The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-03-08
THE MANNING ITEMS, MARCH 8. 1911,
STAGE
The London Debut of Edmund
Kean, the Great Iragedian.
A SUCCESS AND ITS PATHOS.

The fearful Meeting With His Wife
After His Triumph on the Boards.
Snvb,:;ne a Noble Lord-An English
Critic on Edwin Forests Macbeth.
Edmund Ncan'S London debut was
made in 1911. n Z time when his
financial affairs were 1t Z very low
ebb. With his wife and one child be
was lodging in IN attic His reception
as Shylock was most encouraging and
fattcrinS In IN almost frenzied eS-
staSy l." rushed through the Wet 10 his
humble lodging. SpraEG up the stairs
and threw open the door. His wife ran
to meet him No words were required
his radiant couatenancc told all
and they mingled together the FIRST
tears OF true happiness they had as yet
experienced. He told her Of lis proud
achievement and IN burst Of cxulta-
ton exclaimed Mar you shall ride
in your carriage. and Charley. my boy"
taking the child from the cradle and
kissing him-"you shall 20 to Eton
and"-a sad reminiScencc crossed his
mind. his Joy was overshadowed and
he murmured in broken accents, "Oh.
that Howard (his dead child had lived
to see it.-but he is better where he is
On the night Of Edmund's first ap.
pearance rs Richard group Of idle
actors IN the Ereerroom were discuss
ing his merits in anything but liberia!
spirit II understand" said one, with
an elaborate sneer. that he is IN ad-
mIrablc harlequin" BauniStec entered
at that moment. overheard The remark
and retorted. II am certain OF that, for
he has jumped over all our heads"
It seems that the great trasedian.
Edmund Kcan. and Charles Incledon,
the popular singer. were one day walk
ign In Bond street when they met
Lord Essex. who bowed coldly to
Kean. though they were on terms OF
intimate friendship.
The next day kean found note ut
the thcatcr from my lord desiring him
10 cal, 1T his house. When there the
nobleman said TO the tragedian. My
dear Kean. you will pardon me. You
know how greatly I admire your gen
ius. but was surprised yesterday to
see you in company Of that singing
man. Incledon." My lo7d." said
Kean with flashing eye. PRAY don't
excite yourself. now, my dear Kean."
interrupted my lord. but the respect.
I may say reverence. have for -our
wonderful genius prompts me to
speak thus" Lord Essex. cried
Kean. drawing himself up and casting
q whitening glance at bis noble patron,
twelve years ago my family We're in
want OF bread and Charles 1ncledor.
my friend, supplied the means to pro-
cure II. and when Edmund kean for
gets his friends may God forget him.
And from that hour the two men never
exchanged courtcSies.
Kean. from early manhood. had an
Internal complaint, for which he had
always been his own physician and
prescribed that sovereign balm called
brandy" from which It generally
Found relief. and Ct least It always
proved an alternative. While travel
H.. from London to Belfast. on quit
ting the coach 1t Donegal Arms. he
missed his sovereign balm and he call
ed out to the Irish waiter to search the
lately abdicated vchicular conveyance
as he had left his pocket pistol behind
The devil pistol can l find" cried
the searching Hibernian, "or anything
else but this" producing the leather
covered charm. Why. that's It. you
blockhead." exclaimed kean. suitinS
the action to the word and tasting to
be convinced Pat scented the cordia!
and, laughing. cried: DO you call that
q pistol. sir: Why. then. faith. though
Tn 4 pcaccablc man, wouldn't mind
standing 4 shot or two Of that pistc!
myself"
When Edwin Forrest went to Lon
don he was received in anything but
cordial way. One critic wrote:
"Our old friend NJ. Forrest afforded
great amusement 10 the public by his
performance Of Macbeth on Friday ut
the Princess. Indeed. our best comic
actors do not often excite SO great
quantity Of m;rth. The change from
an inauG;bc murmur to 4 thunder OF
sound was enormous. but the grand
feature was the combat in which he
stood scrapin: his sword against that
O; MacdufT. We We're at 4 loss TO know
what this gesture meant until an en-
Eshtened critic IN the gallery shouted
out. That's right. sharpen il. -
4 good story is being told 1T the eH-
pensc Of certain local theater whose
'Stand;n. Room Only" notice IS no
longer needed. One night after the
curtain was runS up small boy vas
discovered in front OF the box office.
The manager Of the thcatcr went to
the lad and kindly asked him what the
trouble was. I want my money
back" Sobbed the boy n answer 10
the query In surprise the manager
asked his reason for such = request
"Bccausc-because I'm afraid 10 sit up
iu the gallery all alone" lie walled
His money was returned.-Fr2nklin
Barry IN ST. Louis Post-Dispatch.
4 Nero 1rifie