, 1882-09-15
PUGET SOUND ARGUS.
The Younger and the Elder Booth.

The Younger and the Elder Booth.
From m early age Edwin Booth Wis
associated with his father in all the wan
dcrings and strange and often sad adj
ventures Of that wUywmd nun of gem
ius, and dno doubt the many sorrowtul eX-
perienccs of his youth dccpcncd the
gloom of his inherited temperament.
Those who know him well are aware
that he has great tenderness OF heart
and abundant playful humor; that his
mind is one of extraordinary liveliness,
and that he sympalhizes keenly and cor
dinlly with The joys and sorrows Of 9TH
ers, yet that the whole man seems satu-
rated with sadness, isolated from COM
panionship, lonely and alone. 1t Is this
Icmperament combined with somber
and melancholy aspect of counteuance,
that has helped to make him 80 admlra-
hle III the character OF Hamlet. Ot his
fitness for that part his father was the
first to speak, when on n night many
wears ago, in Sacramento, they had
dressed for It. Pierre and Jaiiier, in
Venice Preserved Edwin, as Jaf-
tier, had put ON ciose-iittiug robe of
black velvet. "Yuu look like Hamlet,
the father said "wny don't you play
it?' The time was destined to come
when Edwin Booth would he accepted
all over America as the greatest Hamlet
ot the century. In the season Of 1864
81, at the Winter Garden Theater, New
York, he acted that part for u hundred
nights in succession, accomplishing thus
feat unprecedented in theatrical AN
nlls. Since that time Henry Irving, in
London, has acted Hamlet 200 cousecu-
tive times III .One season but this latter
achievement, il the present day and in
the capital city OF the world, seems less
remarkable than Edwin BOOTHS exploit
was, performed in turbulent New York
IN the closing MONTHS OF our terrible
civil war.
The elder Booth was q short, spare,
muscular man, with IL splendid chest, u
symmetrical Greek head, pale counter.
ance, u voice OF wonderful compass and
tlrilling power, dark hair, and blue eyes.
Edwin's resemblance to him Is chiefly
OBVIOUS in the shape of the head and
ince, the arch and twist Of the heavy
eyebrows, the radiant and constantly
smfIing light OF expression which anl
mates the cuuntenance, the natural grace
pf carriage, and the celerlty of move
ment. kdwin's eyes ere dark brown,
and seem to turn black in moments of
excitement, and they are capable Of cou-
yeying, with electrical etfecJ, the most
diverse menninC--the So 81 n'ty of lofty
thought, the tenderness OF affection, the
pucousness OF torloIn sorrow, tie awful
ernse OF spiritual surroundings, the
wuiul WEAKNESS OF despair, the mocking
glee of wicked sarcasm, the viudlctlve
menace Of sinister purpose, and the
gatnlngglare OF baleil wrath. In range
II facial exprcssiveness his countenancs
1, tlus iull, equ,l TO what his fathers
was, and to all tint tradition tells us OF
Ctur,ck. Tie present writer saw the
y der Booth but once, aud that in COM
.AtNuveiy inferior part--Pescara, in
,,ulel's fsroclOus tragedy ot "Ihe Apos-
I te." lie was terrible presence. He
was the Incarnation Ui smOntb, speciOus,
m iigIaut, Lellsu Iapaclty. Hls eXul-
t,nt lnvl,ce seemed 10 buy him above
tu. Eruuld. Tia toateu rather than
Walked, His giauc9 was deadly. His
CI'ar, high, culClng, measured tone was
IN eXasperStlng nole of hideous cruelty.
ii : Nas acting tlend then. and making
lii 3 monster lot only possible but actual.
lie certainly gave " greater impression
"t overwhelming power than Is gwen 10y
j.!taln Booth, and seemed more for
,4.,,!O.e und tremendous man. But his
ace VAS not more brilliant than that OF
-, renowned son; and IN tact it was, if
uhS ,hmg, sOmewnat less splendid III
,rn"c' OF the eye. - WtLiam Winter, ID.
, In, IlCp'S IfItISine