The herald., 1895-09-22

time, did not know that his brother had
seriously followed in his own footsteps.
''See here. said Davenport, nave you
got brother Bill or haven't your Well,
l have engaged HIM for Luculus."
well, he can't play it." was the reply.
He isn't old enough
1t happened that Bill was some three or
four years the senior of Charles. but
that was detail that didn't count. lie
was new to the stage. Nevertheless, the
deal was made and Bill was to play Luz
culus to his own great delight, for he
mad heard that ono night his prother
Charles. while playing the same part.
had been taken in front of the curtain
by the governor, as Davenport was
called.
Well. the night came. The scene came
that is the great scene where Lucuiius
trying to save Damon's life. has killed
the steed that is to take the statesman
back 10 Syracuse in time TO save fyth-
las and keep his word. There was Bill
on the stage. and there in the wings Was
his brother Charles clutching the book
III both hands and ready to give the word
if the novice missed il. The scene be-
gan; it approached the climax-and this
was in Davenports prime. when he was,
many still contend, the best Damon the
stage ever saw. He reached the lines:
l am standing to see If the great gods
Will, with their lightning, execute my
prayer
Upon thee. But thy punishment be
mine.
I'll tear thee to pieces.
The force of ths scene had begun to
stagger 5ill before that; and as Daven port
sprang toward him lie seemed perfectly
dumfounded, rooted to the spot, while
in the wings, Just as dumb, was brother
Charles still olusching the book in both
hands, with his mouth half open but
quite unable to give the word. Damon
finished the scene. quite unimpeded by
brother Bill. who allowed himself to be
shaken and dragged about without
protest. After it as over Davenport
said, with some violence: IF he hadn {
been your brother, by Jove, I'd have fin
ished him.. but later he used to say to
Charles: Your can't lay Luoullus;
that's Bills part"
If anyone were to ask Rose Eytinge if
she had ever had a stage fright she would
not hesitate TO say yes, and to recall the
first night she ever played in The Iron
Mask. That was during the days of the
Walack- Davenport combination. and Wal
lack was playing tho Mask. The young
actress. for it was when Rose Eytinge
was q juvenile, had never seen the play
and learned the part very carelsssly. not
minding yerv much about the sto.y. Wal
lack gave her. careful instructions IN re-
gard to her first meeting with him on the
stage in the fourth act. where she first
encounters the Mask. She was not to
see him until she ran against him as she
came on the stage backward. speaking off,
and then she was to start away, look
hearsed several times.
On the night of the performance she
was 50 startled when she did look around
that she forgot where she was. forgot
everything but her fright shreked like a
mad woman and ran until the prosce-
i'm otc Tha \ har
They thought it was great acting. The
actor EN- braced her. He thought so too.
And it was not until long afterward that
Miss Eytnge told them of the horrible
fright she had han, and how fortunate it
was that 1t came so near the end OF the
course of her fight.
Another wilful. unexpected mental sur
prise on the stage which results in way
very similar to stage fright is brought
about by a sudden twist given line by
one OF those unfortunate slips of the
tongue. An accident of that sort will
throw whole company quite off their
base, and they will as completely forget
their lines as if they had never learned
them. This is more apt to happen after
piece has had long run than when it
is new, for after repeating words many
times the process becoes mechanical. a i'd
anything that interrupts the lines ruins
81 BILE for the play to proceed. MANY will
recall one of the performances of Jim the
penman in Boston. when, in the last act,
som cone missed cue, and, as a RESULT,
no one could 60 on. There was no
prompter. Such convenience had long
before become unnecessary, and, as re-
suit, the entire company, after. having
played the piece hundreds of times,
foundered pitifully, to the distress of the
audience and the danger OF hysteria to
themselves.
Julia Marlowe Taber once said that the
nearest she ever came to being Kissed was
the result of humorous slip of the
tongue. She was playing in the west and
the part was Rosalind. 1t was before her
marriage but Mr.. Taher was her leading
man. Now. the fair Julia is very easily
thrown off her balance if anything funny
herself with the greatest difficulty. She
lives in dread Of such accidents.
On this night in question they had
reached the parting between Orlando and
Rosalind, where the dukes masquerade
ing daughter plays her little coquetry.
''Alas dear love-" she says to Orlando.
81 cannot lack thee two hours" and Or
lando excuses himself for the necessary
absence because he must attend the
duke at dinner"
By one OF those inexplicable perversi-
ties of speech Mr.. Taber said. 81 must
attend the duck at dinner Now, that
is not funny, but it literally surprised a
laugh out of Miss Marlowe, and it was
fully two minutes before she could speak.
In the meantime few of the audience no.
ticed the slip. and therefore could not .un-
derstand the condition of the actress. and
it was not until a slight sound, like
quick-drawn breath between some ones
teeth surprised her ears that she came to
her senses as suddenly as she had been
upset.-Boston Herald.