The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-02-17
A STORY OF EDWIN BOOTH.
Illustrating His Easy Transition fro1


the Ridiculous to tho Sublime.
l. "A good many years ago, while Edwin
Booth was playing a successful engage
ment in one of the leading theaters, I
dropped into his dressing room one
night during the course of the perform
ance, says Lawrence Hutton in Har-
per's Magazine. He CHANGED to be in
a particularly happy frame of
mlnd-and he was often cheer
full and happy, tradition to the
contrary Notwithstanding. He was
smoking the inevitable pipe and he
was arrayed in the costume of Richie
lieu, with his feet upon the table, sub
hitting patiently to the manipulations
OF his wardrobe man or dresser" At
ter few words of greeting the callboy
knocked at the door and said that Mr..
Booth was wanted at certain cleft
lower entrance The protagonist
jumped up quickly and asked if would
stay where I was and keep his pipe
alght, or go along with him and see
him lunch the cuss of Rum" quoting
the words of George L. Fox, who had
been producing recently ludicrously
clever burlesque of Booth in the same
part. followed him to the wings and
stood by his side while he waited for
his cue. 1t was the fourth act of the
drama, l remember, and the stage was
set as a garden, nothing of which was
visible from our position but the flies
a.
might have been placed in great bare
barn, so far as any scenic effect was ap-
parent. Adrian, Baradas and the con-
splrators were speaking and at an op-
poslte entrance, waiting for her cue,
was the Julie of the evening. She was
a good woman and an excellent &C
tress, but unfortunately not a personal
taVorite with the star, who called my
attention to the bismuth with which
she was covered, and said that if she
got any of it onto his new scarlet cloak
ne would pinch her black and blue,
putting volumes of smoke into my face
as he spoke. When the proper time
came he rushed upon the stage, with
a parting injunction not to let his pipe
go out; and with the great meerschaum
in my mouth I saw the heroine of the
play cast herself into his arms and no.
ticed, to my great amusement, that she
did smear the robes of my lord cardi-
nal with the greasy white stuff he SO
much disliked. I winked back at the
half-comic, half-angry glance he shot
1111i oI,1
ders. I half-expected to hear. the real
scream he had threatened to cause her
to utter. thought of nothing but the
humorous, absurd side Of the situation:
l was eager to keep the pipe going.
And 10! he raised his hand and spoke
those familiar lines: around her form
I draw the awful circle of our solemn
church. Place but foot within that
hallowed ground and on thy head, yea,
though it wore a crown, I'd launch the
curse of Rome!" Every head upon the
stage was uncovered and I found nv
own hat in my hand! I forgot all tie
tomfoolery we had been indulging in;
I forgot his pipe and my promise re-
garding it; forgot that I had been
habitual theatergoer all myAife; for
got that [ was a protestant hereto and
that 1t was nothing but stage play; I
forgot everything except the fact was
standing in the presence Of the great,
visible head Of the Catholic religion in
France and that I was ready to drop
upon my knees with the rest of them
at his imprecation. That was Edwin
Booth the actor.