The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-12-04
How Rip Came on aho Dtaes,

AAo" AS4R ~aAAAA0 a1AA ~ .-NA---E
Dion Boucicault narrates Ia North
American Review the way that Rip
Van Winklen came upon the STAGE.
In the summer of 1866, he says, Hf.
Joseph Jefferson arrived Ia london
from Australia, at an unfortunate mo-
mert. American comedians were not
regarded with favor by the London
public. The failure Of Mr.. Owens was
of recent date. Mr. jefferson had no
new plays. Those characters which
Mr. Boucicault had written Tor him
Salem Scudder, in The Octotoon;7
and Caleb Plummer, In ''Dotn-had
been played out So this bright come
dian found no door open to him The
manager of the Adelphi hazarded the
remark, tIf Mr.. Boucicault viii write
a new piece for you viii give you an
appearance. he ought TO do It, for he
told me you were the best eccentric
comedian living a
So Jefferson came TO Boucicaulk.
and they tossed over dozen subiect
He expressed great affection for Rip
Van Winkle,p an old and very bad
melodrama. BE admitted that the
piece had failed; he had shown it to
Webster, who objected TO producing
such a rag. Boucicault pointed out
that the character Of ragged old cot.
however picturesque, was not an at
tractive object through three acts.
Stay, cried the author, "a thouRhk
occurs to me. Suppose we sweep aside
Washington Irving, and make Rip q
young, buoyant, ne'er-dosHell, with q
young wife and q young child Let
hum be the playfellow Of all the chill
dren, the lover of all the girls, vii
lage Bohemian Let us carry that
character through the first and second
acts. and bring him out In the third
aged IN appearance, but fresh IN heart
after his long sleep"
jefferson was not 'senthusedp with
this new form of the story, but yield
ed, as he saw no other way. to obtain 4
London appearance In q few reeld
tho piece was written, and the Adelpbi
theatre was placed at the disposal Of
Mr.. Bouclcault. Mr. JeRersonS agree
ment with the manager, Mr.. Webster
was TO share the gross receipts nightly
after 41o pounds had been deducted
lor expenses. The agreement between
bonc1cault and Jefferson was that the
author should receive one third 81 JEFF
ferson's share. The plav md ne
comedian made the success of fiIaf eTlS'-s
SON. In the summer Of the follosTf fno,,
year Jefferson went to New York. afld
commenced career too well l1iosyn
ana remembered to require reeoraye j
In Bohemia.
In Munich, the para disc az tl,e ~
hemlans, there Is even more freedo1a
o. action and Of Conversation fhan
there IS in Berlin. But then real -,
clety does not exist In Munich. 7E7erSs
: BODY Is more or less a Boheu1fn1 :.
Princes of the blood visit beer hcsl1s-.
IN the same happy o-lucky fashio1 = =
the fradesmens One Of the best knolrn
OF the best Bohemians and really, o.
OF the most remarkable women n
MUNICH Is the Baroness Won PauESiirlfE.
er, wife Of the e1-minister Of fnancS
tor bavaria She keeps open housa
Tor painters, poets, singers. actors
journalists, and almost eveFTbodv.
VINO can behave decenfly and dress
respectfully. IN baroness PausinRer's
house you may hear the social tidbits
that are going IN Munich. "A u1ell Or
woman with q good story Is q Rreat
pT1ze.-San Francisco Areonaut