The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-03
THE FRIEND IN NEED.
lRvlNG'S STORY OF THE "eusTEDr
ACTORS GOOD SAMARITAN.

"Reminiscences Which Seemed to Touch
the Realtors Heart-Onco Ho Was Very
Poor and Unknown, but Now He Ia Rich
and Famous In All Lands.
Tho place was n coZy room in coy
house in quiet street off tho Strand,
London. The time was Saturday; the
hour, midnight. A company of profess
slonal men, composed of some of the
lawyers, doctors, newspaper men and
actors whose names arc famous on both
sides of the Atlantic, was scattered in
groups about the rooms smoking and
chatting after the Saturday night sup
per, which had become a standard insti-
tuition with them. In sheltered cor
ner over by tho fireplace sat a small
knot of men, every one of whom had
reached the top, or at least the front
rank, of his profession. The talk, drift
ing in smooth, desultory, half sleepy
way from phase to phase, had gradually
assumed retrospective hue. From one
to another the story had passed, each
telling the tale of an empty stomach, or
an empty pocket, or hopeless tramp
OF 30 miles or so in thin shoes along O
snowbound road in search of employ
ment.
Henry Irving, thoughtfully smoking,
with an air of deep attention, had 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
knew it. He looked up at them for n
moment and then, after 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 certain Christ
mas dinner at which l was present. |
wonder whether any of you remember
poor fellow, long since dcad-Joe Robin
who played small parts in London
and outside it, and who mado the ono
big mistake of his life when ho entered
tho profession. Joe had been in tho
men $ underwear business and was do
ing well when an amateur performance
for Il charitable object was organized,
and he was cast for tho part of the
clown in Il burlcsque of Guy Fawkes.
Joe belonged to one of tho bohemian
clubs, and on the night of tho show his
friends among the actors and journalists
attended in a body to give him Il send
Off. He played that part capitally, and
the mischief might have ended there,
but some ono compared him to Girl
maldi. His fate was sealed. He sold his
stock, went on the stage, and few
months later | came upon him playing
general utility on small salary in
small theater in Manchester Ono relic
of his happy days still remained to him.
Ho had retained shirts, collars and I'M
derwear sufficient to last him for a gen.
Grafton.
But if 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 under
wear had diminished until only few
shirts and underclothes remained TO
him.
The Christmas of that year-tho
year in which we played together-was
perhaps tho bitterest / ever knew. Joe
had part in the pantomime. When
the men with whom he dressed took off
their street clothes, ho saw with a pang
at his heart how poorly some of them
were clad. One poor fellow without an
overcoat shivered and shook with every
breath of the wind that whistled through
the cracked door, and as he dressed there
was disclosed suit of the lightest sum
mer gauZe underwear which he was
wearing i'll tho depth of that dreadful
winter. Poor as Joe was, he was deter
mined 10 keep up his annual custom of
giving his comrades Il Christmas dinner
Perhaps all that remained of his stock
of Undertaking went to the pawnbro-
kcr. but that is neither hero nor there
Joo raised the money somehow, and on
the Christmas day was ready to meet
his guests.
Among the crowd that filed into the
room was his friend with the gauze un-
derclothing. Joe beckoned him into all
adjoining bedroom, and pointing to
chair silently walked out. On that chair
hung a suit of underwear. 1t was of a
comfortable scarlet color; it was of silk
and wool; it was thick and warm, and
it chung around the actor as if it had
been built for him. AS tho shirt fell
over his head there was suffused through
his frame gentle, delicious glow that
thrilled every fiber of his body His
heart swelled almost to bursting. He
seemed to be walking on air. He saw
all things through mist of tears. The
faces around him, the voices in his ears,
the familiar objects in his sight, tho
very snow falling gently outside the
windows, seemed as the shadows of
dream with but one reality-the suit of
underwear"
His feelings seem to have entered
your heart" said ono of tho listeners.
They might we'll do SO. replied Mr..