New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
NOW HE Is RICH. ONCE HE WIS POOR.
HENRY IRvING'S REMINISCENCE OF AN ACTOR
WHO NEEDED CLOTHING.

HENRY IRVING'S REMiNI>CENCE OF An ACTOR
WHO NEEDED CLOTHING.
The place was a cosey room in A cosey house in q
quiet street off the Strand. London: the time was
Saturday: the hour. midnight. A company Of pro-
fessional men. composed Of Of the lawyers
doctors. newspaper men and actors whose names
famous on both sides Of the Atlantic. scat
tered In groups about the rooms smoking and chat
ting after the Saturday night supper. which had
become a standard institution with them. In shell
tered corner by the fireplace sat a small knot
OF men. every ore OF whom had reached the top or
AT least the front rank. OF his profession. The talk.
drifting in smooth desutory, half-sleepy way
from phas. 10 phase. had gradually assumed a retro
spective hue. From one TO another the story had
passed. each telling the tale of empty stomach,
or an empty pocket. or a hopeless tramp Of thirty
miles or so in thin shoes along a snow-bound road
in search of employment
Henry Irving. thoughtfully smoking with an air
Of deep attention. had not spoken ard did not speak
until the others, having exhausted their stock.
turned 10 him. He ha experienced harder luck
than any OF them and they knew 1t. lie looked
mp at them for a moment. and then after a pause.
said
THE recollection uppermost in my mind just now.
while You boys have been talking about tramping and
winter roads and all that. is of a certain Christmas
dinner at which was present. | wonder whether an%
Of you remember poor fellow. long since dead-Joe
Robins-who PLAYED small parts In London and out
side It, and who made the big mistake of his
life when he entered the profession. Joe had
been in the mems underwear business. and was
doing well. when an amateur performance for a
charitable object was organized. and he was cast
for the part of the clown in burlesque OF Guy
Fawkes.' Joe belonged 10 one of the Bohemian
clubs and the night of the show his friends
among the actors and journalists attended in a
body TO give him 'send-off. lie played that part
capally, and the mischief might have ended
Ia oreI (.rr oil
Hts fate was sealed. lie sold his stock. went on
the stage and "A f@w months later / came upon him
playing general utility a small salary in a small
theatre I'm Manchester. one relic OF his happy days
still remained TO him. He had retained shirts coll
lars and underwear sufficient to last him for a
generation.
But If Joe lacked ability as an actor he had a
heart Of gold. lie would lend or give his last shilling
70 friend on and piece by Piece his stock Of under
unde-cothes remained to him.
No. The @ Christmas OF that yearm,he year IN which
eyer knew. Joe had part in tine pantomime:
When the men with whom he dressed took OF
Kind heart how poorly some Of them were clad:
one poor fellow. without an oyercoat shversi
whistled through the cracked door, and as no
dressed tn.rg was d9c.ore S m o' ua .s t.r,ng
I'm the depth of that dreadful winter. Poor as Joe
tom Of giving his comrades a Christmas dinner
Perhaps all that remained OF his stock or under
here nor there. Joe raised the money somehow,
and on the Christmas day ready 10 meet his
guests. .
among the crowd that filed into the room was hi:
friend with the gauZa underclOthing. Joe beckoned
him into adjoining bedroom. ana. pointing 10
Il chair. silently walked out on that chair hung
suit OF un lerwear. 1t was of comfortable scarlet
color: it Vas of silk and wool: IT was thick and
warm. and It chung around the actor as II II had
been built for him As the shirt fell over his head
ther- was suffusel through his frame gentle
delicious glow that thrilled every fibre Of his boty,
His heart swellei almost to bursting lie seencd
to be- walking on air Re saw all things through
a mist OF tears The faces around him. the voices
In his ears the familiar objects in his sight, me
very snow falling gently outside the windows seemed
as the shadows Of dream. with but one reality
the suit OF underwear. =.
Ills feelings to have entered your heart
said OF the listeners. . a., ,,
They might well do so" replied Mr. Irving.
for | ;hat poor actor