purse OF SOS for their needy friend. Rob
SON will not tell his name, but says that
twenty-five years ago be was a congressman
from Ohio, and he was once a candidate for
the Yice-P Presidency OF the United States.