The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-02-08
AT MR.. IRVING'S TABLE.
A Supper in the Old Beefsteak Club Owe
The Lyceum Theatre, London.
Cen John J. Garrett

Among the recollections of an eight
months stay in London, recall none with
more pleasure than an evening spent as the
guest of Henry Irving. 1 had previously
met Mr.. Irving in New York, and had
promised him then that when should visit
London would call upon him. He had
not forgotten my promise, and when L met
him he extended to me cordial invitation
to come to his theatre on the following
evening and, as he expressed it, "haYe a
chop with me-" The next evening at IL
o'clock found me at the stage entrance OF
he Lyceum Theatre, in Wellington street,
Strand. My card was sent in to Mr.. Ir-
vipg, and soon his secretary and manager
came to escort me to the interior OF the
house, Through dingy corridors, laden
with scenery, We TeD', until suddenly We
| entered a supper room which burst upon
my view like vision CT fairyland.
This room hes history, having at one
| time been the scene Of colvivial gather
| irgs in the fvmed Beefsteak Club. Around
| the bospitAble board in this old room many
| a time have "a hered in social iollity and
| cheer Oliver Goldsmith, DR.. Samuel John
| son, Boswell, Woodfall, the publisher of
the Junius letters; Colman, the dramatist,
| and Smollett, as well as Hawkesworth,
| Bonnel and ThOrnton-al great wits of
the day-MackliD, Savage, Garrick, Ed
| mund Burke, the statesman and orator.
and other great lights of ths past century.
/ From its tapestried walls the portraits OF
| noted reprees natives of the English stage
| and litela ure, both ancient and modern,
look down. Here and there are scattered
! beautifully painted scenes from the cele-
/ brated PLAYS in which the crest actors aud
1 actresses of the past achieved their tr:-
| UNI phs. The portrait of Miss Eliza Terry
is the most etab'e OF to-day, and it occu-
! pied the plece Of honor. 1t ls placed over
- 80
| contrast in its mOdern attire and bri ght,
cheerful expression OF face, with the quaint
/ costumes and severely intellectual couu-
| tenances of these who preceded her. Tue
| broad table was almost buried in bed of
choice flowers, and 1t was evident it was
| not an ordinary occasion.
4 While my guide was entertaining me
with arunning description OF the surround
iDgs 1 was surprised to see Charles A. Daua
i enter the room. Greater stin was my sur
1 prise when few moments later he was fol-
i lowed by James G.. Blaine, vigorous and
Il sprightly. Then came the celebrated war
/ correspondent, Bull Run" Russell, Lord
Beacham Seymour. and other guests, each
more or less distinguished. Wien all had
| arrived Mr.. Irving, who had 1een detained
in dressing after the performance made his
| appearance and warmly greeted bis friends
1 INDIVIDUALLY. / have often heard those
| who have never seen him except from the
front of the stage remsrk that he seemed
| to them q cold and diffident person. with
! whom acquaintance must be difficult. IL
/ there ever lived an actor who could leave
shop behind" and readily transform him
self into an entertaining and delightful
host, that actor is Henry Irving. His pub
lie character is forgotten, and the gentle
urbanity of an unassuming gentleman
draws you closely to him.
| With an utter absence of formality we
L 81 a. g. Aaw al ka
| ing placed to the right of Mr.. Irving, Mr..
Dana next on Mr.. Blaine's right, and the
others comfortably disposed, with Mr.. Rus
| sell opposite our host AS to the menu,
| need scarcely say that it was perfect for
such an occasion, and accompanied by
! wines the mere recollection of which is a
delight. There was complete absence of
that foTmality which usually marks SINH
lar entertainments, and very soon after
the last course ripple of animated con-
! versatioD circled the board. Mr.. Blaine
and Mr.. Dana became deeply interested in
a conversation between themselves, which,
| though not overheard by the rest of the
company, excited considerable curio0sity,
one gentleman remarking to me that il
was possible their chat was of political
nature. AS he was evidently not we'll
versed in American politics, l suggested
that in view of Mr.. DanA's support of Gen.
Butler during the Cleveland. Blaine cam
paign, they could scarcely be called enc
mics, and that political struggles in the
United States rarely created asperities that
time could not Obliterate
While engaged il this earnest converse
ton Mr.. Blaine ard Mr. Dana were inter-
rupted by Mr.. Rossell, who alluded to the
late civil war in America. His remark was
heard by all at the table, and instantly ex.
| cited the attention of the editor and the
| Maine statesman. The former was aware
that / had been en- officer In the Confeder-
ste army, and addressing himself TO me,
asked "if did not think that the defeat
| of the Federal army at the first Bull Run
was OF great bensfit TO the Union cause"
could not see it in that light, and Mr..
| Dana explained thas had the Uuion army
| been victorious then, the war, in his opin-
ion, might have ended by the submission
of the Confederates without the emancioa-
ton of the slaves, which, he said, would
have been q great calamity. / stated, and
| Mr.. Blaine. who seemed to have become
interested. nodded his approval, that Mr..
Dana greatly mistook the temper of the
Southern people at that time if he believed
| that they would have abandoned their
cause under such disaster.
| Noting the interest Mr.. Blaine had taken
in the discussion, asked him what he
thought would have beeR the result had
Gen. Lee won the battle of Gettysburg.
Holding up two fingers, be answered I'M
hesitatiDgly and sententiously:
| Two republics"
| Mr.. Russell, with an evident desire to
continue the conversation on the same
line, remarked that he had never heard the
battle of Gettysburg described from South
ern standpoint. Mr.. Blaine joined with
him in the request, re,ating that he had
| visited the field, and was conversant with
the positions occupied by the troops on
| both sides.
| Apologizing for seeming to criticlse the
generslship OF 30 great military commsn-
der as Gen. Lee, | said that il was my be-
j lief that he had never intended to fight an
\ offensive battle 90 far from his base of sup
plies, but that the success OF the first day
bad determined him to make the attacks of
the second and third days. During my re-
marks pointed out, somewhat at length,
the fact that it was In Gen. Lees power TO
interpose bis army between Gen. Meade
and Washington, which would have given
him two objectives-either Washington or
Meade's army. This would, l explained,
have forced Meade to attack him, when he
would have the selection OF his own ground
or Meade's failure to attack would have al.
| lowed Washington and Baltimore, with the
surrounding territory, to fall into Lees
hands, and the Federal defensive line
would have been the Susquehanna River.
described how such g movement might
have been accomplished by indicating
what might have been the disposition OF
Longstreets corps early on the morning OF
the second day. Mr.. Blaine, Mr.. Dana and
Mr.. Russell manifested intense interest In
my narrative, and when concluded both
/ Blaine and Russell congratulated me warm