Evening star., 1898-03-11
THEATRICAL GOSSIP

stage lovers, Herbert Kelcey has a fore
most place. Mr.. Kelcey's career has been
a pronounced success. and he has success
fully climbed the ladder which is ever free
and waiting for talent. Born in Kent,
England, of Quaker parents. he scarcely
knew what a theater was until he had
nearly reached his majority. His boyhood
was practically spent in a boat. Rowing
from morning till night. he strove to be-
come the best oarsman in his county.
Finally, however, when he was nineteen
years old relative, one Of the queens
judges, died
With the money left him he went to Lon
don, plunged into speculation and soon
found himself penniless and obliged to do
something for his support. One evening.
While visiting family, one of the sons of
which was connected with a theatrical
company, he learned that the London Gaiety
Company needed a man to play the second
part. 1t was a case of necessity. His liv-
ing had to be earned, so Mr.. Kelcey applied
Tor the position, was accepted and soon
made his debut on the stage.
Later. Mr.. Kelcey made a tour of the
provinces, where he played every sort of
character, new part every night. Then
he made a pronounced hit at the Drury
Lane Theater. London, and finally was Sc
cured by Wallack for an eight weeks en-
gagement in this country. Since that time
thirteen years ago, Mr.. Kelcey has re-
mained in his adopted country and for
nine years was leading man of the New
York Lyceum Company. on the stage Mr..
kelcey leads a life supposed by the general
public to be far removed from the actors
world. He is quiet. does not smoke is not
club man. does not drinking fact he
passes very placid. prosaic existence.
Books are a hobby with Mr. Kelcey, and so
are dogs and cats. He revels in books and
his substantial private library contains
many treasures.
Twenty-odd years ago, when the Cana
dian train stopped at Rochester one bleak
November night, young and pretty Wo-
man dressed in widows mourning left
the car. followed by two pretty little girls,
also dressed in black. The younger of the
two was a chubby little thing. and in her
arms she jealousiy held wretched little
asked bus driver the name of a good
but inexpensive hotel and was conducted
to the hosteiry he served. Being unused to
hotels or. in fact, to anything but the ways
Of a Canadian lumber village she was
made acquainted with a register and wrote
her own name and her childrens' as fol-
lows:
Mrs. Thomas Campbell,
George Campbell
"Ada Campbell"
Mrs. Campbell then summoned the land
lord and said: I've got just 800 in the
world l am q widow NV husbands
death has left me a beggar Ny family
want me to live on their charity, but we'd
rather die
Yes. we would" echoed two small voices
in chorus.
Il want you to tell me-" continued the
mother, "how to get theater engagement
for George and Addy. They can both
play on the piano and sing like angels
Please do help u.s.
Mister said the younger and chubbier.
still holding tightly to her dog 1--WE can,
honest, and we can sing 'Genevieve' and
Under the Dasies' and lots of other things,
ana we'll be real good If you'll help US"
That settled it. The landlord bade them
go to bed. and said ne would give them
a letter to the manager of a good show
the next day. And he did. George and
Addy Campbell proved unusually good Ijt-
tie singers. They We're possessed of real
gift Tor pi"ro playing. but they were green
with Verdancy which even a variety
tneater manager in the town of Rochester
twenty years ago dared not make a stage
feature. The little girls had never been
upon stage IN their lives except in the
exhibitions sS of the Canadian school house.
lneS were little Cherry sisters of type
not fashionable in the seventies After re-
hearsing the children for two weeks the
manager 1unked. He said he really didn't
e care to try Try It, but he had gotten them an
opening in Buffalo, and if they succeeded
then he would give them an engagement
Immediately afterward.
He sent them on their way with much
good advice and bottle of homemade
pink dye for the girls white stockings.
Wnich We're to be made gorgeous as
nesh- -celored silk by a mere dip. The
little Campbell sisters found Themselves ono
ver-to-be-fOrgotten night attired in hasti
iy constructed and hideous costumes fur
nlshed by the wardrobe woman of Buffa-
10 secondhand variety theater, the butt of
a group of men and women old-timers of
the seriO-comic school.
Like little heroines they went forth, one to
.he piano, the otner to do her solo. To the
utter surprise Of every one, they received
round of applause. They next essaved a
duet, and George promptly tainted and
was carried off the stage. -Whereupon little
Addy, Forgetting where she was in her anx-
iety for her mother, called after her sister.
Never mind, mamma I'll sing both parts
and she did, and the house shouted and
appiauded itself hoarse. When George
recovered she reappeared, and Just as she
came on the stage she cried out to her
mother, Don't be afraid mamma. this
time I'll be good and not get sick.'' The
piucky little women were cheered to the
echo, and every night of their six weeks
stay in Buffalo they were feature on the
bills - '
To their surprise, the Rochester manager
wrote them. sending contract for the
mother to sign. and when they returned to
that city they failed to recognize them
serves as the originals of the two little
races IN the gorgeous lithograph posters
with which the town was billed, telling in
startling type of the wonderful little Irwin
SisteI IS-MISSeS r fora and May 1rwin-WhO
could astonish Rochester by their musical
skill, etc. Without taking the trouble to
consult them singly or collectively, the
Rochester manager had baptized the chill
dren Irwins-Flora and May-and they have
known no other name since Even the
mother Is Mrs. Irwin. A long career of
success lies back of these young women
a long and brilliant future before them.
May irwin, when asked the other day to
What she attributed her continuous sue
cess, said with earnestness: "Why. to NV
mother, OF course. Why, I've got the best
yes, sir, the very best-mother God ever
saVe TO woman. If there's anything
sood In me you must blame her forsit"
A good story is told of Richard Mans
neid which Is worth repetition, whether
1act or fiction is Its parent. The dis
tlnguished actor is an absolute master
or all the contributive factors to a produce
ton. He cannot only act as no other ac-
tor on our stage and make up with all the
variety OF nature. but he can plan scenes
ana teach artists to paint them; he can
sketch designs for costumes and he can
direct the orchestra as well as write the
Incidental music for his plays. In fact. he
usually does all these things in the way of
general direction. When he was preparing
THE Devils Disciple for the stage he
was most careful with the orchestra The
musicians appreciated his talents and liked
him immensely. One day. however, one of