The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-18


serious matter for in those days Dion
was power in the theatrical world,
and the player who was debarred from
his employ frequently had a hard scuff1e
to get along, owing to the presumption
of fault which this prescription car
ried with it.
ADVENT OF MISFORTUNE.
1t is one of the most pathetic things
to see man who has had his own lit
tie world practically at his feet sink
until even the mediocre figures of the
same circle rise above him, and yet
this was my experience with Dion
Boucicault. Hard times had come upon
him when he was at Booths theater
and he was unable to meet his obliga-
tions, this man who but a few years
before had been throwing money away
like an Eastern potentate. I shall
never forget the dinner which he gave
at about this time to the members of
his company at the then famous Pin
ards. 1t was a grand affair, in thor
Ough keeping with the reputation of
the host as a lavish entertainer. After
the departure of his guests Dion, who
had been the life of the feast, remark
ed that as he was obliged to cOmprom-
Use with his people, he had thought
that good digestion should wait on ap-
petite and thus pave a way to making
the best of the very bad pecuniary
situation which confronted him. The
company. accepted the settlement offer
ed. and to Boucicault's credit be it
said that practically every dollar he
possessed went to his actors, and he
didn't go about town telling about it
either as though he thought that he
had done a wonderfully creditable
thing
Later on this genius lent his ability
to the building up of a school of act
s1arr III
sentiment from his former friends, who,
whether justly or otherwise, regard
these institutions as their greatest en-
emies.
It is likely, too, that DOucicauIt had
about as many enemies as any man
who ever became prominent and was
also successful on the stage of this
country where personal popularity
counts for so much in the career of
a public entertainer. He had made
himself obnoxious to the military of
this city, and l well remember an cpl
sOde in which he figured and which
came near ending seriously. 1t was
during a matinee of Jessie Browne"
and in the StOckade scene detachments
from the Seventy ninth HighlanderS
and Duryea's Zouave guards were en-
ployed to lend atmosphere" to the
picture. This was the long sought OPP
pOrtunity of the soldier Iaddies to "geI
even" and they did it with a ven,
geance. 1t will be remembered that
the scene is supposed to afford rather
stirring time for the hero, and he got
it on that occasion. if he never did art
erward. Boucicault was upset as he
was leaving the stage after having
received some mighty rough handling.
The soldiers did it in a spirit of fun,
combined with reprisal, and every one
who was there will agree that the lat
ter characteristic was the predominant
one, if one were to judge by the re-
suit.
THE BLACK BOOK"
One of the actors whom Dion did
not like was my brother Felix, whose
ability, however, in character work he
respected highly. But somehow or 9TH
er the two men never seemed to be
able to cotton" In one particular play
there was a horse-Whipping scene in
which the character portrayed by F'e-
liX was the victim. Laura Keene as
the heroine, was the instrument Of
punishment. Dion confided to her his
plan, which was nothing less than to
lay it on good and hard and to make
Felix howl, if possible. To better carry
this plan out BOucicault had provided
robust whip instead of the very puny
one ordinarily used on these occasions
Felix had got wind OF the plot and on
three suits of clothes, the bottom one
being Of heavy corduroy. Miss Keen=
played her part admirably She laid
the lash on with vim, but Felix did not
appear to notice it. After the per-
Torrance Dion asked me what kind Of
man my brother was to be able to
take that whipping without Wincing. I
repeated this to Felix, and he replied,
Give my compliments to old bald
head and tell him that my hide had
been especially tanned in advance for
the occasion" I delivered that message
and down went Felix's name on the
black book without delay
Speaking of this black book" be-
lieve that If it could be found it would
make about as interesting stage read
ing as could well be imagined, for in it
Bouc1cault also used to record his i'm
pressions of everybody and every
thing which came under his notice. AS
he was unusually frank In everyday
life. it is but fair to assume that In
this book there was no mental reserva-
ton whatever. Lionel Brough, the
elder, was once told by Beale, the
great music publisher of London. that
he would gladly give $1,000 for it at
any time, and he would probably make
a great deal Of money on it even at
| that figure. But the book has mys-
teriously disappeared, probably much
to the relief of many persons who still
lag superfiuOus." Boucicault said to
me one day at the Langham hotel.
London, after having given me a
glimpse Of the somber volume, do
you know, Vincent, what 1 consider
one Of the most interesting things in
here?" l made an expectant gesture.
and he replied, much to my disap-
pointment I must confess, cit Is q. re-
mark once made by Sydney Smith to
the effect that the tragedy queen.
Mrs. Siddons, was so imbued with
tragedy that she could not refrain
from stabbing potatoes with a fork at
the dinner table"
Dion Boucicault had his faults, thou
sands of them, perhaps, as, indeed
who has notf But II the supreme test
of well spent life be that the world
Is better for that existence, this
famous playwright, manager and
actor, is certainly entitled to the graft
tIde Of passing generation. IL. John Vincent.