The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-04-29
EDWIN sooTH's APOLOGY.
Ne Ms3e . Handsone One when He
discovered His Error.


During the early sixties, relates j. Fl.
Rogers In the New York Times. oocu.
pied rooms, or. to be strictly truthful, .
room, in the old Studio building, on
Tenth street. 1t swarmed with artists Of
all descriptions, and more delightful set
OF good fellows never got together under
the same roof. There was not single dis.
cordant element, and the gatherings held
from time to time in the different studios
will remain with me among the most val
ued memories Of a somewhat evsntful life.
On these occasions people from the outside
world frequently dropped in; other artists,
literary men of the Bohemian sort, with
perhaps an actor or two on the off nights,
all men whose presence gave an additional
flavor to the mixture, until 1t came to be
like the old Century club punch" Joy
to be remembered, and too subtle to DO
analysed.
One evening Edwin Booth was present
and, finding the company congenial, made
himself go agreeable that was very sorry
when an engagement took me away at
comparatively early hour. The next even
ing 1 dropped into the Century club for
little gossip and found Mr., Booth there.
He was tho center Of q group Of men with
whom was on such terms Of intimacy
that did not hesitate to Join them. The
usual greetings were passed until came
to Booth, when received look that went
through me like cold steel. Supreme con-
tempt was never SO expressed before or
since. Just one look, and then, without
further notice, he turned his back on me
and began to talk to the other members of
fha Ornnn ~ cnIlyca tharo xroo notbtpp
to be said, and got away as soon as pos.
sible. Presently, however, began to bs
angry. This is not simply cut, thought
!, but premeditated insult. I became
furious and was ready for an explosion
then and there, but Just at that time
Launt Thompson came up and took me
one side.
''How in the name of common sense"
saad he, ibid you come to play practical
Joke on BoothP" Now, of all disagreeable
creatures, detest most heartily the prac-
tical joker, q creature to be kicked out of
any respectable community. resented
even the implication and refused to stoop
so far as to deny that had been guilty of
such thing, expressing in good set terms
my opinion of those who believed it. 1t
seemed, as 1t came out afterward, that
during the previous evenings entertain
ment which took place in Thompson's
studio, a man about town who had been
dining heavily, thinking to got joke on
both Of us, took the opportunity offered by
my departure to play n shabby trick on
Booth and throw the blame on me-
The upshot Of the matter was that in
day or two camo a note from Booth asking
me to accept his box at the Winter Garden
for certain night and meet him in his
dressing room between the third and
fourth acts Of Hamlet" OF course ac-
ceptcd the invitation, and in due time ap-
peared at the door of the little dressing
room on the left of the stage at the Winter
Garden theater. On entering found, to |
my SURPRISE all the members Of the group
that had witnessed the scene at the club.
Booth, who had just come off the stage
and was in full costume, made an apology
SO handsome that blushed as received
1T and went away full of admiration for
the man who knew SO well what was due
to himself and when the necessity came
could make an apology SO ample that it
left tho recipient in his debt.