Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-10-27


 in the later years of his life he refused to do any morc than briefly to acknowledge in the words Il thank you' public com plimcnt paid to him. He suffered intense ly from stage fright. When he had pre- pared an altlrCss in the earlier days of his success, he was sure to forget 1t when the occasion came for 1t to be delivered.
 Washington Irving was thus overcome by the weakness of stage fright. and upon the occasion of Dickens first visit to this country Irving was to preside at a ban quct given to Mir. Dickens by many of tho distinguished citizens of New York. Tho great writer carefully prepared his speech, but broke down after the first few lines were delivered, whereas Dickens spoke in an easy, natural way, as though he had been accustomed to public speak ing all his life.
 The impression Is that any ono who was won success as an actor ought to be well trained in the hrt and well supplied with the confidence which arc necessary for successful public speaking. Yet 1t Is fact that of all tho greater actors of the present day Mir. Irving Is probably tho only one who is capable of making form al address before company of men nud women of cultivation and literary quality. IL was regarded the highest honor ever paid to an actor that Mir. Irving should have bcCn invited to deliver an ad- dress at Oxford university.
 Recently in New York city there was opportunity to compare four of tho greater actors of the day when appearing before q great audience in their own proper charac- tcrs and for the purpose of delivering brief addresses. The occasion was an aft ernOOn entertainment given for the benefit of club of women whose members have won some distinction, many of them high praise, for talents displayed either in the field of literature ar upon the stage. MT. Jefferson was to bc there with his com pany and 10 play one of his most delight. full creations. Mir. Richard Mansfield had also some part, as also Mir John Drew and Mir. William II. Crane.
 Each of these actors had been asked to addrcss the audience, and each of them, with some rcluciancc, consented to do so. Jefferson and Crane 1t was known were able in n happy company of their associ- ates, wherc thcrc wcre informality and good cheer, to speak with much of wit and rCntlc humur, but 1t was not known how they would appear when engaged in more serious effort. Mir. Drew had never been heard, except when acting upon the stage.
 Each one of these distinguished actors either had stage fright or seemed to have il. Mir. Drew was graceful in his attitudes,
  graceful, but there came n flush to his checks and n certain nervous manncrism which revealed to the great company | whom he addrt'Sscd the fact that he was | really agitatcd, md when ho finished it | was with something of relief to him at least and probably to that audience that he bowed and went behind the curtain.
 Mir. Crane seemed not to be besct with stage fright, but he frankly told the audi
 
 l more upon that occasion than he did upon the first night of play. If he had com. mittod n speech tO memory, he clearly for. | got it, for his address consisted of few | random sentences, and yet the humor that | Is in the man was suggested by his words and manner, sO that he made the audience | happy and caused them to laugh with him. Nevertheless 1t was clear that Mir Crane only after pruch discipline could succeed in serious speaking before the pub lie.
 It was very hard to tell whether Mir | Jefferson was really nervous or whether h, was acting n part SD perfectly aS to suggcs that he was suffering from stage fright | He has shown himself to bc a master o | English, and his rpmiuiscCnccs arc do | lightful not only for the anecdotes the! | contain, but for the charm of their litcrnr, | style. Yet when hc was speaking ther was little suggestion of this power, and although Inc had n slip of paper in hi hand upon which he seemed to have jotte, down some thoughts, yet he scarcely look ed at it, and he went of the stage leayinI his audience in doubt whether they hal Seen Jefferson with stage fright or not MT. Mansfield was cool, self possessed, ha, plainly committed his address to memor and was not disturbed by the fact that h was speaking as Richard Mansfield am not as an actor. He of all these actors lief the impression that ho woulS not quail 1 he were invited to deliver such an addres as Irving made At Harvard or at Oxford.
 One thing, however, was noticeable and thero were some lawyers in the au diencc who received the hint which ma hereafter avail them well. That was thu each of these actors had learned how to us the voice. The enunciation was clear None of them spoke at the top of his yoic or in muffied tones. and yet there scene to be no effort, although the tones wer carried to the remotest parts of the hall That triumph of oratory was shared b each of these distinguished actors, and tn art was urconsciously exercised because had been practiced so long that 1t had bs c'me second naturo E. J. EDWARDS.