The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-14
,lace themselves, on the free list. All sorts

place themselves on the free list. All sorts
of negotiable paper was passed, which
had to be made good out of his slender sal
airy, and he became an expert at last In
detecting the stratagems of the would-be
impostor. His call TO the real boards came
suddenly He was to take the part of some
one who had suddenly fallen i'll, and it had
TO be learned, and some vague knowledge
of the business" acquired, in the space OF
three hours. The part was that Of a detec-
tive who arrested the villain Of the piece,
and who was reinforced in the performance
of this painful duty by two soldiers of the
British army, whom he recalls as very sad
looking supers In dirty red coats and gait
ers, carrying old-fashioned muskets."
He went on, paralyZed with stage
fright His lines were:
Roland Hetherington, arrest you.
But, confronting Roland Hetherington,
his tongue Glove to the roof of his mouth
and he could not utter a word
Some one behind the scenes shouted:
'Take him off, Take him OFF, and off he
went, the audience screaming, coerced by
his military escort. and as he has described
1t, ''the bold, bad man who should have
resisted arrest in the most spirited man.
ner," followed like lamb. This episode
resulted in his resignation, which was
promptly accepted.
After another period Of hardship in New
New York and vicinity, he returned
to Albany and he was offered the position
of head supe-"he had the shouts"
and made himself generally useful. The
salary was IS a week. IL was a humble
of affairs and his enthusiasm from that
moment never faltered. His next promo
ton was the role of stage policeman, in
which he at last succeeded. From this he
made a small success as pettifogging
lawyer. He was now in 1.-The line of pro-
notion" and with intermittent backsets
he advanced steadily. Joseph Jefferson was
the first to speak the word of encourage
ment. He sat in the box watching the rep
resentation of melodrama in which Mr..
Morris was cast as the Governor of Aus
tralia. Mr.. Jefferson watched him criti-
cally. then sent word that he was much
pleased with his work. adding: Tell him
to persevere; he is certain to be heard Of
hereafter"
TWO IMPORTANT EVENTS.
The two most important events of Mr.
Morris's career were, perhaps, two seasons
-one in the East Indies and the other
some years later, in London. The East
India experience was a whole romance in
| itself-a record of pronounced artistic sue
cess, Of winnings and dinings with the off,
GERS of the various British garrisons be-
tween times and a return to America in a
sailing vessel when all manner of untow-
ard accidents occurred, and when. to
save the vessel from wreck. he had to take
his turn at the wheel. The London triumph
was a case of waking to find himself ia
NOUS. He had been in London with his
| wife. their passage engaged and they were
to sail the following day. He had agreed to
play the part OF the Scotch professor in
''On Change for a temperance at a
matinee. The quaint. delightful impersona-
ton was the talk OF all London the next
| morning. The passage In the steamer was
forfeited and Mr.. Morris played the Scotch
professor whole year. He had delight
full home in St Johns Wood-that inesti-
mable privilege Of the London artist-and
| he soon gathered about him charming
| circle of people as clever and delightful as
| himself. Then followed the long engage
ment with Miss Vokes: and ii is impossible
| to recall the one without the other Those
were the halcyon days of acting-days
| when the artist was not commercial COM
CARELESS of whether those qualities were
mere freakishness or vulgar buffoonery
| which can make a laugh. or eccentricity
| that commands attention by its very
| lack of all that is intelligent and
human. Four years ago Mr.. Morris
| returned to London and the initial
success of the Scotch professor was
| repeated. There was the same unstinted
praise. the instant recognition of genius on
| of the English universities and are trained
| to their profession. Unfortunately no thea
| ter could be secured for any length of time,
/ and after three or four months the play
was withdrawn In favor of one that had
! been announced some months before, an
| obstacle which has shut out from an ex-
| tended London appearance such artists as
the Kendals and Miss Nethersole. Upon
| his return TO New York Mr.. Morris became
been member of the Frohman companies
/ ever since.
| He was most happily married. his wife
having been proteGe OF Mark Twain and