Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-28
STAGE ANECDOTES
The London Debut of Edmund
Kean, the Great Tragedian.

financial affairs were at a very low
ebb. With his wife and one child he
was lodging In an attic. his reception !
as ShyIock was most encouraging and .
fattering. 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 /
TO 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
in your carriage, and Charley, my boy"
taking the child from the cradle and
kissing him-"you shall 90 to Elton
and"-a sad Renaissance crossed his
mind, his joy was overshadowed and
he murmured in broken accents. 'Oh.
that Howard (his dead child had lived
TO see itl-but he is better where he Is"
On the night Of Edmund's first ap-
pearance as Richard a group Of idle
actors IN the greenroom were discuss
ing his merits IL anything but liberal
spirit. II understand" said one, with
an elaborate sheer. that he is an ad
mirable harlequin" Bannister entered
at that moment, overheard the remark
and retorted, IT am certain of that. for
he has jumped over all our heads"
1t seems that the great tragedian,
Edmund Kean. and Charles lncledOn,
the popular singer, were one day walk
ign in Bond street when they met
Lord Essex, who bowed colby to
Kean, though they were on terms OF
intimate friendship.
The next day Kean found a note at
the theater 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 I admire your gen
ius, but l 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, I 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 ii, 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 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
as he had left his pocket pistol behind.
"The devil q pistol can l find" cried
the searching IIibernian. "or anything
else but this" producing she leather
covered charm. Why, tnatS it, you
bjockhead." exclaimed kcau. sUiting
the action 10 the word and tasting To
be convinced. Pat scented the cordial
and. rsughin-. cried: do you call that
pistol. sir: Why, then, faith. though
I'm peaceahle man. l 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 8
cordial way. one critic wrote:
"Our old friend 31r. Forrest afforde:
great amusement TO the public by his
performance Of Macbeth on> Friday nj
the Princess. Indeed, our best comic
actors do not often excite so great g
quantity of mirth. The change from
an insudible murmur TO a thunder OF
sound was enormous, but the grand
feature was the combat IN which hC
stood scraping his sword against thai
Of Macduff. 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 a certain local theater who's,
standing Room Only notice is N
longer needed. One night after tn,
curtain was rung up small boy wa
discovered in front Of the box Office
The manager Of the theater went t
the lad and kindly asked him what tn
trouble was. Il want my none!
back" sobbed the boy In answer t
the query. In surprise the manage
asked his reason for such a request
'Because-becAuse I'm afraid to sit u
IN the gallery all alone" he walled
His money was returned.-Franklil
Barry in St Louis Post-Dispatch.