The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-05-26
EDWIN BOOTHS APOLOGY.
&c Made Tnn8~nr'~ One When he
Discovered gFir Error.

Daring the carly sixties. relates J. II.
Rogers In the Neg York Times ccc,I-
pied rooms, OF. TO In strictly truthful, u
room, in thu CID ;;tuAiu building. un
Tenth street. Ii rwarHcd with artists ~:
III crlptions, and u more delightful ut
Of good fellows never gUt together under
the same roof. Their was not u sin" dis
COrltunt element, and ;!ir catherine p held
from time tn time III the different studios
viii remain with me aIaCHg tEy most Ial-
Uccl memories Of q somewhat CvrntfUl He.
On tEcsc occasions pcopl" from the OUTSIDE
world frequently dropped in; Other artists
literary men OF the Bohemian SORT. Will,
perhaps an actor or two on the off nights,
all men whose presence gave an additional
flavor TO the mixture, until ii came to he
like the old Century club runch," u joy
TO be remembered and too subtle to be
analysed.
One evening Edwin Booth WIS present
and, finding the company cOngcnial, made
himself 50 agreeable that l w'.s very sorry
when al engagement took me away at
comparatively early hour The next even
ing dropped into the Century club fer .
little gossip and found Mr.. Booth there.
He wiS the center Of ~ group of men with
whom | Was on such terms Of intimacy
that did not hesitate To Join them Tho
usual greetings were passed until l came
to Booth, when L received ii loOl; that went
through mo like cold steel. supreme Cun-
tempt was never sO expressed before or
since. Just one look, ard then, without
further notice, he turned his back on me
and began to talk to the Of her InCl2bCIs Of
the group. OF course there was nothing
to be said, aid got AWAY a. soon us pos
sible. Presently, however, hc,;an to be
angry. This is not simply 1t cut, thought
!, but a preMcditnted insult. ! became
furious and was ready for an explosion
then and there, but Just at that time
Luunt Thompson came up end took nc
one sids.
Flow In the name Of common sense"
said he, did you come II play n practical
joke on Booth:" Now, of all iisagrcra lG
creatures, | dctCst most heartily the Lac
t!c,:l joker IL creature to tIc .:irECd out ri
any respectable community. resented
even the implication and refused to stoop
20 far as to deny that l had been grilty of
such q ching, expressing In good set terms
my opinion Of those who believed it. It
seemed, ne 1t came out aftcrward. that
during tho previous evenings entertain
lnent, which took rlace IL Thompsan's
studio, q man about town WLo had lmen
dining heavily, thinkinN 10 get joke Oh
both Of us, took the opportunity offered by
my departure to play a shabby trick Oh
Booth and throw the blalnc on me
The upSi!ut of the matter was that in %
day or two came II nCtC from Booth asking
me to accept his box at tine Winter Garden
for a certain night and meet him in his
dressing room between the third and
fourth acts Of Hamlet" OF COURSE nc
ccptrd the invitation, and IN due time mp
pcared st She door IT the little dressing
room On the loft of the stage Mt tina Winter
Garden sheater. On entering l found. TO
my surprise, Ill the nIcnIbGrs " the group
that had witnessed the scene at the club.
Booth, who had just come oil the Stage
and WAS In full costume, made an apology
80 handsome that blushpd Ia I received
ii and went away full Of admiration for
tho man who knew SO well Whit was due
to himself and when the necessity came
could make an apology so ampls that 1t
left Ire recipient III His debt