The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-04-04

sweet and mild hammered Laura had
when anything particularly exasperated
herl We were, while was with her,
about to put on piece entitled "All
That Glitters Is Not Gold" Everything
had run along swimmingly, and was
congratulatng myself that there had
been no bitches, when the day of the
property and scene rehearsal arrived.
Laura walked on to the stage and OBJ
served that the furniture was upholster-
ed in pale green tint instead of pink,
as she had desired. She became enraged
and began to storm like crazy woman.
Chairs and tables were slammed about
the stage and damaged to the extent of
many dollars. Her bonnet, cloak and
other outer garments were torn to bits.
Her wavy, golden hair was disheveled,
and the company promptly ''sloped"
until the clouds rolled by.
The ''American Cousin"
Ehs-wepderfnl success Of the Amer;
lean Cousin" which Laura Keene pro.
duced has often been commented upon.
Sothern attained real greatness almost
solely through the medium of this play,
for which no one expected more than
the most ordinary success. His famous
hop, skip and jump entrance and the
accidental manner in which he literal
ly stumbled into it are too familiar to
require recapltulation here. The part of
Lord Dundreary was one of the shortest
in the piece, and Sothern was very
much Disguised with it at the start. 1t
was originally about three lengths (40
lines to the lengthy, but he built this
trifle up into about 40 lengths
In the cast of the American Cousin"
at the time Sothern made his big hit
were some of the best actors in the
country, including Joseph Jefferson,
Laura Keene and @. w. Cookbook JEFF
ferson gave magnificent impersonation
of Asa Trenchard, and Couldock's work
was all that could be desired-in fact,
it was exceptionally good, as was also
that of Laura-but the Dundreary role
gained such firm hold upon the public
that the other players and characters
were, comparatively speaking, forgotten,
and it soon became almost one part
piece, with Sothern the practical though
not the nominal star.
The inception of this famous play
was always shrouded in mystery. Laura
Keene received the manuscript from
Tom Taylor, whose part in the transac-
ton has never been cleared up. From
the best data at hand, however, it
would appear that the play was inspired
by Silsbee, the Yankee comedian, and
that the part of Asa was intended to
be the principal one. At any rate, the
piece was not regarded as original, for
in 1865, when Miss Keene sought to OBJ
tain an injunction to restrain John
Sleeper Clarke from producing it, the
courts decided against her.
The Lincoln Tragedy.
Laura Keene's recognition of John
Wilkes Booth ON the fateful night of
April 10, 1865, has often been com
mented upon. It was not in the least
remarkable to those who knew her, for
it was at one time currently reported
that they were engaged to be married.
Everybody is familiar with the fact that
Miss Keene's dress, which was by re-
markable coincidence embellished with
embossed passion flowers, was stained
with the blood of the dying President
Lincoln, whose head she supported aft
er the dreadful catastrophe which threw
nation into mourning. This episode
was recalled a short time ago by the
doings of the notorious Rawson twins
in New Jersey. Laura had two daugh-
tiers, who passed as her nieces. They
were Clara, an expert harpist, who mar
ried Rawson, and another, who became
an Indifferent actress. Clara is the
mother of the twins.
l have related some of Sothern g
pranks, but another may be worth re-
calling. Jefferson had been offered the
part of Bottom, but declined, and it
was given to that grand old actor, Ru-
fus Blake, who weighed $50 pounds
On the opening night Blake stumbled
and fell full length ON the stage. Miss
Keene and myself, who were standing
in the wings, asked Sothern soto voce
to assist the fallen actor to his feet
The irrepressible wag looked straight
at me and replied loud enough to be
heard all over the house: ut can't be
done, Get derrick" Everybody was
shrieking with laughter except Laura,
who was furious. To make matters
worse, large bulldog which was used
in the scene and which had been led ON
by my brother Felix broke loose and
made a. dash for the PROSTATE Blake,
upsetting Tom Baker ON the way. The
actors scattered, and Sothern, without
cracking smile, observed nonchalant-
ly: mo CO. He's too fat He needs a
rest.
Blake was finally got into an upright
position, and the play proceeded after
some delay. Sara Stevens was fined $40
for having been particularly uproarious
in her ordinations and she promptly
put the blame where it belonged-on
Sothern. She told her husband, who
happened to be John G. Heenan, the
pugilist, and he threatened to punch
Sothern' head ON sight. For week or
so thereafter Lord Dundreary was
busily employed lodging imaginary up
percuts.
Laura Keene died of consumption.
She knew the end was coming relent-