New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-29
THE KENDALS.
THEIR FAREWELL TO LONDON AND Mr.
CHANIBERAIN'S FAREWELL TO THEM


London. July 20
Mr. and Mrs. Kendall have had the honor Of
public dinner, given them on Tuesday, when Mr.,
Chamberlain presided and Mrs. Chamberlain wa,
present The list OF guests included fewer dis
tinaushed names than light have been expected
and. especially, fewer names belonging TO the fash
ionable world There are, as Mr.. Gladstone wovld
say. three reasons for their absence The fash
ionable world is extremely busy on its own 40
count. No fuller week than this has been known
for long time The season, which has been
surprising success, is drawing to its close in =
delirous whirl Few people care TO give up q
private dinner for a public one. no matter how
meritorious those TO whom IL is offered. and few
people TO add TO the number OF their en-.
gagcments at such moment. All that is reason
number one. The second is that public dinner
is lottery. The pleasure or WEAKNESS OF long
evening depends on the caprice OF the committee
who arrange the guests. You may be next your
best friend sandwched between the two great
est bores in London. Thirdly, the price Of tick.
cts was $40, and times are hard. Nor was this
all the outlay for the subscriptions TO Mrs Ken.
dal's testimonial came chiefly from those who
put their names down for the dinner / say
nothing Of the incidents which gave rise TO some
feeling among actors and others. for which Nh.
All l wish to point out is that. varied as the list
is, and full as il is of really eminent persons.
the list of those who would gladly signify in
some other way their sense OF Mr.. and Mrs. Ken
daPs services to the English stage would be very
mu ID larger and very much more brilliant.
Perhaps the support Of the profession was what
most gratilied Mrs. Kendall. II was the best
reply TO the cabal against her. Mr. Hare. Lady
MonclltOn, Miss Gcnevieve Ward, Mr.. Grossmth,
Mr. Beerbohm Tree, are names which stand for a
great deal, and if Mr.. Irving's cannot be found
in this long array, Mr.. Tooles can, and means
as much to the initiated. The friendship be-
tween Mr. Irving and Mr.. Toole is to pass into
history like that of Jonathan and David No man
stands higher than Mr.. Toole or than Mr. John
Hare; and Mr.. Hare said: Speaking in tho
name of the profession TO which belong. I can
safely say that Mr.. and Mrs. Kendall will carry
with them to America the hearty good wishes Of
their brother actors and actresses, to whose re-
gard and esteem they are entitled by long years
Of devotion TO the best interests Of their
artn That is remark 10 which all
sorts of persons say ditto; among them tho.
Earl of LondesbOrough, whose passion for the
drama is lifelong: the Dowager MarchiOness OF
Waterford, Lord and Lady Ardilaun, whose in
tepests include literature well the drama, and
Lord Rowton, whose popularity is as wide as the
social area of London. Sir Morel and Lady
Mackenzie were there and two MIR. lawsons, Lady
Lindsay, Sir John Pender, Mr.. Lockwood, whd
had Withdrawn that morning from the Parnell
Commission, under the leadership of Sir CharlesJ
himself foremost in that famous retreat, and
who. with Lady RUSSELL had now found safe
refuge in the Whitehall Rooms. Journalism came
in the persons of Mr. Edward Dicey, Mr.. LUCY
Mr. Ledger and many others. DIR. Guam, oil
course, was at table, so were ST. Joseph fayrer
and Dr. Priestley, Mr.. Alfred Cooper and Mr..
Anderson Critchett, all eminent in medical or
surgical science. Sir George Grove, the musical
writer General Brackenbury, who is both soldier
and journalist, Sir Edgar Boehm, the sculptor Cd
most good recent statues in London, Mr. Hamilton
Aide. novelist. artist musician man OF the worlds
Mr. Pinero and Mr.. Grundy, writers of plays, ana
Mr.. c. J. Phpps builder Of play-houses. las9
of all comes the Church, one Of the pillars of ff
the Reverend Henry White, chaplain Of the Savoy<
II was a representative gathering, say the papers1
trulv. and hardly anything that is best or most
important in the social life of London was uns
represented
Well. what have Mr.. and Mrs Kendall donS
that this public homage should be paid them
They are going TO America for SIX months. Is
this dinner merely an advertisement? VI course
il is an advertisement You heard something OF
it by cable and this letter about it is perhaps also
an advertisement But the testimony OF the per-
sons who attended is not OF kind to be gwen
lightly. When something has been set down 70
GOODWILL their remains much more which ress
only on nubhc grounds The services of the
kendals are very real and considerable Mr1
Kendall has been one of the best OF London mani
ayers. lie and Mr.. Hare together were for some
few years, perhaps more, at the head OF the oO'
James's Theatre They took part in that lm'
portant movement which has during thai
period so altered the face Of things dramaue
in London Mr. Irvings name is always con-
nected with this movement, rightly ana hohoraoy'
Others might be named. Mr.. Irving. MesSrs.
Hare and Kendall and the rest were, aiter ait
working in their own interest ana ior pro'iO'
The credit due them is due because Vney
saw that there was a public for good Things do
well as bad and they preferred to supply 'n'
demand for what was good. They educaeu lno,r
good public into being better. lhey all n'"''
mistakes. some of Mr.. Irvings were grave ones,
like his Macbeth. his Romeo. and others 'ir'
Kendall. too. showed signs of going wrong now
and then. but q mans work is to be judged as
whole. and as Il whole it was good and his III.
aucnce rs n manager has been on the right side'
Mrs Kendall might perhaps be called the most
conscientious artist on the English stage. She Is
nre cn,inentlv nm artist; not merely an interesting
Individuality Now an artist is rare character and
| precious in proportion to his or her rarity ~
is idle TO enter upon comparisons. and l avoid
them. but put the question: Who else is there
in whom and with whom the art comes frstP
| You will soon see Mrs. Kendall and form your own
opinion The public is always the trial Judge.
and new public is entitled to render new
verdict But even journalist is one of the pub
lie. and I have for years gone as one OF the public
TO see Mrs Kendall and TO admire the finish OF
her arb. its decacy, its truth. its sympathetic
intelligence. and many other high qualities, to
which | heartily offer my testimony.
Mr. Chamberlain made an interesting speech
at the Kendall dinner interesting from more points
! ~ ,iew than one IL roads like one more step