New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-11
and this Is pity, for the story Is clever and wen
ANECDOTES OF THE STAGE.


Caswell h Co.
This entertaining publication Is the first of an in
tended series of five volumes, in which the editors
propose TO present biographical Sketches anecdotes
and critical estimates of about seventy-hv OF tho
principal performers who have illustrated the Eng
lsh and American stage since.the middle OF the last
century. Their plan 10 novel and has many ad-
vautages The biographies are by various writer's,
80 far az possible by those who have made special
studies of their particular subjects and the anec-
dotes, "reminiscences etc, printed separately, are
i collected by the editors from great variety OF
sources including some that not often drawn
upon for works of this character. Each volume Is
to be devoted to separate epoch, ana cach COM
plete in itself. In the present volume we nave FOUR
teen biographies including Macklin, Quin. GarrlcK'
Foote, Mrs. Give, Peg Wellington. Mrs Abingdon
and George Ann Bellamy; and the Contributors arc
William Archer, Il. w. Lowe. AUSTIN DooSo"
Walter Herries Pollock. Brander Matthews, Percy
Fitzgerald. and Edward Eggeston. The editors
have nerformed their part of the task with judg-
ment and intelligence and the result is very read
able az we'll as useful book.
Charles Macklin Mclaughlin is.distingushed as
Garrck's precursor in the return to naturai act
ingv lie SAID of his first appearance IN London
spoke familiar, sir and 50 little IN the Monty
toity tone of the tragedy of that day that the
manager told me- l had better go to grass for an-
other year or two" He an honest, rude. over
bearing quick tempered, generous Johnsonan soi'
of man, selfeducated, Intelligent executing III
heavy parts but playing well in great variety Oh
roles. One of his greatest characters was NhylocN'
teoI pe the Second went to see HIM and the I'M
presslon he received was so powerful that III ue-
prved him of rest throughout the night; In ths
morning the premier lSr Robert Walpolel waited
on the King to express his fears that the Comm ons
woul oppose a certain measure tnen III ConteIhPid
ton wish. Your Majesty" said Sir Robert, =" IL
n,.l inf n
M"S If lannon's "What do you think"
nlied he King, of SEEDING them to the theatre to
see that lrishman play Myi0cN!
O'Keefe gives curious. account of MackIns
method of training pupils:
In MacllliDs garden there were three long par
ael walks, and his method OF exercising thelr
vo. ccs was thus: his two young pupils with back
boards isuch they use III boarding schools
walked hrmy, slow. and well up and down tie two
side walks Macklln himself pliaded the centre
walk; AT the end OF every twelve PAGES he made
them stop; and turning gracefully, the young actor
called ont across the walk, How 90 you do. Miss
Ambrose i'she answered. Very well, L thank
YOU. Mr. GlenNille' They then took few more
PAGES and the next question was, =" 10 you not
think 1t a very fine day. Nh. Genvlllef " A very
line day, indeed, Miss Ambrose" was the answer
Their walk continued and then. " How do yOu DO
Mr. Chenille -" Pretty wei, thank YOU Miss
Ambrose And this exercise continued iOr an
hour or so Macklin still keeping IN III" centre
walk. in the iul hearing q: then religious next
door neigAbors. Such was MackllhS method CT
too low "A wrong accent or IL family infection, he
immediately noticed II. and made them repeat the
words twenty times till all WIS right. soon aiter
this MI Glenviie played d"toH.o 10 ms Nhg'ock III
the Merchant OF Venice : and Miss Am brOso ChA-
tote III his own Love Ia Mode
Mackln had tho misfortune to kill brother
actor named Italian, IN the course OF quarrel
and was tried Tor murder bit acquitted as 1t was
made clear that the killing was accidental James
Quiu the subject of the second biography in this
I ftal
On the plea If self-defence. The victims in bo;h
cases were actors Mr. Dobson contributes brief
sketches of the celebrated group of performers
Of this period, Kitty Give David Ga.rck, and Peg
Woilin gton-sketches which are entertaining
though perhaps somewhat meagre. George Col
man. the younger, wrote OF Garrick'
No remark was ever more true than that Garrick
acted both IA and OF the stage; he was giut-
ton praise and after gorglng upon the applause
of laundering audiences and luliclous critics H!s
saiatcd grOvelling appetite hungered Tor the
admiration ol shoe-black or m infant he would
steal 81 long look at dukes table to ascertain
whether lie had made hit upon the butler and tic
ootmen; such was the littleress of the Great Kos
Gus go, -,
eye but he had the art OF completely quenchng It's
fire. as in his acting Hir anthony Braar'ie Ora |
greatest sang f0id and whose language, opposed 10
ms temperature bTeathrs flame like lieca IN Ice
land. In This part, lave been told, lie made the
twin stars. " hieh nature had stuck In hii hesG,
look as dull az two cCddlcd GoOseheIrcs but MS
DeafmGnS eye of which once witnessed speci- !
men at Hampton, eyiuced his mlnuteneSs OF obser-
walton and gilt of execution.
There Is IN expression in the eve of deaf persons
II mean of such rs have not lost ~ perception OF
sound which, difficult as it may be TO- exhibit IN
muucry It is still more difficult To define in writ
ing;-it consists of mixture of dulness and vvac-
ity in the organs of vision ill icating an anxiety to
hear ALL with a pretending to hear more than is
Actually observed and Il disappointment IN having
lost much an embarrassed look between Intelll-
gcnce and something approaching TO stupidlly-all
this lie conveyed admirably and IL 1 could con
vev IL in words one tithe well, | should have
made myself more intelllgble.
On the whole, with all his superior art IN pOr-
travng nature il is to be lamented that he outraged
her in one character-and that was his own he
Oyeracted the part OF Carr ick
DR.. Doran gives the following account Of the
close of the great actors theatrical career:
As take leave OF Garrick. remember the touch
ing scene which occurred on the last night but one
of his pablo performance. HIS farewell to the
stage was made in a comic character; but he and
tragedy parted forever the night before: On that
occasion he played Lear to the COrdetd OF Miss
louuge As TIE curtain descended they lay on the
stage hand in hand, ana hand in hand they rose
and went Garrck silently leading, to his dressing
room; whittier they were followed by many OF the
company. There stood Lear and COrdetid. still hand
in hand, and mute. At last Garrick exclaimed,
All Bessy this is the last time shall ever be your
father the last time r and he dropped her hand.
Mss lounge sighed too and replied afectlonately
with hope, that before they parted he would
il AS il was meant serionsy and as Miss Younge
bow ed her head he raised his hands and prayed that
God would bless her. Then slowly looking round
ne murmured q God bless you all " and slowly
divestng himself of his LoGr's dress, tragedy and
one of her most accomplished sons were discovered
forever.
None of the anecdotes cited of Mrs Wellington
are better than the following passage from Mr. Dob
sons sketch:
Steees PLiIs was one of the favorlte parts of the
/
was also one of Mrs. Abington's parts and yet
somehow one fancies that Mrs. Wellington must
have played it best. Her radiant yyacity, her de-
lightful archness her grace her Irish Uerre that
Walpole mistOok for Irish impudence-all these
must have conspired to make her Phitts charming.
And in what was she not charming this washer |
woman's daughter with the long delicate fingers, |
this mperious beauty from Dublin back street, |
who was the finest of stage fine ladies, whose dis
t.o Ill ahIe Mhnse manners Mero |