The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-12
DRIFT FROM THE OTHER SIDE
Mr.. Joseph HattOn's Weekly Letter of
Current Topics in London.
Henry Irving Will Never Play in America
Again-English and American Springs
The Russo Afghan Complication.

LONDON April When you read this letter
you will have parted from Henry Irving, and he
has assured me that he will never make another
professional tour in America 81 mean to visit
the United States again, but not to act and
am. as you know, perfectly sincere in telling my
American friends that this is my final decision.
If have any influence with Mr. Irving, / shall
one day induce him to make holiday" in the
United States in such way that he could
utilize his time and have all the enjoyment of
easy and pleasant travel. He is not the man to
take a vacation such as is necessary for a
proper trip through the United States. His
training and career belong to action as much
as to reverie and contemplation. He is, in
deed, essentially a man of action; his genius
requires expression, deeds, results; he could
no more lounge through a three months
tour without doing some real work than he
could be induced even to think of so long holi
day. America does not yet know how great a
reader and reciter Irving is And Miss Ellen
Terry does not know what remarkable work she
could do in that direction. Irving knows OF
what he is capable because he has done it, The
public can realize what Miss Terry might &C
complish, because they have seen her Ophelia
and her Beatrice. 1 hope some day that Mr..
Irving and Miss Terry together may listen to
the suggestion contained in this letter, namely
that they will (say two or three years hence),
make reading tour of the world, beginning with
New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Boston,
and working their way South and West to San
Francisco, and so "round the world and home
DIV or txva
with music and they might even dress some of
their scenes; then each could present individual
examples Of recitation, and the entertainment
would be unique. especially if it included some
of the new character studies which Irving will
exhibit on the Lyceum stage within the next few
years. | repeat, that neither America nor Eng
land has yet seen what Irving can do as an in
dividual NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., reciter. lecturer;
and it is a faint hope, but l entertain it, that
and rest from management, no will act on the
ideas l am propounding to you, and that I may
once again be the companion of his travels.
H.
You only know man, they say, when you
have made sea voyage with him. 1t has been
my lot to have had this especial experience of
Irving, and to have seen him under all kinds of
circumstances, and he has always been the
same good fellow that he is to-day. like to say
this now because feel that the American peo-
pie know it is true. No Englishman could 60 to
the United States and live there as Irving has
done for something like sixteen months or two
years, and not be found out. Americas percep-
tive faculties are very quick, and though she
will open her heart and her pocket to honor a
distinguished stranger on his first visit she
requires that he should work up to the high
standard she gives him, that he shall meet all
the heavy draughts she draws upon his charac-
ter and abilities She cannot be deceived by
puffery or by taffy; she must have real sterling
proof of the genius, the capacity, the nobility
of nature she has counted upon and paid for in
her generous hospitality. 1t is the second and
third visits that are the true test of her
regard; the verdict comes after courtesy first
welcome and hospitality, then TO show that
you are worthy. No man in my time has full
filed all the American requirements more COM
pletely than Irving; no man has been more
thoroughly indorsed. 1t began last year on his
second visit to Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia;
it has eliminated this year in his second visit to
America and in this third and fourth visits to
the great cities; and nothing has tried and proved
in America Except in his own theater Shak-
speare has failed in London during his absence;
and theatrical and dramatic art has shown such
signs of deterioration that even his friends have
not until now realized how important factor
he is in current art. / feel little personal pride
myself in Irvings American success, having pre-
dicted it long before he had seriously listened to
proposals for his appearance in the United
States, having been sympathetic spectator of
his transatlantic course, and shared with him
he ,,1a v,la fho ictp If ON
record.
feel inclined to drift in this letter. Have
you ever lain in boat on sunny day and left
her drift taking no account of time. only listen
ing to the music at her bow, and looking up
into the sky? That is how l feel about this
letter: and 1 am thinking of dreamy day on
the Hudson and of another dreamy day on the
shores of Long Island. Not that the weather in
London at the moment is inspiring: for right in
the midst of spring we have had a return of win
ter: indeed we are having more Of winter this
week than we have had all this season; and yet,
SO remarkable is this climate, that the trees
are green with buds, and the gardens bright
with spring flowers. Two days ago we had a
snow storm, and while write / look upon a
small garden i'll which yellow crocuses are
blooming above the winters carpet and tulips
are thrusting forth their summer buds. And
am thinking how green and radiant the country
will be when Irving and his company catch their
first return glimpses of it, seeing that they will
leave America before your first beams of sum-
mer have wiped out the winters wrack and
sush. Your spring is not the English spring
Our trees have been budding for
over a month; and they go on
gradually getting greener and more
leafy, until May, when the thorn will be in
blossom, the lilacs and laburnums in full bloom
the chestnuts all aglow. and spring at the height
of her glory; then follows summer with her
roses, and autumn with her chrysanthemums
On the other hand, the American summer is in
her full radiance, ere yet you can say it is
spring. Your climate is eminently character
istic of your people and institutions; your
progress is quick changes strongly marked your
public opinion hot and noisy; you do not rest and
think, you do not lie in boat and drift; whereas
our changes are slow and sometimes eccentric;
our spring begins almost with your winter, and
creeps slowly along from mere suggestion of
sap and brown buds to the young and tender
leaf, winter stepping in and then to lay
upon nature an icy and retarding hand. With
you summer comes at bound. leaps into life;