The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1883-01-07

! give thom 10 You. ALI he ie1r Ronud.
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| An Actors Notebook.
| You ask me, says Henry II. Howe,
London, to say something Of my experience durn
my career. have found II so dincult 70 do viii
out an extensive Of the personal prOnOun that
almost gave It M In despair. When tell you that
was brought up until the age Of nfteen entirc
among Quakers, and rather Of the strlcos to form
aud obscryauces among them, you win uudcrstau
that had not the least knowledge OF what theatt
was IKE My notions being formed only by seein
the outside Of travelling booth At fair, you can In
| aglne my bewdermcnt aud wonder when tell 70
the tlrst theatre was ever IN was Drury Lane, o
the occasion OF " Edmund Dean ~ playing RichGr
M. went In half price, the brilliant sight Of
crowded theatre fun OF fashion aud beauty seemed I
me sort OF paradise. When the curtain Toso on tll
commencement OF the fourth act, with Kean, q
mchgrd, on the throne, with all tue courters ahou
completed my enthrallmont. ! resolved from tina
time to follow the profession.
At that time Mr. Kean resided at the Richmon
Theatre, Of which he was the lessee, aud used Ia
theretwo nights week. then lived at lseworth
as do now, and called Mr.. Kean. lie wa
astonshed o. see youth In Quaker's garb sOlIcltn
an engagement; lie was evidently much amused, an,
asked me VI my parents knew OF my intention. Whei
he found they dld not he strongly advised me t.
give up the notion. Among other things, he asks
me " was prepared to starve; he told me he hai
several times In his life been eighteen aud twent
hours without food. lie was just going to rwcken
ham AIT, and asked me to go with him, rs his boa
was waiting for hln. lie had Ave dogs with him tina
seemed wonderfully attached TO him: he gave me al
tue HOOu uuNlcb ne COUlu tnlnk OF TO ulSSuhUe IN
from my INCLINATION, and parted with me under tn
Impression he had succeeded. Ills good counsel wa
effective for about year. until one night In tn,
pit OF COvent Garden Theatre when q Mr.. Otwav,
well.known amateur OF that day. was acting JdMor
was young and foolish and Missed him, A gentle
man next to me politely asked me not to hiss him,
the poor man was dolug his best, and said that N
knew the difficulty OF walking and speaking at tn
same time should have pity on him. I soon found
my neghbOr was an amateur actor, and ives going Il
play ShViock ut Smiths0n's private theatre, In
Cathetlncsreet; and he represented that II liked
by paying seven shilllngs and sNpence could have
the part OF AntOntO, This was my first essay.
remember rather an amusing circumstance that oc-
CURED during the performance. When Shylock triet
to enter his house, after his scene with Gobbo, n.
frequently happens in carelessly conducted theatres
he found the uOor fastened on the inside Aftel
shaking the whole scene, wag In the pit called ont
" Go round the back way, old bloke or YOU II have
the house down. This raised the first laugh which
lasted at Intervals through the piece.
But once having begun was determined not tc
turn back. My first engagement was at the VictOris
theatre, where All accident happened that might
have been fatal to me. new meodrama,
called nRlchard Plantagenet,f by j. Uaines wa,
produced, In which horses were Introduced They
were hostcd mp outside the building to the second
floor, where they entered through the window. They
were then arranged ON q platform, and descended
brake to near the ootllghs. The OF the horses
led the procession In suit OF brass armor, which
with the horse was great weight and when the poor
animal stepped upon the stage the flooring gave way
The poor beast was killed. on the spot and the mar
only lived a few hours. was on horseback follow
ing; the Instinct OF my horse unasslsed by any skill
OF my own, saved my life by jumping clean the
chasm. Hy-the.by, the brass armor reminds me nj
a strange dilemma was In during the same engage
ment. The brass founders had benefit at the Vie
tOrla which occasion had to reclte poetlca nd
dress, screwed up In splendid suit OF real brass
armOr; they were twenty minutes getting Into 1t.
