The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1890-03-07


another theatre, hut gi.e management failing
10 sec anything striking. in IT, ;tn adverse
judgment Was passed ami tieconeiy rc ciecte
1t was next offered to Laura kcanr, who also
thought butliltleof the play, which remained
neglected upon hr,' desk for some time; beitit
50 eiancetl that TIM business manager of the
theatre, Mr.. john I.utz, gave me the play to
read. While it possessed but little literary
merit, there Was fresh, breezy atmospheric
about the characters and the story that at
tracted nle very nIuc | saw, too, the chance
Of maxim. Il strong character OF the leading
part, and SO WAS quite selfish enough to re-
commend the play FOR production.
The reading took place i'll the green room
at which the ladies' and gentlemen of the
company were assembled, and many furtive
glanccs We're cast at Mr. Couldock and my
self us tile strength Of Abel Murcott ana Asa
Irencithri We're revealed. Poor Sottiern sat
IN The corner, looking quite lisconsoiatc
fearing That t!t're nothing IN the play
that wGttll siiit him; and rs the dismal lines
or lunreaiy Wpro read he glanced over ut
me with forlorn expression, as much rs 10
say, i am cast for that dreadful part little
dreaming that the character Of the lmbccila
lord would turn out to be the Stepping stone
of his fortune. The success OF the play
proved the turning point in the career Of
myself
"Ihe dramatic situation that struck me us
the most important one III this play was the
love scene in tic opening Of tile last act. 1t
was altogether fresh, original and perfectly
natural, and notice TINT in this important
phase of dramatic composition authors are
conspieuously weak
at was the opportunity of developing this
attitude of early love, particularly lova at
llrst sight, that attracted me to the Cousin
Simple aud triiiing us it looks, Mr.. Tom
Taylor never drew 4 iiuer dramatic picture
The relation hetween the two characters was
perfectly original. a shrewd, keen Yankee
boy Of 25 falls in love ut first sight with {;
simple loving English darymaia Of IS, She
innocently sits Oh the bench close beside him;
he is fascinated and draws closer to her; she
raises her eyes in innocent wonder at this,
and he glides gently to the fartllest end of the
bench He never tells her of his love, nor
does she in the faintest manner suggest her
affection FOR him; and though they persist
emily talk of other things. you see plainly
how deeply they are in love. He relates the
story of his unce's death iu America and
during his recital asks her permission to smoke
Il cigar. With apparent carelessness he takes
out paper, Il will made in his favor by the
old man, which document tiisinhcrts the girl
with this he lights his cigar, thereby destroy
ing his rights and resgning them to her.
AS have before said, Sothern was much
detected at being compelled to play the part.
He said he couhl do nothing with it, and GER
tainly for the first two weeks it was dull
effort, and produced but little effect. So in
despair he began to introduce cxtravagant
business into his character, skipping about
the stage, stammering and sneezins. and, n
short, doing nil he could to attract and dis
tract the attention of tho audience. To the
surprise of every one, himself included, these
antics, intended by him to injure the char
acter, were received by the audience with de-
light. He was u shrcwd man as well us an
effective actor, and he saw ut a glance that
accident had revealed to him golden oppor-
tunity. He took advantage Of it, and with
cautious steps increased his speed, feeling the
ground well under him as he proceeded. Be-
fore the first month was over he stood side by
side with any other character in the play;
and at the end OF the run he was, In my
opinion, considerably i'll advance of us nll."