The Savannah morning news., 1901-07-28

plause to let me go on. A trick? yes,
a small trick-a mere pretense to more
breath than I really had, but it arous-
ed the audience, it touched their inn
agination. They saw the horror-strick-
en- woman racing through the night,
waking the empty streets to life by
that ever thrilling cry of "Murder!"
trick If you like, but on the stage
success justifies the means, and that
night, under cover of the applause of
the house, there came to me a soft
clapping of hands, and in muffied tones
the words Bravo! bravo!" from Othel-
10.
When the curtain had fallen and Mr..
Davenport had been before it, he came
to me, and holding out his hand, said:
You splendidlunged creature, l want
to apologize to you for the thoughts
l harbored against you this morning."
l smiled and glanced uneasily at the
clock. He went on:
Il have always fancied my wife in
Emilia, but, my girl, your readings are
absolutely new sometimes, and your
strength is-whatS the matter? A
farce yet?. Well, what of it? YOU
you have to go in a farce, after play
ing Shakespeare's Emilia with E. L.
Davenport? I'm damned if 1 believe
you"
And 1 gathered up my cotton-velvet
gown and hurried to my room to don
calico dress, white cap and apron, and
then rushed down to the property room
for the perambulator l had to shove
on, wondering what the star would
think if he knew that his Emilia was
merely walking on in the farce of
Jones Baby" without one line to
speak, the second and speaking nurse
maid having been very justly given to
one of the other girls. But the need
less sending of me on right after the
noble part of Emilia was evidently
sop thrown by my boldly-independent
manager to his ballet-Ceberus.
Heretofore stars had advised or
chided me privately, but oh, dear! oh,
deari next morning, Mr.. Davenport at
tackled Mr.. Ellsler for "mismanage-
ment," as he termed it, right before
everybody. Among other things, he
declared that it was a wound to his
personal dignity, as a star, to have
girl who had supported him-"not ac-
ceptably but brilliantly, in a Shakes
pearian tragedy sent on afterwards
in vulgar farce" then he added:
Aside from artistic reasons and from
justice to her-good Lord, John. are
you such a fool you don't understand
her commercial value? here you
AoNO a SUI SOOhS ~ Guy Ncit-
ways make allowances for warmth
of argumenD, with rare gifts
and qualifications, who handles her au-
dience like a magician, and you cheap
en- her like this-placing her in the
highest position only to cast her down
again to the lowest. If she is only fit
for the ballet, you insult your public
by offering her in a leading part; if
she is fit for leading part, you in
suit her by lowering her to the bal
let; but, anyway, I'm damned if 1 ever
saw a merchant before who deliberate
ly cheapened his own wares!"
If the floor could have opened I
should have been it's willing victim,
and 1 am sure If Mr.. Davenport had
known that l should have to pay for
every sharp word spoken, he would
have restrained his too free speech for
my sake, even though he never was
able to do so for his own.
And what a pity it was, for he not
only often wounded his friends, but,
worse still, he injured himself by fling
ing the most boomerang-like speeches
at the public, whenever he felt it was
not properly appreciating him. He was
wonderfully versatile, but though YER
satility is essential to any really good
actor, yet, for some mysterious rea-
son, it never meets with great sue
cess outside of a foreign theater. The
American public demands specialists
one man to devote himself solely to
tragedy, another to romantic drama
and duels, another to dress-suit satire;
one woman to tears. another to laugh
ter. Woe betide the star who, able
to act both comedy and tragedy, ven
lures to do so; there will be no packed
house to bear witness to the apprecia-
ton felt for such skill and variety Of
talent.
Mr.. Davenports vogue was probably
waning when / first knew him. He
had a certain intellectual following,
which delighted in the beautiful pre-
cision and distinctness of his reading of
the Royal Dane" He always seemed
to me a Hamlet cut in crystal, so clear
and pure, so cold and hard he was.
The tender heart. the dread imagin-
ings, the wounded pride and love, the.
fits and starts, the pain and passion
that torture Hamlet-each, in turn, was
utterly incompatible with the fair,
high browed, princely philosopher Mr..
Davenport presented to his followers.
And after that performance l think he
was most proud of his "hornpipe" in
the play of Black Eyed Susan" which
he danced with a swiftness, lightness
and limberness of joint that was truly
astonishing in a man of his years. Lee
gend said that in London it had been
a great "go," had drawn-oh, fabulous
shillings, not to mention pounds-but
never saw him play William
to a good house, neither did
ever see the dance en-
cored. The people did not appreciate
versatility, and one night, while be-
fore the curtain responding to a call,
he began a bitter TRADE against the
public, offering to stand there and
count how many there were in the
house, and telling them that next week
the house would not hold all who wish
ed to enter, for there would be banjo
played by a woman, and such an in
tellectual treat was not often to be
had: but they must not spend all their
money, for even he was learning to
swallow swords and play the banjo;
he was an old dog. but If they would
have a little patience he would learn
their favorite tricks for them, even
though he could not heartily congrat-
lilate them upon their intelligence, etc.
oh, IL was dreadful taste and so un-
tust, to abuse those who were there for
the fault OF those who remained away.
During the weeks engagement OF
which / was speaking, had two
nights IN the ballet. then again ! was
cast for an important part. IL was
red-letter day for me, professionally;
for thanks 10 Mr.. Davenport. / learned
for the first time the immense value
~ "buefnees"-an action unsustained
nerhaps by a single word. ! am not
nosItive. but / believe the play was