The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-10
HAS "reminiscences
Of EDWIN BOOTH
Mrs. Sara Stevens, of sway
Down East Company, Re.
lateS Some.

Mrs. Sara Stevens, the actress who
so delightfully."- impersonates 'Lou-y-
"a Bartlett in "Way Down East"
and who frankly confesses that she has
just celebrated her sixty-third birth
day, is not only one of the most charm
ing, but also one Of the most vigor-
Gus members of the company. Her
mind is as clear and her memory as
perfect as it ever was. She fairly
teens with "reminiscences and anec-
dotes of players who won fame before
most of her associates in WAY Down
East" were born, and frequently she
entertalns and amuSeS these associates
by recital Of her recollections
She supported Edwin Booth through
out his first season in New York, which
was begun late in 1857 at Burton'S
metropolitan theater, afterWard meta
morphosed by Dion Boucicault into the
Winter Garden. Booth was compare
lively young man at that time, and,
of course, unaffected by the great grief
which so utterly changed him not long
after.
If ever / met an actor who deserved
the too often applied term of genius
said Mrs. Stevens, ''he was the actor.
He was rather close student even
then, but prone to those carelessnesses
which marked the man of true in
stinct. 1t has been said that Booth
was not precise in his stage direction,
and 1 know this to have been the case.
Suit yourself, was his answer to a
young fellow who wanted to know
whether, after certain speech, he
should walk to the right or the left.
TIL find you wherever you are
Booth Was Facetious.
Frequently, too. Booth would in
terrupt himself in the graVest scenes to
make facetious remarks. He held it
to be fallacy that good actor must
lose himself in his part. 1 use the
word fallacy' because never was there
the public, nor more egotistical pre-
tense on the part of players, than is
demonstrated in the assertion that any
imperSonator forgets himself in his
impersonation. Jerome K. Jerome's
humorous comment on this nonsense
in ION the Stage and Off should be
read by persons inclined to believe the
statement.
But to the point 1 was playing Cor
della to Booths Lear one night at the
Metropolitan when, as the king solilo-
Quized over his dead daughter, William
Winter stepped out of the shadow Of
box into the light and began writ
ing on the back of an envelope.
Sh!' Booth whispered to me. For
the love of heaven don't breathe or
move. There's a chiel amang US takin'
notes.
ION another occasion, in King
Lear by the way, Booth, who was
absent-minded, walked rapidly about
behind the scenes giving orders for
the next setting, absolutely unmindful
that he had me still at the other end
of the rope with which 1 was supposed
to have hanged myself"
Barrett Admired Booth.
Someone asked Mrs. Stevens about
I the relationship between Booth and
Barrett. when 1 was with Booth"
she replied, Lawrence Barrett, who
made his professional debut the same
year did, had not yet won such a po-
sition as to render possible any in
timacy with the great actor. 1 know,
however, that the admiration Of Bar
rett for Booth was of the Warmest Or
der. AT the Metropolitan played Per-
dita to the Florizel of Barrett in "a
Winters Tale The star was much
pleased with my performance and took
occasion to inquire about me. 1 told
him what little there was to tell of
| my career-that 1 had appeared first at
Wallack's, and, three days later, had
been engaged by William E. Burton to
support Booth. To support Booth?' he
repeated. All, no wonder you are a
good actress
Great griefs develop mans ability
to appreciate friends as they develop
his abilities. Clara Morris account of
the manner in which Booth leaned on
Barrett during their last tour 1 believe
to be perfectly accurate. Booth never
was practical; never could attend to
! details. He was poet and a dreamer,
and particularly after the assassina-
ton of Lincoln needed the support of a
stronger nature.
CIouded His Life.
mo account of the effect that the
participation of Booths brother in the
| murder had on Booth himself has been
exaggerated. On his sensitive and i'm
questionable mind, always with a trend
to melancholy, the affair made a mark
that was carried to the grave. 1t cloud
ed his life. / was in London with my
husband, John Heenan, when Lincoln
was shot, and did not return until
some months later. When did come
back Booth was in the midst of the
famous hundred nights run of Ham
let saw him on Broadway one day
! when the rain was falling in torrents.
He was holding his umbrella before
him and did not recognize me until
we came abreast of each other.
Why, Mrs Stevens, is it really
you?' he said He held my hand an
instant and then an expression of
profoundest sorrow came into his eyes.
"'Ah,' he sighed, how many thou
| sands of years have passed since last
we met
Il knew what had made the time
long to him, and 1 was so affected that
1 could not answer. 1 merely squeezed
his hand and went on my way"
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