Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-12
OLD RIPS BUNIPs.
A chronological Description Of she
Famous 3 -tor, Joseph Jeff .rsou.

/ Famous Actor, Joseph Jeff .rsou.
! Fron ~ Cincinnati Comroerctal Garette.
/ True genius IS alwaJs phenomenal, Dat
10 may b. either comprehensive, broad
and masculine, or partial. specific and
feminine The greatest characters move
the world by throwing their weight
against il: while the second class. ike
UlpLeus vita his Tyre, oy music. and
magic. sympathy and suHtllty. achieve III
tle end almost the same results. The
lrst are Ike sc0rching, t0rrd suns. and
rue second Ike the quiet stars, suoduei
and serene.
Joseph Jefferson is remarkable, not ior
masculine strength, but FOR a charming
Individuality. unlqueness, quai1tuess
and geutleness almost womauiy. From
English ancestors on the paternal side.
T be iuherits a prediction faT- tuesfaEe.
ar i from his French mother an equal
love for painting. He is man II
medium weight, with head measGrIuy
TWENTY-FIVE and quarter inches. which
IL z good size, but not large. However,
The temperament Is favorable ~ The high
est order " activity. BE has DARK blue
eyes. fine, silky, brown hair. aud rather
small features. which Indicate great
constituencies Of feeling and quickness "
Judgment. He strongly resembles his
mother, and possesses the feminine IN
sllncts aud lniulu0ns IN marker DEGREE.
And here lies the secret ~ has dramatic
power. He is the embOdmc of q ndeg-
ness aud the whole character ~ We man
may almost he expressed q the ore word
sympathy. he is 50 emotional ana re-
spousIye, that VITA hin 70 think is 20
feel and 70 feel is 70 act, 50 tnat
DE stands as an interpreter and mirror,
ID ffg.nf fra ba md - .fa
perfect self"
Asi case Of nearly all persons who
contribute anything to the world, Mr.
Jefers0n's head ia somewhat angular
more like a beechnut than an acorn in
shape-but, 70 his credit, it may be said
that his weak faculties are for the most
part, Of class that never would
De missed. For example, there Is
decided narrowness just above the ears
Ia the region Of secrecy, severity, and the
sense Of possession or acQuisitiyeness:
and what he lacks, at the top Of the head,
M reverence, is amply compensated bv
his love Of good deeds. Beneyolence is
very strong, also firmBess and con-
scienti0usness. But the impulse TO pro-
tect the young or helpless and dependent
u any age, the faculty OF philroprogeni-
tiYeness, located in the center Of the back
head, is the dominant element in his
social nature, and extends Its influence
even 10 his art, as eyinced by his fond
ness and singular aptitude for the
characters Of paleb GUNNER and Rip Van
Wrinkle.
A lack OF self-esteem, OF English pride.
10 also another popularity common %
both the actor and the hero Of the
Catskills. In fact, Mr. jefferson is quite
as afdble and uuassuming in private
life as Rip himself, with the addi-
ton, however, OF being a scholarly
gentleman. But mis- forehead is a
study. Tho lower part. the physicO-
perceptiye region, is wonderfully de-
yelOped. The eyebrows are high and
arched. indicating phenomenal talent for
facts, details, statistics, and judgment of
all the properties OF material things such
AS shape, dimensions, weight, color,
locality, etc. These are the faculties
which give him dexterity as a painter.
HIS memory of events must also be re-
markabe. The forehead is OF the French
type, triangular, broad at the base, ex-
ceedingly wide In the temporal region at
constructiveness, but slopIng laterally
from the center Of the upper part, hence
he viii be artistic, literary, mechanical,
scientific, and executive, but not very
theoretical, metaphysical, or abstract.
Ideally is not large, and he will not
manifest much love for beauty in the
direction Of imagination. As an artist
he VIII excel in vividness of detail and
warmth Of colorng, rather than in vague
generalties, and the key to his success
as an actor Is his naturalness and sym
patty, FOR he is not remarkable as
mimic IN the ordinary sense
In everything pertainlngto humanity, he
Is as sensitive as an E0lfan harp, and. al
together, he is well worthy OF TIE fame he
has attained.