The times., 1897-03-21

<2lAi!fHitllfliH
of the footlight Girardot remains but til.
physique. He is still the little man that
nature made him, but the funny little to,
steps and the ierky turns so character
/ itsic of his stage work give to fiat
footed stride that suggests one Of Mr.
! Girardot' 5 favorite failings-be is an un-
tiring pedestrian. That strange hollow
| voice of uproaIous monotones is entirety
unreCOgnizable in the roInaI expressi We
1 English choppy voice which is left behind
when the comedian goes on.
Mir. Girardot is tryingly athletic in his
tastes. He can outwear three ordinary
walkers with his short legs, which pc de
votes to about six miles Of groand-c cover
ing every day. A second weakness Of his
is-horses Whether it is in the saddle,
with only the c0mpaniOnship of his rid
ing horse, or perched on the front seat
OF a wagon with the ribbons strung over
the backs of a pair Of thorouGhbreds, he
is perfectly happy to watch and talk to
his pets He will have none OF the bicycle
for him
Next to his walking and driving, Mr.
GirardOt's greatest passion is America.
He is French in name and antecedcntS,
English by birth and training, but three
years in America have won him to a 10y
atty to the new world He doesn't bother
himself much about politics and forms OF
government The source and object OF
his special admiration is the personal
character of our people and the scenic
beauty OF our country He thinks Ameri-
cans are all Jolly good fellows" alert is
perception and appreciatiyely loyal. 1t
is quite an enigma TO him why Americans
should go abroad. He came over tere
three years ago last fail, and was the
first English actor ever brought over
here for 4 special engagement who didn't
fly back the moment his season was ended
Girardot had liked the people and he
wanted TO see the country, SO he deter
mined To spend the summer in the Adir-
ondacks. He says there is nothing in Eng
land to compare with the Joys Of An erican
snmuering. He induced Chevalicr to re-
main last summer and he has villa rd's
promise that he will stay next summer
He is very severe on the EnElishnen who
look at America only in the light of one
night stands they play and never come
out of the shells OF their insulaTity and
meet the people and see the real glories
of the country. He is equally hard on
Americans who don't see everything in
their own country before tTotting away
to see others If they did this, he says,
they would never 20.
Perhaps Mr. Girardot's love of America
has its reason in a coincidence of birth
days. He shares the 22d of February with
George Washington in this respect. Last
week he spent day on the Potomac aud
at Mount Vernon. De has found in the
broad, passive beauty of the one and the
interesting historical associations of the
other new themes for his thenody OF
American and English inappreciation.
l present three pictures of Mr.. Girardot -
one of himself, one in the raiu-nt of |
Charley's Aunt, the third as Miss Francis |
The Charley's Aunt picture was only taken |
a few days ago and this is the first |
time reproduction in print has been OF |
the aunt costume. Tie management |
thought ii better not to show the come
dian dressed in the queer skirt and wig |
and permission to pose for the present /
picture was only obtained after the novelty
Of the farce had worn off.
AS Miss Francis the little comedian has
a role entirely at variance with his former
success, yet quite as positive The Iole
Is much harder one to act. He hasn't the
assistance Of the scTeamingly funny aunt
costume TO carry him through moments OF
silence and inactivity. Though this lie
source is lacking in Miss Francis, the re-
sources Of the com edian and artist which
he is, come directly to the rescue, and
many viii remember more apprecativeIy |
he strange predicament of the amateur
actor whose cleverness in female roles !
was his chiefest sorrow. Mr. Ghardot's
gentle and refined methods save the piece
rom lapsing intothe contin uaIly threatening
uggectiveness. Episodi cal touches Of
sentiment, chaste in tone and tender in
ienotement, purge the character of any
hought than OF its actual moral recti-
ude
The piece came without the prestige
# New York run, but the press and people
ndorse it with that independent and right
which is Washington's by re-
ute. 1t ought to have . long New Yuk
un, and then go to several years Of Suc-
esSful touring.