New-York tribune., 1905-11-05
IRVING IN THE ABBEY.
The Incom parable Gift of PERSONAL
ity-A Beautiful Service.
London. October FL


Whitehall Thousands Of chrysanthemums nave
been blooming among tons Of laurel and bay on
the great Corinthian column; each Landseer
lion has staggered under the weight OF ever
green glory, and the flags flying in two holsts
have repeated the famous signal OF Trafalgar
Tributes have come from every quarter OF the
empire in honor Of the Tooth anniversary of Mel
sons victory and to-day the buglers are sound
ing reveille at the base of the column and a
vast assemblage is uniting in singing the ha-
tonal anthem after the recitation of Mr. KIP
ling's Professional" With concerts in Albert
Hall a memorial service in St Pauls. cente-
nary dinners the manuuvres of naval boys prl-
gades and many minor SHOWS. thSre Is aoui
dant evidence that the memory OF Nelsoh Is hoii
ored as the great champion OF England sea
power How can it be otherwise, When, as 1he
Quarterly" review justly says, 1t Is this the
downfall of tyranny and oppression, the saving
of Great Britain and the liberation Of Europe
that we now celebrate under the name OF Trafai-
,.,qr Vet the throngs around the Nelson col
umn ore strangely silent and listless as though
hardly more than half interested in what hap
pened hundred years ago. The heartest chee1s
are heard when the Union Jack and the trencn
tri-color are raised together and the Mar
veuaise" follows "God Save the King, ana with
bookshelves groaning under the weight OF ne"
publications about Trafalgar. the issue Of para
succeeded a century ago did not fail in the Strait
Of Corea The name Of Nelson is still one to con-
1ure with but when the flags all set for
the famous signal from the monument, no"
taint has his personality become
At the other end of Whitehall unique per-
eonaty has been triumphant In DEATH drawing
the great and the lowly unto him and seno1ng
them away with sorrowful hearts, yet with a
new consciousness of the Incompatible gift OF
Tt,a occac nf
ins,s ashes to the Abbey without drurnoeat
or color OF pageantry-a laurel crowned hearse'
fh,ee mourners In carriage and an empty
hrougham driven slowly after nIsht1ah' Se'
Victoria-st was lined for hours with SILENT eA
pectant throngs, as though monarch were
coming that way with a brilliant caValcaoe-
First nighters who had waited many t1i1e AZ
the rain at the pit door OF the Lyceum or Ofui!
Lane were bent on seeing the last appearance OF
their favorite actor on any stage; ana When uie
hearse and carriage came up, off went the hals
and tears were in many eyes. The voice they
had loved to hear was hushed forever; YET SO
electric had bis vitality been that 1t seemeo
almost unnatural for them not to Join IN a
tumultuous outburst Of welcome. as they nao
often done under the glare OF the foothgntS
Who save King Edward himself could nave
detained from their homes on SO gloomy nght
80 large concourse of working people for SO
a
what save greatness could have drawn together
20 DISTINGUISHED an asseInbage Of all that was
truly representative IN art letters and public
life or have impressed the spectators, not
merely with the dignity and beauty OF the cere-
monial but also with the enrichment OF the
storied Abbey from the presence OF Sir henry
Yrving,s ashes? Garrick's. like Nelson's. might
IA an nlustrious name; but the actor 10 De
hn1ed beside him had lived 30 Intensely and
come so close to men Of his time that the power
of persouaIity remained invincible.
How was 1t possible to think Of him as among
the dead when there was SO much In the en-
vtronment of the historic place and In the as
sernblage itself to remind one Of what he had
been In life? The catafalQue, fanked by tall.
yellow candles. where the coffin was to be
placed was underneath the lantern: but In the
open space above 1t at Queen Vlctortas jubilee
service had been the gallery where Irving him
seif had sat with Miss Ellen Terry, Nine Abani.
Robert Browning, Lord Leighton. Archdeacon
Sinclair Sir Arthur Sullivan and other brill
iant companions. Leighton, Browning and many
more had gone; but Miss Terry, with sorrowful
face and the Archdeacon with stately dignity,
wore waiting to hear Su1lfvan's Weep Ye Not
for the Dead" as q requiem for his friend before
tho procession to the Poets Corner. The marble
0xure of Gladstone looked beyond the glare OF
the candles into the choir; and those who re-
- -1vVyI