Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1894-12-07

myself
l never enjoyed a dinner so little,
though it was in the middle of the day
Up rose the president and made an i'm
pressive speech. The words kept buzz
zing in my ears, Next comes his ribs;
what'll he say. Oh. what1l he say
II came Mt. Grcgor. Then the presi-
dent drifted to the death of Gen. Grant
at that placc--how eloquent he was on
this point, but-at the close. 'All the
air solemn stiffness held" Mirth of
any kind was dead to the world.
Then came calls for me: but his nibs
refused to get up. You're chump.
said one friend" What's the matter
with yOu?" said another. After all
was over the president approaching
me said: 81 didn't expect to speak OF
Gen Grants death, but | knew your
good taste would prevent you from
saying anything of jocular nature
after had done So
By the bye President Harrison could
not be put down as Il humorist, as |
found out before the trip was ended.
The party We're going down the noun
tain to Saratoga in Il special car. When
walking down the aisle to where Mr..
Harrison was sitting said: Mr.. Pres
ident. am more than glad to have had
YOU along on this jaunt. You Will un-
derstand that Il lot OF people. a band
of music ard militia Will be waiting to
greet me at Saratoga. OF course, I
don't Tide the crush, but | thought |
might miss you. ard simply came to
say, that in case do. good-bv.''
Not 4 smile went down the aisle
to my seat feeling myself touching the
floor with a thud at every step. At
Saratoga | hurried to a landau and
ordered to be driven rapidly to pri-
vate hotel So rs to escape the great
demonstration To the president. Get
along as quickly rs You can" | said TO
the driver, and ''hc got'-through the
until we were blocked. Then formed
the presidents line; the way was
opened and found myself heading the
line, much to ray own discontinue,
though | was hailed by many friends,
one of whom said afterward at the
hotel: you are a good fellow to work
up an adj. of which, however. had no
idea, as the very contrary was my in
tentiOn.
In London it is custom. instead of
benefit. as we give in America, to have
a dinner under the auspices of the
actors benevolent fund At one din
ner five thousand dollars were raised,
which was expended for the actors of
London. The admission fee WAS one
guinea and everything was strictly
conventional, after the English style.
There was a mantle toastmastcr-
who stood behind the chair who would
address the diners after this fashion:
Il crave your attention. | ask you to
drink to the health of her majesty, the
queen. Fill the bumpers
At an actors benevolent fund dinner
given III London in 1891. with Henry
Irving in the chair. cards were fur
nishcd each one present with blanks to
be filled by Christian and surname, res
idence and by the pounds. shillings and
pence, either donated or put down as
annual subscription.
At these English dinners the
speeches have. of course. lots of meat
in them. but they lack the gravy. They
have peculiar sort of help-!he-over-
the-feIce kind of limp. They are slow
and loggy by the side of American
style. The Frcnchman, if he t1 pres
ent, is SO polite. with a dash of violet,
you don't know whether he is going to
say it or not. but he always suggests it.
10 =
these dinners. During the annual din
ner of the Green Room club given at
the Crystal Palace, London, at which
among others were present Wilson
Barrett. Comyns Carr, the late Harry
Petit, Arthur Jones and Sir Augustus
Harris. with Mr.. Bancroft, chairman,
an animated discussion arose at the
wrong time in which the guests even
got 10 calling one another names.
Finally when was called on ! found
myself in a most trying position in the
midst Of the excitement. But luckily
! was followed by that king of story
tellers. Nat Goodwin, who soon put
them all in a good humor. BY the way.
it was Nat who said that wit is the
power to say what everybody else
would have said, if he had thought of
it,
In my remarks about Englishmen |
must except Sir Edwin Arnold who is
Il prince of takers as, also, IS IIcnry
Irving. Sir Edwin. speaking of Mr..
Gladstone said that the premier lacked
humor and that no one ever heard him
make witty remark, and further on
in his talk said Sir Edwin: Laughter
lives next to the most tende, tears" |
supposed he must get this exquisite
aptness of speech from his gifted Amer
lean wife.
Many people have an idea that ac-
tors are poor takers outside of their
lines. The fact is they are becoming
more adaptable every day. Mr.. Irving
can be very charming upon occasion,
as he was at the dinner given him on
his last visit to America by the Lotus
club. What delicate humor this: May
find even an increase of the con-
seriousness of virtue which now and
then animates you, for if it be n
task ITO climb up additional steps it
shows an amount of self belief which
experience alone can prove justified,
when after such banquet as tonight