The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-08

for business agreements he is continually
getting himself into trouble. He was book
ed for an American tour this season,
but he has become so enamored of London
that he decided to remain in England and
signed an English contract Then he
wired his American managers asking for
a release, but they tod him may" IL
cost him a good piece of money to square
up with the Englishman he had booked
with, and now he is going to return to the
land. which in IAN American Citizen" he
processes TO love so well. His season will
open in Cincinnati Oct. 30, and he will
play "The Cowboy and the Lady, pay
the London critics spoke highly of.
Sir Henry Irving. who is enjoying extra
ordinary prosperity during his farewell
provincial. tour in England, delivered
characteristic little address the other day
at a bazaar in Birmingham held for the
benefit of the Commercial Travellers Be
nevolent Institution. Among other things
he said: Il am a bit of a commercial traV-
eler myself. and take this opportunity of
calling your attention to the goods l have
the honor to travel In. | have not any
samples with me- but you will find them 1t
the theater-Shakespea as fresh as ever,
and a really excellent article in Sardou.
The actor, like the commercial traveller,
knocks about the world and picks up ex-
perience of all sorts and condi ions of men.
one Of our most popular dramatists. |
believe once belonged to your brother
hood and | have no doubt his keen eye
for character was trained upon many
Journey in hardware or whatever useful
commodity he earnestly pressed upon his
clients; and l know that your powerful
CORPORATION has supplied The stage with
some admira BILE comedians whose talents
were first appreciated in the commercial
coffee-room SO you see we nave tasks
and ambitions in common, and il Is akeen
pleasure to me to come here and testify
our interest in the ms tuition for which
YOU are working"
Sir Henry will make a tour of the prin-
cpal American cities, aud may be seen
here in the spring
There are advantages in this rapidly
growing habit OF placing stage adaptations
of novels old and new before the pubic
possibly at FIRST not fOreseen. On the one
hand they are economical as to time saw
ing. in that they practically combine the
business of having the spectator become
acquainted with the book in some respects
while enjoying the drama. For instance.
II may he stated that numbers who ga"
James O'Neill in "Monte Crsto' or "The
Musketeers" at the Walnut lately never
read the Dumas stories they are taken
from. and vet have made some sort of an
acquaintance with the literary side of their
author The same remark Will apply 10
soThe Little Minister" Becky sharp, as
the outcome of "Vanity Far," THE Prs
ouer Of Zenda." etc. Again the stage adap-
tation OF The novel is valuable in that
while satisfying in It's way the interest OF
the theater- goer it may stimulate him to
read the original work, where this is not
already the case, and so he the means OF
double intellectual enjoyment
J. NJ. Barrie's Little Minister u is
said. has yielded him more than s2OoW0
| as a play. and at least a quarter that
much as a novel In its way this. too,
nroves the benefit of church and stage
getting into closer relations
lust now, when everything about the
late John Sleeper Clarke is of more or less
interest a communication to Baltimore
naner states that Mr.. Clarke's real name
was John Clarke Sleeper the actor having
| had his name changed by legislative en-
actment for stage reasons He was named
| Iohn Clarke from his mothers brother
| who over half century ago stood high
! in baltimore financial circles, and was the
| builder and owner of the old Museum,
which stood on the present SITE or the Bal
timore and Ohio building in that CITY.
win This uncle John S. Clarke. his broth
or. afterwards a prominent tea merchant
in Boston, and their widowed mother NV
| ed.