The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-11

wy member about the first 10 years
 at the Lyceum, I can answer In one word: Work. I was hardly ever out of the theatre What with acting, re- nearsing and studying-25 reference books were simple coming in" for one part I sometimes thought l should go blind and mad. It was not only for my parts at the Lyceum that had to rehearse; from August to October I was still touring In the provinces on my own account
 Of course there were always injudicious friends to say that I had not "chances' enough at the Lyceum. Even my father said to me, after "Othello':
 we must have no more of these ophei- ias and Desdemonas!"
 "Father!' I cried out, really shocked.
 sThey're second-fiddle parts-not the parts for you, Duchess"
 "Father! I gasped out again; for, really I thought ophelia a pretty good part. and was delighted at my success with it.
 But, granting these were second-nddie parts, want to make quite clear that had my turn of first-fddle ones Romeo and Juliet,' Much Ado About Nothing, "Olvia" and "The Cup all gave me finer opportunities than they gave Henry. In 'aThe Merchant of Venice and "Charles r. they were at least equal to his.
 have sometimes wondered what l should have accomplished without Henry Irving might have had bigger parts' but 1t doesn't follow they would nave been better ones, and if they had been written by contemporary dramatists my success would have been less durable. NO actor or actress who doesn't play Tn the Classics Shakespeare or old comedy will be heard of long, was one or Henry Irvings sayings, by the way, and he was right.
 It was a long time before we had much talk with each other In the Hamiee days Henry Irvings s melancholy was ap- palling. I remember feeling as if l had laughed in church when he came to the foot of the stairs leading to my dressing room and caught me sliding down the banisters! He smiled at me, but didn seem able to get over it.
 Lacy he said some days later, what do you think? I found her, the other day. sliding down the banisters!'
 Some one says-I think it is Keats in a letter-that the poet lives, not in one, but in a thousand worlds and the actor has. not one, but hundred natures What was the real Henry Irving, I used to speculate.
 His religious upbringing always left its mark on him, though no one could be more raffish, and mschievous than he when entertaining friends at supper in the Beefsteak room, or chafing his valued adjutants, Bram Stoker and Love dayl H. l. Loveday, our dear stage man. ager. was, I think, more absolutely devot- ed to Henry than any one except his fox terrier Pussy.
 From his childhood up, Henry was lonely. His chief companions in youth
 were the Bible and Shakespeare. He used to study 1'Hamlet'' in the Cornish fields | when he was sent out by his aunt Mrs | Penberthy, to call in the cows. One day | when he was in one of the deep, marrow | lanes common in that part of England, he | looked up and saw the face of a sweet | little lamb gazing at him from the top oi | the bank The symbol of the lamb in the | Bible had always attracted him. and his | heart went out to the dear little creature I With some difficulty. he scrambled up the bank, slipping often in the damp rec