The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-01


little book from him tho other day which
| value highly And again he wrote
This IL great thing Irving has done for
me-pray God he sses the good work he
Intends for me accomplished! But ! am
a bad actor. and feel II more and more
every day. II you see Irving.
tell him how | feel about this-it IL the
grcatest good thing n greas wan ever did
for a younEeter Mansfield waa ~ when
he wrote that hardly youngster; and
besideH, did Mansfield really believe that
he was a bad actor7 Five years later al
any rate he did not seem to have q con-
temptible opinion Of himself. In a pas
sage Of characteristic and beautiful
eulOgy Mr. Winter tells us: I'm this year.
iea9, died that great actor and greater
man. Edwin Booth. one Of the noblest and
gentlest human beings that ever | have
known. More and more a. the years
have passed and as have studied the men.
the actors and the acting made known in
their passage. my conviction has been
deepened Of His greatness in the dramatic
art and Of the beauty Of his character.
tho dignity Of his life and the sweet in
huenoe that no exercised and left Mans
field, leaving California and proceeding
On his tour. was apprised Of this bereave-
ment and was moved thus 20 mention H.
My dear Winter: sympathiEe with you
greatly in the loss OF your friend. but you
should not say he il the last What, II
I, am I--nothingl Do YOU bite your
thumb az msP There Ia much drivel being
written about he last actor II there IL
demand thers will be- supply For my
part, let me cultivate oranges and not
opinions We believe that the cultiya-
ton Of oranges was one Of the purposes
that Mansfield enthusiastically enter
tanned but did not carry out: hut opinions
he did not cease from cultivating. not
withstanding this sharp avowal Of inten-
ton
Sensitive under favors. We can well
believe that Mansfield was hurt by
an observation made by Irving. follow
ing upon the kindness ~ iSss Mans
hold in -Dr. Jckyll and Mr.. Hyde won
great applause In London. hut hts season
there was not peCuniarily profitable
Not un naturally he complained Of the
strain involved In the acting ui the diffi-
cult parts Of Jokvil and HYDE Mr. Winter
tells Us; Irving. NJ most times prone
20 morn or less playful satire. listened
observantly, and then in his bland, pi-
quaint way replied: Ah-yea-inter-
estinR-very; but Mansfield. my boy. if
II II isn't wholesome wouldn't do IL.
No unkindness could have been intended
says Mr.. Winter in generous eHtenuation
Of this frightful rub, but a sensitive man.
especially ono in whose temperament
there is much u the woman, will some
times romemher with resentment the
satirical pleasantly Of friend long after
hs has forgotten a substantial kindness.
We arc pretty sure that Mansfield TO
Irving wrote 10 Mr. Winter: Poor
Mansfield He's a little hlpped just now
and thinks the worlds against him. But
did my beat 20 shake him up and 70
show that he's everything TO be- grateful
for. He's made a thorough success with
the public--not every mans good for
tune. I'm very fond II him and hope
his boat may ever sail a. freely a. il does
now II his boat was sailing freely
Mansfield does not seem to have been
made entirely happy by the circumstances.
He had fun houses for his Richard III,
but We find him writing 90 Mr. Winter
from London In March. Iss9: The fools
here do not know Cibber from Shake
ypeare. However. thank God We
rave succeeded | cannot tell
,ou how long 20 be home again. Eng
and does not agree with me. am III |
md wretched. My throat has not been
veil for months and the strain and anHiety
> something too fearful. There .
IRE moro hypocrites. liars. parasites and |
here 20 the square mile than !
m America 70 the square State. know
ye have some II II in America. but here
{ is a reco gnizNd. established and admired
business. and the man or woman who /.
lOes not practise II IL considered fool /
md literally cold shouidersd August
viii see me home again. please God. and |,
{ vii take much O. drag mo thence. I f.
I'm very, very busy, 30 ! cannot write /
much now. God bless you. old fellow
still when Mansfield ~ here again we find I.
MIN pining for tho lanes and hedRerow-
y old England He II not calmly con-
itant In his desires
Possibly the sting NJ Trvings playful
g...sHfn..H ID .
Buchanan wrote That poet was not
playful He wrote 90 Mansfield: Your /
work seems 20 mo about /.
~ fine az II can b. do not understand /.
.hosS critics who while prai-ing il say that /
L IA not Richard To me- IL reems an also I.
ute realization Of that demoniac creature. /
Won have one unusual gift in addition 20
pour subtler onss-that 81 music In the
voico. which makes a poor dovil 81 a poet 7.
hunger 20 have his lines delivered BY such [
IN organ. went prepared 20 $50 an az
violent piscs of acting, found a mastor-
piecs q characterization And what a
ielight Il Ia AZ last 20 find an actor who IL /.
alive, who Il perfectly fear !
ess In his intellectual agility and never I
alters ons momsnt In his execution u a 4
hiring conception Mr. Buchanan, u
whom Mr.. Winter says. He is dead now
md In his death fine genius persisted. . .
llso wrote. There ars mean souls who .
lsnd down only 20 tbs sun in its meridian. /
turn 20 tho splendor Of the dawn ri
'ou possess pathos In any proportion %
your power I believe yo,r will move noun
aims This was very different from
rving's light and too singing tone.
In lettsr from Nansneld 10 Mr. Winter
yrittsn in Deoembor IsOO, W. ses that the
had actor" did not really conceive u him
.slf a. deserving that adisrtive 4 am