The morning call., 1890-09-20
TIE LATE pIoN roUcIoAuLr.

Not many years age. on the piazza OF the
West End Hotel at Long Branch, two gen.
ilenIen were conyerSing on the subject OF the
drama, and enc of them observed: En-
gland has produced but three dramalists of
the highest rank-Shakespeare Sheridan
and Dion Boucicsult." The speaker was
BUucicault himself. And while exception
may be taken to his vanity, this estimate he
set on his genius will not be very far from
the verdict Of posterity. Those who Lave
seen him in the flesh, and have hobnobbed
with him in the freedom Of private lie, are
reu, tanU TO concede to him the lofty place
in letters which he claimed. 1t seems hard
to believe that one has chatted famillarly
with genius Of the highest order. But
when the whimsicalities and frailties of the
man are forgotten. and nothing but his
works remain, the author OF London AS
surance" and 1.-The Shaughraun" cannot be
relegated to any second place among writer's
for the stage.
His personal life was full of Irregularities.
He was the Legitimate on Of Dr. Diony-
sius LaulneT, who was great philosopher
in his day. and distinguished himself BY
proving that the Atlantic would never be
crossed by a vessel propelled by steam.
The future dramatist took his Christian
name from his father and his surname from
his mother. His genius was so precocious
that he produced London Assurance
perhaps, on the whole, the most popular
play he ever wrote-before he was 10.
Shakespeare was % when he wrote one OF
the parts Of "Henry VI" Sheridan was "a
when he produced 1.-The Rivals" Before
the production of "LonGon Assurance" the
author had been positively starving. Dr..
Lardner had given him a good education,
and then left him to shift for himself After
the success of his play money poured in
upon him, and he produced piece alter piece
with astonishing rapidity.
He married a most lovely and estimable
lady, Agnes Robertson, who was an actress,
and shortly after the marriage he joined his
wife on the stage and played the leading
roles in his own plays Tie latter were so
excellent-'Old Heads and Young Hearts"
1.-The Octoroon," tine Shaughraun," Jessie
Brown" and The Colleen Bawn" were only
few among many masterpieces-and hus-
band and wife rendered them 50 admirably
that wealth flowed in upon them faster than
they could invest it. They were happy in
their home. Two boys aud two girls were
born to them. If any two people seemed to
have a prospect of a serene old age it was
Mr.. and Mrs. Bouccault.
The first blow to their happiness came
when the ED st son, a student at the
Academy OF West Point, was killed in
railroad accident. Mis-. Boucicault'S tender
heart did not easily rally from the shock.
She retired from the stage for awhile. Her
husband continued TO act, and was sepa-
rated from her for long periods Of time.
Money losses then supervened. Mr.. Bouci-
caults investments proved Improbable.
His habits We're eXtraVagant, and money
flowed out faster than il flowed in. Gossip
began to float around regarding his social
relations. One day, those WHO knew the
| family were shocked to hear that he had
married a young lady-a member CT his
troupe. Mrs. Boucicault sued for a divorce ;
lie pleaded that he had never been married
| to her. This lost him not only the affection
| of his children, but the respect of his
| friends, and his popularity on The stage. His
money had somehow disappeared, and his
| power of rtgaining it by professional efforts
seemed 10 have vanished. He was not 70,
and his step was as jaunty as ever. But the
people who had focked in crowds to see
him few years before Lad become in
different. He repeated the experience Of
Frederic Lemai,re.
For the past year or two he has conducted
| a school for actors in New York, and has
written for the press. He wrote play last
| year, which had some success; but his hand
had lost its cunning. He had passed out of
| peoples memory. 1t is only now that he is
| dead that they realize that man of genius
| is zone