The Bessemer indicator., 1894-03-10

Tho place was cosy room in q
cosy house in quiet street off the
Strand. London; tho time was Satur-
day; the hour. midnight. A com
pany OF professional men, composed
OF some OF the lawyers. doctors.
newspaper men and actors whose
names are famous on both sides OF
the Atlantic, was scattered In groups
about the rooms smoking and chat
ting after tho Saturday night xup-
per, which had become standard
institution with them, In sheltered
corner over by the fireplace sat
small knot OF men, every one Of whom
had reached the top. or at least the
front rank OF his profession. The
talk. drifting in smooth, desultory.
half-sloepy way from phase to phase.
had gradually assumed RETROSPECT
tive hue. From one to another the
story had passed. each telling the
tale OF an empty stomach, or an
empty pocket, or homeless tramp
OF thirty milos or so in thin shoes
along snow-boond road In search
OF employment.
Henry Irving, thoughtfully smok-
ing, With an air of deep attention,
hsd not spoken and did not speak
until the others. having exhausted
their stock. turned to him. He had
experienced harder luck than any of
them. and they know it He looked
at thom for moment, and then.
after Il pause, said:
The recollection nppermost In nv
mind just now, while you boys have
bccn talking about tramping and
winter roads and all that, is OF a
certain Christmas dinner at which !
was present. l wonder whether unV
Of you remember poor fellow, long
since dcad-Joe Rcbins-who played
small parts in London and outside IL,
and who made the one big mistake
of his life when he entered the pro-
fession. Joe had been IN the mons
underwear business, and was DOING
well, when an amateur performance
for charitable object was organized.
and he was cast for the part of the
clown In burlesque of Guy Fawkes.'
'Joe belonged to one OF the Bohe-
mian clubs. and on the night Of The
show his friends among tie actors
and journalists attended In BODY to
give him 'send-off.' He played that
part capitally. and the mischief
might have ended there, but some
one compared him to GrimaldL HIS
fate was sealed. He sold his stock,
wont on the stage. and few months
later l came upon him playing gem
eral utility on small salary in ii
small theater in Manchester. One
relic OF his happy days still remained
to him. He had retained shirts, COL
lars and underwear sufficient to last
him for generation.
"But II Joe lacked ability as an ac-
tor, he had heart OF gold. He
would lend or give his last shilling
to friend, and piece by piece his
stock OF underwear had diminished
until only few shirts and under
clothes remained to him.
I "The Christmas of that year-the
year in which we played together
was perhaps the bitterest l ever
knew. Joe had part in the pan
tomime. When the mon with whom
ho dressed took off their street
clothes he saw with pang at his
kind heart how poorly some of them
were clad. One poor fellow. with
out an overcoat. shivered and shook
with every breath of tile wind that
whistled through the cracked door,
and as he dressed there was dis
closed suit of the lightest sum mer
gauze underwear which he was
wearing in the depths OF that dread
dul winter. Poor as Joe was, he
was determined to keep up his an
nual custom of giving his comrades
christmas dinner. Perhaps all that
remained of his stock OF under
clothing went to the pawnbroker,
but that is neither here nor there.
Joe raised the money somehow and
on Christmas day was ready to meet
his guests
"Among the crowd that filed into
tho room was his friend with the
gsuzo underclothing. Joe beckoned
him into an adjoining bedroom. and
pointing to q chair, silently walked
out. On that chair hung suit OF
underwear. 1t was of comfortable
scarlet color; 1t was OF silk and wool;
it was thick and warm, and it clung
around tho actor as II it had been
built for him. AS the shirt fell over
his head thero was suffused through
his franc gentle, delicious glow