Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-21
. 1AA9s MC1AbIAN
blind Tn-


he gave after his concert a marvellous exhi
bition OF his wonderful memory. Prof. Pal
ing, teacher OF music in that city, played {
piece OF music for Blind Tom sixteen year
ago at one Of his concerts in Europe, anC
since that time the professor and Tom have
never met. Mr.. BeIhnne, TOMS manager
did not remember the professor, bat told
him TO tell his name 10 the prodigy and
probably be would reoollect the occasion oil
years ago. So the professor approached
| Tom and remarked, "My name is Falling
Do you recollect piece played for. you
many years ago?" whereupon Tom immedi-
ately begun humming the air, and, sitting
| down TO the piano, played the whole piece
| just as IL had been played for him sixteen
years ago. Tom begins his Memphis en-
gagement Christmas afternoon, and gives
| four performances in two days.
The Former Bellies or the Stage.
The New York Star reports sn interview
| with a well-known manager, who said "that
all the fsvorite actresses of a few years ago
have either married and left the Stage or
have retired 10 private life of their own ac-
cord"
promptly replied that I was not aware
of such retirements, and my friend, folding
his psper and drawing his chair just a triie
closer, continued:
"Now, there is Ninon Duclos. She cap
| a
wood merchant named Kenny built her
little theaier, which he called the Folly.
Her favorite pastime was horse whipping
wouldbe Washers in all prominent cities.
Well, about eighteen months ago she fell in
love with Charles Benton, former manager,
married him, and now is quite card ia re-
ligious circles West and South, where she
attends church fairs, experimenting the pro-
duction of religious cantatas and broom
- e.
a sealed book. And there is Pauline Mark
ham. Who does not remember her? She
was the most perfect 'Stalscta' that the
Black Crook ever knew, and New York
went wild about her. Now she is Mrs. Ran
dolph Murray, lives in Philadelphia, and
makes, so my friends say, splendid house.
wife. and Minnie Cummings, who came from
the West in $40, played one of the seven
'Ju!iets' to George Rignold on the occasion
of his benefit at Booths, aud captured the
laurel wreaths and bouquets designed for
poor George, is also among the list of retired.
Minnie is almost as old as Maggie Mitchell,
and lives out on Madison avenue with her
manageable daughter. Then," continued
my communicative friend, ada Wernell,
who Iisped just enough TO make her inter-
esting, has left the stage TO play life en-
gsgement in Brooklyn as Mrs. George Nor
ton. Maud Branscombe has retired. Bessie
Darling likewise; Belle Howlitt has been a
stranger 10 The boards for two years, and the
dashing Emma Bretto is living quietly in
Philadelphia. I could talk for an hour on
this theme, recalling old familiar faces; but
what rs the usee II ouiy makes me feel sad.
Will you try drop OF cognac?"
Mccullough as aHamIet'
The New York Tribune says of John Nc
CulIough's Hamlet" that many beauties of
execution might be named in the perform
L. al nd he fofo al
absence Of ornament and frippery being con-
spicuous felicities; but tines. are Of little
avail, without the "Hamlet" spirit, and this,
in Mr.. Mccullough, exists only as an alb
straction or a theory, not as saturating
passion. He understands Hamlet" IS fully
and as exactly az any other person under
stands il, and he makes the meaning clear;
but there is a lack of Identification, so that
the subject is snalyzsd from without instead
of being interpreted from within. We do
not mean to say that Hamlet" is 8 higher
part than Lear" or that the actor is def
cieut in that fine intellectual quality which
"Hamletn involves. The sole point is that
his sfinities are with the loving
father whose heart Is broken and
whose mind is crszed by unkindness,
aud not with the morbid, grief-stricken,
melancholy moralizer, whose favorite sub
iect (before he has seen or heard any
sGbos,n At ALL is suicide, and whose whole
being is a dry rot of sorrow and misery. In
Temperament, person, voice and method, Mr..
Mccullough showed himself to be discordant
with "Hamletn Yet, by the symmetry OF
his art. and BY his magnificent delivery OF
the tar. moi to speak OF his perfectly def
nile expression of distinct ideal, he makes
snch a psrformauce of the Dane As scholar
ship must always respect, and as popular
ts.te il certain 10 approve. His treatment
of the ghost scenes, his monrnfnl tenderness
in tbe barring with "Ophelia," and his de-
livery of the great soliloquy on suicide are
benceForth treasures in memory. All the
same, our preference must continue n % Sc ior
,ns, mon the dread tribunal OF justice,
whenever we think of John Mccullough.