The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-05-03

ing an apprenticeship with Henry Irv-
ng in his London company. where I
had the distinction of being one of
nany to carry a crook and be shep
nerd.
Let me tell you that there was a
great actor and a good nan--Henry
irving. / remember one night, it was
when we were playing Henry VIII
che great English actor forgot his
md the stage was crowded with play
ers and supers. Irving was saying
,Iadame, you do me wrong;
1 have no spleen against you: nor injustice
For you or any; how far | have proceeded
Or how far further shall, is warranted
And there on that word he hung,
mis- lines gone out of his mind COM
pletely. Though the stage was full of
people who could have supplied the
missing words, none had presence of
mind to do SO, and there were some
horrible seconds Of sickening stiffness.
Presently an old super, Immediately
behind Irving--an old broken down,
whisky soaked veteran of a thousand
stage marches-whispered hoarsely
by a commission from the consistory,
and Irving, leaning his head to catch
the thick whisper, murmured, thank
you, my man. and the play went on.
Now. whether it was nervousness alone
or a sort of autosuggestion that in
duced it. Irving at exactly that same
place lost his lines the next night and
the next, and for the balance of the
week. Each performance the old super
would edge up to the great actor and
give him the forgotten words; Irving,
every night. would calmly but quietly
thank the old fellow, and at the end
OF the week raised his pay as super
from Is shillings to two pounds, which
was splendid income for him and
more than he had ever received in his
life. AS long as the old man was in
Irving's company the salary was kept
UP.
That was rather different from
Days methods. No one dared to speak
TO him unless by written appointment
or through the fact that Daily spoke
first. I remember once when I was
dying to know where he got the cpl
logue he used in The Tanning of the
Shrew,' addressed him without per-
mission in the corridor of the hotel.
He stopped. eyed me coldly- for min
ute, then turning on his heel. walked
away with the contemptuous gaze of a
god and said: Mind your own BUSH
ness
But / am getting way off the track.
was advised that IL 1 wanted to get
experience l should come to America.
Daily was in London and 1 was en-
gagged. Irving gave me splendid let
ter which was quite undeserved for I
had never had a part while 1 was with
him; but the letter was worth money
TO me. and more than money. / got a
chance In Days company to play the
clown in Twelfth Night Lloyd
d'Aubigny had been doing it but he
lost his voice and DAILY was going to
change the BILL I had heard the part
so many times that l felt sure could
get through it and DAILY permitted the
experiment. ] Kept the role through
out the season and DAILY raised my
wages the magnificent sum of SO a
week. But we quarreled finally over
the pronunciation of the word can't
wanted to say 'cawn't' with my best
English drawl. Daily said il wasn't
right and I retorted by declaring, L
cawn't do 1t otherwise Then 1 left
the company and cabied father for
money to get back home where I could
say 'cawn't to my hearts content. But
my brother, Robert. introduced me to
A. M. Palmer through Eugene Pres
brey, who was Palmer's stage manager.