The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-16

Among the latter may be mentioned
"The Willow Copse," in which Couldock
scored his first stage triumph; rip Van
Wrinkle" with which the name of Jeffer-
son is firmly linked; 1.-THE Colleen Bawn,"
"The Shaughraun," Louis XII" Foul
Play" Led Astray" and after Dark"
Thirty-five of the dead authors plays had
irst runs Of at least 100 nights each, and it
Is said that during the last quarter of
eentury there has not been a single night
on which some one of his immense number
Of productions has not been presented
either in the United States, Great Britain
or Australia. 1t is also estimated that
m that time the public has paid S40,-
100000 to see his plays acted. 1.-THE Col
leen Bawn" Melted him $1,000 900, and
1.-THE Shanghraun" realized nearly half
that amount. For the latter play and his
services as an actor during five years
Lester Wallack offered Mr.. Boucicault
e25o,0OO. The proposition was declined
Dion Boucicault was born in Dublin of
an Irish mother and French father He
was first married in 1914 to a widow Of
means and beauty, who died a few years
later. Then 1t was announced that Agnes
Robertson, a handsome actress, had be-
come his wife. They lived together for
many years, and five children were the
fruit Of the union. Their differences ended
In a divorce suit, and not long ago Mr..
Boucicault espoused Louise Thorndyke, a
young actress, who survives him, and who
was with him at the time of his death.
Despite the enormous sums he earned
Boucicault died poor. He was lavish as a
prince in his expenditures and unlucky
In his speculations; but no financial disas-
ter affected his buoyant temperament. He
felt that he had gold mine in his head,
and that he could replace lost fortunes at
will. He left nearly finished a drama
based on Bret Harte's novel 1.-The Luck Of
Roaring Camp" in which it had been
planned that Mrs. Thorndyke Boucicault
should star.
But nothing the man wrote excelled that
production of the boy - the wonderful
London Assurance" There is electricity
In every line and an extra heart throb in
every climax. What modern pen has pro-
duced more stirring passage than this
where Lady Gay Spanker describes the
conduct Of her mount in a steeplechase:
There were sixty horses in the field, all mettle
10 the bone: the start was a picture-away We
went in q cloud-pell mell-helter skelter-the
fools first as usual, using themselves up-we
boon passed them-frst your Kitty, then my
Blueskin and Craven's colt last. Then came the
tug-Kitty skinned the walls-Blueshin few
over the fences-the colt neck and neck and half
. mile to run-at last the colt baked leap and
went wild. Kitty ana had it all TO ourselves
she was three lengths ahead as we breasted the
last wall six feet, If an inch, and ditch on the
other side. Now, for the first time, ! gave Blue
skin his head-hal hal Away he flew like a
tbunderbot-over went the fly-I over the same
spot, leaving Kitty in the ditch-walked the
Bteepe, eight miles In thirty minutes and
scarcely turned a hair.
These lines, voiced by an actress like Mrs.
Nisbett or Charlotte Cushman, never
failed to "bring down the house." but the
closing sentences of London Assurance"
which fall from the lips OF Sir Harcourt
Courtly, are equally worthy of reproduc-
ton. The character says:
Barefaced assurance is the vulgar substitute
tor gentlemanly ease; and there are many, who,
by sping the vices Of the great, imagine that they
elevate themselves 70 the rank Of those whose
faults alone they copy. MOI sir. The title Of
gentleman is the only one out Of any monarch's
gift, yet within the reach OF every peasant Il
should be engrossed by Truth-stamped with
Honor-sealed with good feeliug-signed Man
and enrolled in every true young English heart