The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-21

tIIne0 ms an OuO nault IN CTOOkiHB i6
elbow and poking somebody In the ribs
behind the scenes This happened In
the ~ Of Robert Forsyth. who plays
the Scottish doctor h "Hobson's
Choice" at the Comedy Theatre. In
that quaint comedy Of Lancashire life
there Is a certain determined young
lady by the name Of Maggie Hobson,
who when she decides to marry takes
. reluctant but resigned young shoe
MAKER by the ear and leads him to
the altar of st. Phiilips's Church on
Olff1eld Road, Stafford. Lancashire. and
there by the aid Of the ritual OF the
Church OF England and certain cere-
monies thereof said WuItdm Mossop
gives up his state Of single blessed
nees. On all this hangs the coincidence
that concerns Robert Forsyth. for II
was In this same church thirty years
ago on July 4 that he married Miss
Marietta Cleveland Hyde. cousin OF
Grover Cleveland. Unlike White Mos
sop. however. he Is willing to admit
that there was no reluctance on his
part. So II was a jolt to him when on
the nrst rehearsal OF "Hobson's
Choice he discovered most Of the
action Of the comedy centred about
CERTAIN OOlUES ut St. Hl-'pSS >NiutNu. |
There is not much time allotted In
the play to the role of Doctor Mac
Farlnnc. played by Mr.. Forsyth. but In
that brief period ne fills 1t 80 full Of
Scottish dialect and Scottish brusque- !
ness that he invariably makes his exit
to the laughter Of the audience. But
that r. no more than he should dc. for
bv nativity he is half Scotch n by
.--t-a.- -. .s,r 80 aida a~naVianNa
lie was born In Belfast. Ireland, Of
scotch-Irish parents and after spend
ing twenty-four years wishing to go on
the stage came to America and N his
twen,y-ffth year went on the stage.
which WAS. to he exact. in 1874 with
Oliver Doud Byron in Crossing the
Continent" In Cincinnati. In 1873 he
returned to England. having in
the meantime appeared with such well
known American actors and actresses
a. Adelaide Nelson, Lawrence Barrett
and f. S. Davenport. For thirty-four
years ne then played in many roles In
support Of many Of England's best
actors. mon whom were Barry Sui
Ivan and Sir Charles Wyndham. In
1912 he agpin returned to this country
to appear in the production OF "Hindle
Wakes" and later for two seasons he
appeared with a touring company OF
peg o. My Heart and then accepted
the role OF Doctor MdcFdrldne In
"Hobson's Choice.'
In the person Of his son Matthew
no has further contributed not only
10 the stage OF England but 10 its
fighting force. The war broke out
while Mr.. Forsyth was making his
-- -.--- >. %hta country nnd
the FIRST letter he received from home
informed him that his n~ineteen-year-
old son. who had bccn winning a stage
career for himself with Sir Herbert
Tree in London. had enlisted at the
first callf for volunteers with the Royal
Garrison Artillery n Is now some
where IN France. and we're 1t n TOT
his age. MIR. Forsyth declares. ne too
would be somewhere in France.
not az DR.. MdcFdrlanc but Private
Forsyth.
The popularity Of our " nine
teenth century Hobson OF Merrimac
and the further fame he gathered by
his association with the osculatory
art has created in the minds of many
ppople a m~isconception OF the real
eanin OF the phrase "hobson's
choice" which is used as the title
Of the comedy which Is at present
playing at the Comedy Theatre.
The expression "Hobsons choice" Is
leo centuries old, and found Its
Mace in literature in the couplet OF
hat seventeenth century rhymester
Thomas Ward:
where 10 elect there Is but n
It's Hobson's choice-take that or none.
Though 1t found popular expression
In the couplet of Wards, nevertheless
II had earlier been mentioned by MIL
ton and Addison.
The history OF the expression arose
IN connection with a humble stable
keeper who kept horses and coaches
in the university town OF cambridge
England, aud who became a familiar
character with the students. II seems
tina, this self-assertive Thomas Hob
son as he was called. a made n rule
about letting his horses that was as
inyiolable as the laws OF the Medes
and Persiars. II a patron wanted a
horse he had to take the first Morse
next to the stable door or none at all
Whatever humanitarian idea old Hob
son had. whether to regulate the work
Of his horses by rotation or to sim
plify his own labors, he nevertheless
no matter what the rank or station OF
his patron. laid down his dictum, and
10y that dictum his customers mus
abide.
We are not inf rmed as 10 the
ouality or number of his horses. but
Il is likely that som were not quite
up to equestrian standards or else
the word choice would never have been
used. one need not stretch his mag
nation far to create the ~resourceiu
character Of Thomas Hohson, imper-
turbable and unrelenting against the
remonstrances of the dandy from
London. who takes exception to angu'
lar architecture If the horse nearest
the stable door which is 10 carry him
probably, past the lassies or Lohuor
town; or yet the irate anathemas OF
We country squire who, by CAD, sir
-..- -- HC