Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-10-31

boy anu tne insulting language ne USED To
me yesterday
DO not speak of it, said the old man
softy. He told the doctor and me and his
mother about it last night. He was very
sorry indeed, very sorry indeed. Your err
rand Is unnecessary. however. sir. the boy
is dead
"Then the man went home and did moi
lau. h any for two or three days. Any boy
almost can pick on him now and he does
not resent 1t"
Robson tells story as we'll as anybody
know. and wish might do it half as well
in print as he does in conversation. He il
full of "reminiscences. and all of them of in
terest. He tells of n little incident in tho
life of the elder Booth which was not oil
such greet Importance in history. but ]
would have given good sum i'll could have
been concealed somewhere so that L could
have seen the performance.
Young Edwin Booth was just then get
ting so that he could play the banjo pretty
well. He was doing so in his fathers study
one day when the great Forrest entered.
The elder Booth had tho most profound
respect and esteem for the genius of For.
rest. and so he tried to get Edwin to con-
eeal his flippant banjo. But Forrest grand
ly motioned him to go on with 1t.
DO you play Zip Coon. Edwin?" asked
Mr.; Forrest in deep. reverberating tones.
Yes. sir"
"Play It,"
The great Hamlet then proceeded to
Coon. '''''' ''''''' '''''' " '''' '''' All :
Forrest conversed with the elder Booth
a little. but he kept time with his foot to the
iascivious pleasings of young Edwin's
banjo,
"Do you play the Gray Eagle, Edwinp"
asked the Great Forrest
yes, SIR
PLAY it,
Mr.. Booth and Mr.. Forrest still conversed
IN rambling way. but they kept time to
maInHinnQ NH inro Of thn
tragedian,
DO you play the Sailors Hornpipe. Ed.
VIM"
Yes. SIR"
PLAY It,"
Mr.. Forrest now arose. So did Juniul
Brutus Booth. Their faces were as solemn
as If they were playing Richard III. at
one night stand. but gently they fell to
skipping the light and fiippant toe. till at
last IN the retirement, OF this room, the
two great tragedians, with no more mirth
In their faces than there is in the prospects
for the Grant monument fund, hoed II
down. to the banjo plunkety- plunkings o
Edwin Booth.
When Horace seaver, of Boston, was
buried In August. Stuart Robson, among
others. was asked to act as pail bearer.
He wrote In reply to the invitation that he
would feel honored to accept and at the
time set he rode over from Cohasset by
fast train. That is where he made n mis-
take. II he had read the wisdom of the
great scholar and railway savant. Robert ].
Burdette, he would have known that the
man who Is in hurry should take the slow
train. The Cannon Ball train is generally
three hours late and the Flying Dutchman
is frequently abandoned, but the Jerkwater
Mixed train is reported on time.
So Mr.. Robson was little late. and the
enormous audience thronged the aisles and
extended even outside OF Paine Hall. so
that he could not get In at all. Colonel In
gersoll was delivering his tribute to the
dead. He spoke of Mr.. Seaver's great
kindness of heart. and said that "he did not
ask God to forgive his enemies. He for
gave them himself. His sympathy was
"A suffering world. lie knew that antiquity
added nothing to probability-that lapse of
time can never take the place of cnuse-
and that the dust can never gather thick
enough upon mistakes TO make them equal
with the truth"
But Mr.. Robson could not get in. He
stated to those on the ontskiris of the crowd
that no was ono of the rall-bearers and
must get in
"Oh. look at the pall-bearer." remarked
the crowd. Isn't he II pretty pail bearerP'
queried those who could not get in them-
selves. as they bored holes in Mr.. Robson
with their keen elbows. He tried once more
to make IL understood that he was one OF
the pall- bearers, but his voice was split up
the back and loud round OF mirth was
the Immediate reply.
that several others had tried to get in be-
fore | arrived on the ground that they were
pail bearers. and so the crowd was ready
for me. BY that time, II had known that
by giving my name j would have been car
ried in on Il bed OF roses. could not have
done 1t. i went away. and. as | did so. |
heard "a man say: HE is indeed a healthy
looking pail bearer. is he not? He is prob
ably some one who lives here in Boston aad