The sun., 1903-02-08
you're out.in. al the fat out Of my


John Hollingshead to play King ArthSr at
mime entitled Jack the nt-Killer." He
desired TO appear on the bills In his own name
but the stage manager took different view
OF the matter. Are you the gentlemen
who are playing In the opening?" he inquired
of the young aspirants for theatrtcal dis
tinction. They murmured that they were.
well. with regard to your names In the pro-
sramme, We are using the fish sauces this
year. You will be MIR. Burgess. you're
Mr. Worcester. and you're Mr.. Harvey.
And he p passed on. Accordingly, Mr.. Brook
field had to appear a. Mr.. r. Burgess. Dur
ing this panto engagement he was
invited to 60 to tho Bancrofts. who were
about TO open the Haymarket Theatre
with a revival of Money Our author
was cast for Ssdrp. the solicitor who reads
the will. The Bancrofts were very kind to
him, but he remembers feeling . little be-
wildered after he had shyly read through
the will for the first time Mrs. Bancroft
beckoned him TO her, and said, "Ex-
cellent, Mr.. Brookfeld excellent But don't
you think you might take it perhaps skade
more rapidly Sharp. you know. that's
the key to the character. He doesn't
care tuppence about old Mordaunt. He
simply wants 10 get through his business
and hurry on somewhere else. SO next
time little bit quicker II you don't mind"
The next moment Bancroft linked his arm
in the young actors, and. taking him on one
side, said with kindly eanestness, First
rate, my dear fellow. quite first rate. but
just a trifie hurried. don't you see. These
old family solicitorr. don't you know. they
like to take their time. This old fellow drew
up the will himself. most likely, and he'd
enjoy ladling out his own stun. So next
time little bit slower, II you don't mind
Mr.. Brookfeld tells US that the leading
juveniles" OF twenty years ago we're a
wonderful study. The Haymarket Com
pany once rejoiced in the possession OF
two at the same time. One was a veteran
in his line, Mr. Lancelot. The other, a
Mr.. Beaumains, had only recently left one
Of the learned professions to adorn the
stage. and, accordingly. watched every
action of Mr.. Lancelot's In order to learn
how to comport himself as a leading ro-
mantle West End actor should II Mr..
Lancelot chanced to exhibit a peeress's
card among the invitations which. from
the frame Of his dressing glass, exhibited
his social popularity. Mr.. Beaumains would
follow suit 70 tbs b.st OF his ability by dis
playing In the margin OF his mirror re-
quest FOR his company from. say. the
Lady of City Knight. We are told that
once. when all the company were as
sembed in the green room. LAncelot burst
in with an anxious brow. HAS any one
seen an envelope. he inquired. addressed
to me in lady's handwriting? There's
nothing in II. only there's a d. great
coronet on It that somebody might recog-
nize. It's not the sort OF thing that one
wants to leave lying about" Strange to
say. the envelope was never found; but
short time afterward Beaunains made a
similar entrance Has any one seen an
envelope lying about addressed to me
in a feminine hsnd?" he asked eagerly.
"It's nothing = importance, orly there's
an Internal great coat-of-arms outside.
and one doesn't want to set people gossip
ing BY a curious coincidence this COM
promising pitoe de eircon stance was never
forthcoming. either. A minor member OF
the company wasted the whole Of the next
afternoon in manufacturing an enormous
sort Of pantomime envelope about 30 Inches
arms In heraldic colorp. He chose moment
when both "leading Juveniles were In the
green room to drop this work Of art on the
carpet and then appealed 10 the COM
pany: HAS any one seen an envelope
addressed to me with devilish big sort
of 'scutcheon on II? I wouldn't have it
create false impression for the world
Most of the onlooken were amused. but
neither Lancelot nor Beaumains took the
poor mans jest in good part.
In a chapter on Bohemian amenities our
au, hor recalls many years ago hearing
Mrs. Candour thus taking up the cudgels
on behalf cf her friend. Mrs. Checkers:
You know. I've heard all sort Of stories
abou, Mrs. Checkers's early life. ! don't
believe one Of them. / believe they're all
a pack of malicious falsehoods. And I'll
tell you why. or course. in my life I've
had to meet all kinds Of women, including
plenty who were-wcll, TO tettcr than
hey should be. "a the saying goes, But
In every one OF them. however old and
weai her-beaten she might be. there was
always some little trace OF charm that
you could identify and say: All! That's
what the men used 20 admire Now,
there's nothing of tha. sort about Mrs
Checker Our aui hor says that the first
time he ever saw Tree was AZ Cambridge.
in 1877 Tree was staying wi h a friend al
Trinity and was invited TO dine with the
Hibernian Club. After various toasts the
president in due course propoeed the health
of "the guests" and a dis. inguished old
Irish peer on his right was abou, 10 respond,
when, al the remote end Of the room. q
slight. auburn haired youth arose, pushed
back his chair and addressed the company:
-Mr. President and gentlemen he said,
Il thank you from my heart for the gracious
way in which you have drunk my-our
health. will not inhict a long and tedious
speech upon you, but ! will give you few
INIT al ions Of popular actors: Mr.. Irving
'Eah! Daun't you hear the sound Of bell
ll-ll-lls'' The elderly Irish peer turned
purple and barely escaped At Of apoplexy.
The president OF the club turned pale,
hurriedly scribbled a note thanking Tree
for his kind offer 10 eiierta ain, but explain
ing that The prearranged ,oasts must first
be gone through with. and despat ched It
down the liable by flying waiter. The
young hist ricn, however, with character
is ic gest ure waved tho menial aside ard
proceeded: Mr.. McCr ady a. Melonfius
IL, 'Tb. R,,dar - Tvo or thrsa mora