New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-29

restless, and would sometimes have q
taxi waiting for him all day, and often
two or three turned up at night. l
have frequently known him to come to
the theatre for the matinee and for
get to pay or discharge the chauffeur.
at the end of the performance going
out at the front Of the theatre, and
find the taxi still waiting for him at
night. This happened both at the New
Amsterdam and in Brooklyn when he
played there. Generally he had no
money about his person to pay them or
even for gratuity.
On another occasion, in going to
hear Billy Sunday at Buffalo with a
member Of his company, Miss Alice
Augarde Butler, Sir Herbert by mis-
take hailed a somewhat shabby auto
mobile, thinking it was for hire, and
the owner drove up. Tree apologized,
but the latter insisted on driving him
some three miles to the Tabernacle
without knowing who he was till Sir
Herbert gave him his card, and even
then was not much the wiser. MY
luck again!" said Tree, as they got
out. NO" replied Miss Butler, "it
was your charming personality
"Well," retorted Tree, at is lucky to
have a charming personality" (Tret
was not impressed by Billy Sunday
"The man who stars the devil" he
called him. He was amazed by his
antics, but conceded him personal mag
netism. He would have liked the Taber
nacle for a theatre.)
Sir Herbert also took Miss Butler Il
Niagara Falls, and was very much i'm
pressed by the volume Of water, though
he didn't see anything to stop it." He
was too nervous to 60 near the edge
and a great height always made hin
dizzy. Once on the train Miss Butler
asked him If he ever played cards
mo" said Sir Herbert, ait takes vi
so much time that might be spent In
more alluring wickedness."
/ On the way back from addressing
the university at Philadelphia, 70,
which he received substantial fee
which he gave to the Red Cross, he
stopped to look at some paintings
/ and said, "The trouble with these
modern painters is that they try sc
! hard TO be original. If one is original
one doesn't have to try" He made the
same remark often also about acting
In Chicago, at rehearsal one day, Sill
( Herbert was sitting in front, and sud
denly, to emphasize a point, he climbed
up from the orchestra pit onto tn,
stage, but missed his footing and fel
backward almost on top Of the cello
which was standing in the corner, anc
nearly hurt himself seriously. That
night one Of the stagehands was over
heard saying to another, THAT wa:
a narrow escape the old man had this
morning!" "Yes!" said the other, abe
only just escaped breaking $500
fddle-noa to speak Of his neck" On
was probably that incident or accident
which inspired Trees aphorism at an
other rehearsal of Colonel Newcome'
at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New
York. 81 can't make love to thai
squeaky fddle,' he complained-"Let
me have the matronly yearning of &
'cellol" he continued, to his own arts
tic satisfaction.
In spite Of losing week before, with
his terribly heavy expenses, Sir Her
bert generously entertained his entire
company 10 supper at Christmas, anc
gave each one an individual present
he had chosen, himself being the life
end soul Of the party. He was always
a most generous and unostentatioui
host.
Tree was very fond Of sweets anc
flowers. A lady OF his company pu
a rose In a little vase on his dress
ing table, and he paid her the compli
ment Of taking Il, vase and all, on III,
stage in the banquet scene Of Henry