The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-13

HOPKINSON SMITH PORTRAYS
SOME OF HIS CHARACTERS.
Msny of His Characters and Incidents
Drawn from Life-His Father and
Uncle Contribute.

son Smith last night at Plymouth Church
and renewed the acquaintance with ..Col.
Carter, of Cartersvile, to their intense
delight. The ardor of the attention paid to
the author and reader. and the warmth of
the applause amounted to nothing less than
ar ovation. He occupied the rostrum at the
invitation of the Century Club, whose guests
the audience was, and presented by Mr..
Charles Moores, president of the club, in
happy manner The speaker, he said, was
not unknown to the people of Indianapolis,
because they felt that they had long known
the author Of that charming Virginia story.
The style of introduction was given audible
Endorsement by the audience. Mr.. Smith dis
liked the lighting at the stand, and his first
remark was, Nov am going to do little
engineering Then he took a newspaper
and attempted to fold it SO that 1t would
shade the yellow glare from the eyes of Ahe
audience. He realized, he said. that it
must be disagreeable. Then the paper
parted at the worn crease, and there was
slight laugh, but no discontinue on his
part. He showed his mastery OF himself
under trying circumstances by turning the
incident into another kind of laugh, say
ing: "An hope is not lost I have two
pins about me-" Then he accomplished the
purpose and the audience felt grateful for
the appreciation he showed of the situation
and their comfort. Now said Mr.. Smith,
turning to his manuscript, '.if the dog will
keep quiet, 1 will proceed The dog was
somebody's family pet that was spoiled in
training and would not stay at home. 1t
persisted in barking in apparent disapproval
of the applause that had been given the
speaker.
Mr.. Smith devoted the first hour of his
two hours entertainment to the rare
pictures in Colonel Carter" A painter,
with brush, oil and canvas, he showed
power with language that left no doubt
that whatever Mr.. Smith does is done
artistically, and that his canvases cannot
be otherwise than gems of art. The first
introduction of the Colonel was in the de-
scription in the work itself, familiar to
admirers of the story. The reader took his
hearers to old Virginia, in mind, and the
most Plebian could readily sympathize with
the quality the pride of family feeling
which marked the social leaders of the
Old Dominion. There was the admixture
of the old colonial spirit, still bearing the
attitude of slavery days, with the memories
of the lost cause, the unrecOnStructed rem
nant of the stunted aristocracy still cling
ing. to it: With dependence upon the insti-
habits had not been 0 swept away in s the the
Colonel but the faithful slave of the old
gard for the quality of the family blood.
This the type of man in Colonel Car
ter who believed that the poor white trash
nearly everybody that lived outside of
Fairfax county.
reader led the audience from this descrip-
with the importunate New York grocer,
during one winter spent in the North. Two
on the bill, and the Coloners tastes were by
no means modest He had been furnished
which was a thing of delight to this un,
commercial epicure. When the grocer called
for settlement, in storm of Indignation at
the delay In payment, he was received
with such unconscious sauvity that he did
not press the collection of the debt, but ac-
cepted an order for a large delivery of
taste In this narration the character of
trayed with faithfnness to- the negro as 9 SIa
lect and with dramatic power.
Mr.. Smith said ne was often asked II
he and the Colonel had never met but there
were many things in the character of his
fb he had father and thu that of his uncle
he said, was an old family servant who had
died at the age of ninety-eight years, under
who supplied the Colonel with the means
finally to pay off all his debts, was a real
character in the family.
Another chapter of the story heard with
sterling delight by the audience was Chad S
revenge upon the terrapin which attempted
in the pot and the longest to feel the boil
ing heat. Mr.. Smith also read that part
describing Chad's troubles when a young
woman slave, from q neighboring planta-
ton, cut away the leg of a goose which
had just been cooked for a table full of
guests. The rich humor of these incidents
in the narrative was fully appreciated.
From Virginia the reader took his hearers
to the Venetian bay. where his poet and ar
fist soul fairly reveled in word pictures as
he told the story of his experiences with
Esperro. the gondolier. He said this friend
| ship with the gondolier led to his securing
the Venetian employment in the lagoons of
| the White City, and that Esperro now a
| famous character in literature, proved his
| bravery and worth by rescuing seven people
! who were riding in gondola which was cut
| In two by a steam launch. The story of
! brave Captain joe who saved a ferry
| boat which had received hole in her side
| at the PROV of another steamer, while load
| ed with women and children, gave the read
err an opportunity to show his power with
I the heroic and pathetic. Captain Joe was
on another steamer. but reached the sinking
{, ferrys decks in time to stuff his own pow
! erful body into the crevice in the hold until
| the boat could be secured in the slip. The
! Captains resentful conduct toward the
! president of the company by which he was
! employed, which wanted to claim salvage
4 for this self-sacrifce. him the love OF
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