The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1911-02-22
STAGE ANECDOTES
The London Debut of Edmund
Kean, the Great Tragedian.
A SUCCESS AND ITS PATHos.

The fearful Meeting With His Wife
After His Triumph on the Boards.
Stumbling a Noble Lord-An English
Critic on Edwin Forests Macbeth.
Edmund Kean's London debut was
made in 1914. at time when his
financial affairs we're at very low
ebb. With bis wife and one child he
was lodging in an attic. His reception
as Shylock was most encouraging and
fiattering. In an almost frenzied es-
stasy he rushed through the wet to his
humble lodging. sprang up the stairs
and threw open the door. His wife ran
10 meet him. No words were required
his radiant countenance 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 a burst of exulta-
ton exclaimed, "Mary, you shall ride
I'm your carriage. and Charley, my boy"
taking the child from the cradle and
kissing him-"you shall go to Elton
and"-a sad Renaissance crossed his
mind, his Joy was overshadowed and
he murmured in broken accents, ooh.
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 as Richard group of idle
actors In the greenroom were discuss
ing his merits In anything but liberal
spirit. 81 understand" said one, with
an elaborate sneer. "that he is an ad-
mirable harlequin" Bannister entered
at that moment. overheard the remark
and retorted, 81 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 theater from nay lord desiring him
to call at his house. When there the
nobleman said to the tragedian. "My
dear Kean, you win pardon me. You
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,
I may say reverence, have for your
wonderful genius prompts me to
speak thus" Lord Essex" cried
Kean, drawing himself up and casting
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 he had
always been his own physician and
prescribed that sovereign balm called
brandy" from which 1t 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 vehieular conveyance
as he had left his pocket pistol behind.
1.-THE devil pistol can l ind" cried
the searching Hibernian, "or anything
else but this" producing the leather
covered charm why, that's it, you
blockhead," exclaimed Kean. suiting
the action to the word and tasting to
be convinced. Pat scented the cordial
and, laughing, cried: "Do you call that
a pistol, sir? Why, then, faith. though
Pm a peaceable man. wouldn't mind
standing a shot or two Of that pistol
myself"
When Edwin Forrest went to Lon
don he was received in anything but a
cordial way. One critic wrote:
sour old friend Mr.. Forrest afforded
great amusement to the public by his
performance of Macbeth on Friday at
the Princess. Indeed, our best comic
actors do not often excite so great a
quantity Of mirth. The change from
an inaudible murmur 10 a thunder OF
sound was enormous, but the grand
feature was the combat In which be
stood scraping his sword against that
Of Macduf. We were at loss to know
what this gesture meant until an en-
lightened critic In the gallery shouted
out, That's right, sharpen it!"
A good story is being told at the ex'
pense Of certain local theater whose
standing Room Only notice Is nc
longer needed. One night after the
curtain was rung up small boy was
discovered IN front Of the box Office
The manager Of the theater went Il
the lad and kindly asked him what thu
trouble was 81 want my money
back" sobbed the boy In answer t.
the query. In surprise the manager
asked his reason for such a request
"Because-because I'm afraid to sit W
In the gallery all alone" he walled
His money WAS returned.-Franklir
| Ga y kah