The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-08-09
AN OLD GENIUS
in A YOUNG BODY
tOriginal.1


[Original.1
MacMlcken had been a great actor.
Indeed, he still was a great actor but
he was drawing near the end of his
career. People We're beginning to re-
Sard him as a bit old fashioned. He
had retired from the stage several
times and had lately returned, posi-
lively for the last time" and was play
ing an engagement at the Standard.
His friends We're vainly trying to keep
up his audiences for few nights
longer when the old man would so on
for the last night of his engagement
But when that last night came Mac
Micllen did not come With 1t. He own
ed a handsome country place twenty
miles from the city and used to come
i'll on an express train that was due
at O'Clock On the night of his last
performance he did not show up as
usual on the arrival of the train.
There was local train that arrived
at quarter TO s. He might have talk
en- that, but the manager was bit
nervous at his not coming OH the ex-
press and notified me, his understudy,
to be ready for the part in case any
thing had happened. He further sug-
geSted that since Mac and We're the
same build I'd better make up to per-
senate the star as we'll as the charac-
ter, which was Hamlet If Mac should
come in late many might not notice
that he had not been on from the first.
The hour for the play arrived. and
every one who had long admired Mac
a fine sendoff The manager had tele-
graphed to find out what was the mat
ter, but there was no one at Macs
place except the servants, who replied
that he had started to walk to the de-
pot much earlier than usual
At s o'clock the orchestra started in,
and at quarter after s the curtain
went up. Hamlet is not on till the
second scene. and up to the last minute
it was hoped that Mac would appear.
He did not. A few minutes before
was to go on l passed the manager,
who hailed me with delight, thinking
me to be the star. This indicated that
| was we'll made up to represent Mac
| Micken. | was received with warm
demonstration. I bowed-indeed, kept
bowling for a long time-though no.
| ticed that the noise was made mostly
by few of Macs old friends But
had no sooner got into my part than
| discovered that had secured unusual
| attention. | seemed buoyed by some
Inspiration by which felt that could
| not only take Macs place, but take it
in the days when he was as young as
l. All the delicate shades of meaning
to be found in that remarkable part,
all the biting satire, the philosophic
thought seemed to come from me as a
part of my nature. Before went on
for the second act was told that the
audience was wondering at Macs re-
juvenation, some of the older ones de-
thirty years before
With every act the enthusiasm grew
till at the close held the audience
spellbound. When the curtain fell
there was perfect storm of applause
and ] was called before it again and
again till consented to speak. Where
the words said came from I did not
know. had entered so far into Macs
identity that seemed to speak for
him and as lie would have spoken.
My friends" said, Il am deeply
touched by this kind reception. To-
night, an old man, have entered a
youthful body, that might make you
really feel a pleasure you would have
feigned from sympathy. thank you,
and goodby."
You mean young man in an old
body" cried voice.
l went off amid storm of applause
to be met by the manager, who came
at me angrily:
what did you want to give it away
for by talking about an old man in a
young body for?"
II don't know" l replied, confused,
somehow thought was Mac"
! Anxious to get away and be by my
self, I went directly to my dressing
room and shut the door l was dis.
robing when 1t opened, and who should
come in but MacMicken himself.
II suppose you think you've done a
remarkable thing" he said, dropping
into chair.
"why didn't you come and do it
yourself?"
Because wanted to try an expert
ment. l know that Pm not what was
thirty years ago. Now, l believe in
many things that the world SCOTS at.
/ Do YOU remember how you felt tonight