delivered my address with my arm on u pedestal to
support me, To which was carried. When the cur
tain dropped they could not get out Of tho armor Ia
consequence of some screw breaking and I was
obliged to be put Into hackney coach and taken to
workshop in tho borough TO he released.
had another narrow escape at the Windsor Thea
tire, playing Miles Bertrdm In the " Wreck shore ~
one OF the characters IN the piece had to present
gun with u threat to shoot him. This was at re-.
heatsal, but strange to say the gun was loaded-of
COURSE only with powder. The man pulled the trig-
ger without being required To do SO, and was shot
IN the eye, and laid up for five weeks In the uncer.
tanty OF not knowing il should ever see again IL
was In the FIRST year OF Her Gracious Maesty's COM
Ing to the throne; she was at the Windsor at the
time, and made repeated Inquiries about me, and gave
orders that was to have anything required from
the Castle. Every morning fruit was sent from the
garden; "A benefit was got up for me my recovery,
when received from the Queen substantial proof of
her sympathy.
Perhaps the greatest practical Joke ever practIced
was perpetrated by Abbott upon Miss Stephens the
celebrated prima DONNA She was simple, kind
hear ted woman, always fun Of sympathy for any dis
tress. Abbott, during the rehearsal of "Guy Man
nering,' pretended to be very unwell upon which
Miss stephens, rs usual. appeared to be very con-
cerDed. lie told her that he to undergo opera
ton that afternoon of a very painful nature; she
endeayored to persuape him not to think Of acting the
part OF Col. Wdnnertng on the following night. lie
told her the doctor assured him lie would be able to do
so after the operation was once performed The next
evening, on ms way TO the theatre, he called at a
butcher and bought q kidney, and when he led Miss
stephens to the front Of the stage sing the IN
the finale lie placed the Kidney IN her hand and told
hor that was what he had taken out az his side the day
bcfOre and she actually sang the music with the kid
ney In her closed hand AS she had opportunity of
dropping 1t. remember seeing Miss Stephens-In
fact, all the witches In Macbeth -dressed I'm white
muslin short paticOats, with satin shoes and sandal
and Mother Sbipton conica hat: 1t seemed almost
impossible knowing how differently things are done
now.
Actors have at times the most extraordinary notes
sent to them from the outside public. / remember
while acting at the Haymarket in the ''Vicar of
Wakefield, playing the part OF needy swell, wore
a pair OF Berlin gloves. After the performance
received this note: Sr. IL you wear those d gloves
to-m morrow night by I'm shoot you. Yours Lieut.
Blake l compromised the matter, and wore one
only carrying the other, and 1 heard no more.
While AT Covent Garden had a Bible sent me with
these words, "Study this closely you have your
Shakespeare, and You will be the better man. ~
While playing In "Wild Oats at the Haymarket,
Mr. James Wallack being the RoUer, and old gentle
man In the corner OF the next the stage
had risen from his seat and was putting his green
coat and comforter very deliberately, when Waack
addressed him, being always very much annoyed If
the audience moved before the piece ended which
is often the case, that the last few lines naudi
Bile. ~ beg your PARDON sir, ~ said Walack ''but
the piece Is not quite over The old gentleman was
quite prepared, and replied, "Thank you, Mr.
Waack but I've had quite enough Of IT, This
turned the laugh against Wallack. The Haymarket
was at time noted for its late performances while
MIR. Morris was the lessee, before Wabster's time
lie was standing at the prompt entrance and seeing
to wake his master, Mr.. Morris said to Frederick
Vining who was playing IN the last piece, IL being
then past twelve O'Clock, Look at that gentleman
fast asleep, and his servant trying to wake him. ~
- Yes, see, " said Ninlng, 80 lie has brought his
master the latchkey, TO tell him the servants won
wait up any longer for him.