Milford chronicle., 1911-04-14
STAGE ANECDOTES
The London Debut of Edmund
Kean. the Great Tragedian.
A SUCCESS AND ITS PATHoS.

The fearful Meeting With His Wits
After His Triumph on the Boards
Snubbins a Noble Lord-An English
Critic on Edwin Forests Macbeth.
Edmund Keans Lundon debut was
made in 1914. al a time when his
financial affairs were at very low
ebb With his wife aud one child he
was lodging in an attic His reception
as Shylock was most encouraging and
haueriug In an almost frenned es
stasy be rushed through the wet To his
humble inC-.ng, Sprhne up the stairs
and threw open The door His wife ran
70 meet him No words were required
his radiant c0unienan"e told all
and they mingled Together the first
tears Of true happiness they had as yet
experienced He told her Of his proud
achievement and in burst Of exulta.
tion exclaimed MARY. you shall ride
in your carriage. and harley my boy"
taking the child from The cradle and
kissing him won shall 20 TO EtOn
and"-a sad remniScenre crossed his
mind his JOY was OvershadOwed and
ne murmurpd in broken accents. "Oh
that Howard This dead childl had lived
to see it!-tu' he is better where he is "
On the night of Edmund's first ap
pearance as Ri"hard group of idle
actors in the greenroOm were discuss
ing his merits in anything but liberal
spirit Il understand" said one. with
an elaborate super. that he is an ad
mira bic harlequin" BanuiSter entered
ar that moment. overheard the remark
and retorted. II am certain Of that. for
he has jumped over all our heads"
1t seems that the great tragedian.
Edmund Kean. 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 a note at
the thnater from my lord desiring him
to call at his house When there the |
nObleman said to the tragedian My /
dear Kean. you will pardon me You
know how greatly admire your gen
ius. but ! was surprised yesterday to
see you in company Of that singing
man. Incledon." My lord" said
Kean with flashing eye. pray don't .
excite yourself. now. my dear Kean."
interrupted my lord. but the respect.
! may say reverence. have for your
wonderful genius prompts me to
speak thus" Lord Essex" cried
Kean. drawing himself up and casting
a whitening glance at his noble patron,
'twelve years ago my family were in
want of bread and Charles Incledon.
my friend. supplied the means to pro
cure it, and when Edmund Kean for
gets his friends may God forget him"
And from that hour the two men never
exchanged cOurtesies.
Kean. from early manhood. had an
Internal complaint. for which be had
always been his own physician and
prescribed that sovereign balm called
"brandy." from which it generally
found relief. and AT least it always
proved an alternative. While travel
Ing from London to Belfast. on quit.
ting the coach at Donegal Arms. he
missed his sovereign balm and he call
ed out to the Irish waiter to search the
lately abdicated vehicular conveyance
IS he had left his pocket pistol behind.
'The devil a pistol can l find" cried
The searching Hibernian. "Or anything
Else but this" producing the leather
covered charm why. that's it. you
DlOckhead" exclaimed Eean. suiting
he action to the word and tasting to
De convinced. Pat scented the cordial
md. laughing. cried: DO you call that
pistol. sir? Why. then. faith. though
I'm a peaceable man. / wouldn't mind
standing a shot or two of that pistol
myself"
When Edwin Forrest went TO Ion
lon he was received in anything but a
ordial way One critic wrote
"Our old friend Mr Forrest afforded
-reat amueemen' 70 the pubic nv his