The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-05
INGERsOLL AND THE "ANGELUs.v
Dramatic MOnOIOgue Recalled by
Newspaper Man Who Heard 1t.

Newspaper Man Who Heard If.
From the New Orleans Tmes-Democrat.
In private life Col. Ingerson was the
most delightful monologist l ever listened
to. I say monologist because he naturally
held the center of the stage in any gath
ering and the others were only too glad
to listen. I met him last about two years
ago, at the apartments of an Old friend
who was entertaining him and his wife
during brief visit to a sister oity No
body else was present, and the colonel was
feeling good and took things easy. He I'M
buttoned his vest, leaned back on the
lounge and invited me to take a seat
by his side, while our host drew up a
rocking chair and liz a pipe. The only
thing that then remained was to get Col
lngerson started, which one of the other
of us did by asking him what he thought
of Millet's 'ARgelus.' l happened to be
an suspicious leader for he had but re-
Gently seen the great painting. With eyes
half closed, he described the effect il had
produced upon him; he spoke of its terrible
pathos, of its mysterious atmosphere of
sorrow; then he drift ed into a discussion
of the impressionistic school and the
methods of modern European painters
the Flemish, the French, the Germans
the misunderstanding to bear on each
wealth of technical data, anecdote remiu-
iscence and general information that was
amazing to listen to. He spoke in short
epigrammatic sentences, sparkling with
wit and full of the quantest, oldest meta
phors Perhaps the most wonderful part
of 1t was that it all seemed perfectly nat
ural and unaffected. ! would have enjoyed
the experience beyond measure if the old
professional instinct hadn't kept rising in
me and W hiGneriDgg Thar here W. f.
cent newspaper copy going to waste. But
even if l had had permission 10 use the
talk doubt exceedingly whether il would
have been possible to put il on paper with
anything approaching conference. The col
onel said so much, fitting, swallow-like,
from one topic to another, that nothing
short of a stenographic report could have
preserved the context. Speaking of Poe
reminded him of The Bells; the poem nat
urally recalled the melodrama and Henry
Irving; Henry Irving suggested Washing
ton Irving who led the way to Rip Van
Wrinkle and presently to some amusing
anecdotes on Joseph jefferson. I mention
this little chain of thought merely as an
Illustration of the way he drifted. AS l
remarked before, there was never the
slightest suggestion of pose or rhetoric in
ANYTHING Col Ingersoll said. He was the
orly man l ever met in my life who could
tax blank verse without smelling of the
footlights.
"A great deal has been said about In
gersolrs profanity" continued the news
paper man. "but the bald statement that
he swore a great deal is thoroughly mis-
leading although absolutely true. Col. In
gersoPs profanity. like everything else
about him, was unique and picturesque 1t
was a quaint, whimsical sort Of 'cussing
that somehow or other never impressed
the ear as being bIasphemous it was some
a. all r.E
family chat Mark Twains pious old river
captain used 10 weave into the werp of his
conversation. I doubt very much whether
Col Ingersoll ever swOre at anybody in
anger. The exact view which he event
uallv came to entertain of the future state
will be the subject, no doubt. of a great
deal of discussion. ! happen to know
that he had grown very weary of con-
troversy Not long ago ] saw a letter
which he had written TO a warm personal
friend who had prepared a paper in de-
Tense Of some of his opinions for one OF
the reviews He thanked him for his cham
pionship but begged him earnestly not to
be drawn into any further argument. He
said that he had come to the conclusion
that it wasn't worth while As nearly as
could gather from the few general re-
marks in the iong talk which l have re-
ferred his attitude toward the question OF
Immortality was not one of despair. He
cherished the hope that somehow, some
where, there was Wife beyond the grave,
and as he grew Older this hope became
dearer and sweeter to him. That, ] think
will be found to be the sum and substance
of the matter HIS views on orthodoxy
were never changed. AS everybody knows,
Col Ingersoll's home life was peculiarly
happy. He and his wife were like pair
of lovers. and 1t was very pretty to watch
their solicitude for one another. She called
4. - -.
was i'm the habit of addressing her as
mother when l last saw him he had his
arm around her waist and she was care
fully cleaning his spectaces."