The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-23
TOLD BY JOSEPH JEFFERSON.
Some Yarns He Recently Spun at the Au-
thOrs' Club.

thors' Club.
''Our chairman said something tonight
about the lovely lack of jealousy among au-
thors and its prevalence among my and al
lied professions. I must dissent from the
idea Why. have you not all observed the
harmony which prevailed among the Oper-
attic stars whose season recently closed at
the Metropolitan Opera House? Laugh
teri And then take it in my own profes-
sion. If actor is discharged from com
pany, there not always plenty of his fell
low actors ready to take his part? [After
silence, laughter.
Preparation, to return to my text, is
most essential in the players profession If
we are not prepared, we cannot retrace, re-
tract nor repair. The speech once delivered
cannot be recalled. You authors may cor
rect and revise, the painter can scratch out
and paint over, but how would it seem in
me to pause after speech on the stage,
scratch my chin and say: That infection
was not quite right. 1 will deliver that
line again?'
Possibly I mag Rave paid too much att
tention to preparation in my profession.
One critic has abused me frequently for
that, and he laments that / leave nothing
to chance. That worries him, but I assure
him he is right. never leave anything to
chance.
II will confess between ourselves that 1
did needlessly prepare for one occasion. Mr.
Florence and had been playing together
in comedy, and when the time approached
for our final appearance together Mr.. Flor
ence said, and it seemed reasonable to me,
that as the audience would doubtless call
US out and demand speeches at the conclu-
sion of our last performance we should pre-
pare something. So we did We rehearsed
it all very carefully. Mr.. Florence was to
be first taken by surprise, and overcoming
his emotions make a farewell address. in
which he was to refer to me. Then was
to be taken by surprise, but suppressing
my swelling feelings was to answer Mr..
Florence and wind up the impromptu
scene"
Mr.. jefferson paused, lifted his wineglass,
put it back on the table and added:
but the audience did not call US out after
that performance Laughter But that
was no excuse for mistake Florence made
afterward. He was playing in what we call
the New England circuiU-Hartford,N New
Haven, etc. One night he was called out
after the performance and said:
. This is a mark of appreciation which
peculiarly touches me. / know many of
the men before me-know them personally.
l played marbles with them under the
shadow of the Hartford Baptist church,
shared their boyhood joys and sorrows, and
1 assure you that 1 shall never forget this
last act of kindness which you people of
Hartford'-
Just then voice from the gallery in
terrupted him:
'''This is New Haven, Mr.. Florence
preparation is essential. Once man
ager was obliged to apologize to an audience
for the nonappearance of the leading man,
who had been suddenly called to another
city by the death of his mother.
ut happened that the manager that even
ing was suffering from tired feeling. He
a tride unsteady as to voice and legs,
but his dignity stood firm on both feet. He
said:
1.-The leading man, gentlemen and Ia
dies, is-this is first time excuse has to be
made this tfeater, but = well, anyway.
mans mother is dead. Never before oc-
CURED this theater disappoint audience,
and-you see mans moth is dead. regret
that after 80 years experience manager,
theater, audience-which 1 mean to say
mans mother is dead, but shall never oc-
cur again"
Mr.. Jefferson told the story in voice so
richly affected by the disability the man
ager suffered from that all his hearers reach
ed for their glasses--New York Sun