The times., 1899-04-23

capital among Its hackers made the future
of the play uncertain, the role offered me
was one in which / might make great
hit. The character represented was an old
Scot whose tendencies we're simply hend-
ish but whose villainies arose from the
Dsrrowness and bigotry of disposition
which is occasionally seen in men of that
nation. He was TO fairly reek with at
mosphere. and might be a steppingstone
10 success. The chance seemed good, and
wired back my acceptance.
a full month was to go by before ! was
required to report for rehearsal, and, mind
ful of Booths definition of genius ! began
al once to work like Trojan on my part
No manuscript had been forwarded me.
but / knew the sort OF individual / was TO
portray-a scoundrel deformed in body and
mind-and / lost no time in preparing my
self l paid considerable attention to the
Scotchmen i knew, but most of all care
fully cultivated the dialect. Never have
labored as / did in acquiring that burr !
improved the acquaintance of our janitor
because of his dialect and by means OF his
fondness for tips, stepped into every resort
where ! was likely TO find my prospective
countrymen. and STEPPED myself in the lit
eraiure which James Barrie was then turn
ing cut. After a period of this l took a
train for New York, a score of volumes on
cab to my friends Office.
That individual professed extreme joy
at seeing me and asked how / had EN-
ployed my leisure. | told him. l waxed
eloquent upon the hours spent in picking
up that Internal burr, and insisted upon
giving him samples of conversational
shorthand / trotted out ali my 'di We
kens' and boot mons Then l waited for
praise. None came. My friend surveyed
me quietly an instant and then simply re-
marked But this fellow is deaf and dumb. >
That was all and it was enough. The Red
Record was never produced and | cared
less than anyone concerned in the enter
prise
And speaking of Scotch things reminds
one of bit of verse which George Bowles,
press agent for Alice Nelson. brought to
The Times last week. The lines are ad-
dressed to the star and contain a great
deal OF real poetry and sentiment. Here
they are:
o. angel of song, sac frail, fair,
j dina knoo' an / dina care
Frae WHARF we WHARF We goo,
Tia godsll guard ye; that | knoo.
Tia lily droops wi humbled pride,
An shyly seeks tae ;oorn aside.
An gle tae ye sweet beauty's crown,
Niout word-wiout i f=own.
Tia bonnie lark Is silent moo
An hides his head in shame ;rae You.
Fair Alice. An blame him mair,
His notes wi yours sac i'll compare.
q. all the worlds in love wi you,
Sweet child oi song. fair, true;
Sac WI The rest bow me doom
An join wi them the praisin' tune.
Mr.. Bowles swears that this verbal high
land fling was sent TO Miss Nelson by a
Kansas City admirer, but. with all due
respect to the well-known veracity of the
advance courier. this statement is open to
doubt. Mr. Bowles is what Artenus Ward
called "a literary cuss," being the author
of the next production at the Fourteenth
Street Theatre in New York, and a native
of Milwaukee. And the poem is as literary
as the dialect is Milwaukeean.
Dollie Mobiles. who comes to the Grand
this week, is possessed of keen appetite
for humor and with powers of observation
far above the ordinary. These qualities
place her narratives in great demand and
many Of them are widely quoted. A fell
low player was retailing an anecdote yes
ferday and ascribed it TO the fair vaude-
william.
According to him Mrs. Mobiles was seat
ed in a prominent New York restaurant
one night when man and woman entered.
They were apparently from the country
and took the chairs rendered them very
timidly. A long survey of the menu fol-
lowed and the actress noted that the young
fellow hesitated some minutes before de-
Gliding to adopt the walters recommends
tion that he order raw oysters. The BIZ
valves were finally determined upon, how
ever, and brought Both visitors examined