Year: 1879

From Blackwoods Edinburs Magazine.


"No, never played Romeo; Mercutio
was my part ! was always at my best
where II certain humor or mockery was re-
quired-a something sardonic a knowl-
eye of the world. played the lover. too.
in my day, and with some SUCCESSION the
stage. of course-ha, ha not without sue
cess Here the old gentleman pushed
out his chest and inhaled the fragrance of
his glass. Tom Bolivar winked as if he
would call attention of the company to the
consummate art with which he had drawn
ont the old gentleman To me it seemed
that his task was IA easy as to draw the
cork of II soda-water bottle in the sun and
furthermore. that if any power had drawn
the old gentleman out, it was whisky. He
certainly paid more attention to the whisky
than to the rest of the company. lie was
very sociable. and liked TO have friends
about him; but he always seemed to me
to take us collectively, and barely to rec
ognize individuals. | suspected that he
was very shy in his youth. Even at this
| time he was very silent until the bors of
the days were done and he had had glass
or two. When he did begin to speak, he
was apt t. speak II good deal but he
seemed to address himself to his tumbler,
and we might listen if we chose. ALWAYS
chose. was a young man still, and shy
man--probablv the shvest man in the fes-
| tive club. Therefore | was glad when the
old gentleman began to talk, Cor could
listen as well as anybody probably better
| than any other member, for most of us
were wits. Sometimes | fancied that
the old gentleman looked at me out Of the
corner of his eve, that he came nearer to
talking to me than to the others. was
almost sure that we understood each other
a little--that there was an uneasy tlutter-
ing sympathy between us. used to ex-
pect that some day, or rather some night
he would ask me to lend him money
Luckily | had not got any. | had often
given him cigars. He offered me pinch
of snuff once rather shakily. did not
take it, because don't like snuff. He
was not offended: indeed ! am not sure
that he meant to offer it to me perhaps he
was only pushing the box about he had
trick of pushing things about on the
table. If he was naturally shy he must
have suffered much. for he an actor all his
life, and had been thrown with all sorts of
people. He had had some good engage
ments. but. if Tom Bolivar were right
they were not due to his own merits. Tom
always declared that he never could act
The old gentleman thought that he not
only had been, but was still an uncommon
good actor. am no Judge of acting.


No." continued the old gentleman
after Il pause, "odly enough | never did
play Romeo-and | daresay that never
shall" Here Tom laughed; and the old
gentleman flushed little as he said, Il
have good LEG STILL


There's no deficiency at that end re-
marked Tom to his neighbor. in that
hoarse tone which he always meant for a
whisper. 1t was held in the club that the
old gentleman was deaf; | hoped that he
was. He was silent for while; but when
the waiter unbidden had brought fresh
tumbler, the stream began to flow again.


''Did you ever see my poor dear wiie's
Juliet ?" He appeared to ask the question
Of the whisky. and he certainly expected
no answer, for he continued without
pause "She was the best Juliet | ever
saw: there was n romance. a something
poetical, if ! may say so. One does not
see such acting nowadays" Tom winked
at us furiously, rs if we did not all know
as well rs he that when the old gentleman
began to talk about his late wife, he was
likely to talk about her at some length.
sometimes think that Tom was meant for
Il Snowman. Tom had often pointed out
to us that it was strange in the old gentle
man to be so fond of this subject of con-
vcrsation, because the deceased lady had
been very eccentric in her conduct, and
more monotonous on the stage than off it.


Now, when the old gentleman paused
in his praises on this lady. Tom with very
sly look asked if he never played Romeo
to her Juliet.


"Never.' said the old gentleman, and
after that he became silent lie went
away early; and then somebody raised
the question whether Tom had not hurt
his feelings. Tom was vastly indignant,
and maintained that it was impossible that
the old gentleman could have understood
his innuendo. Tom regards himself as Il
master of delicate innuendo, and thinks
that there are few people Of intellect fine
enough to understand his allusions. On
this occasion he got rather warm, and
limited that we were unworthy of subtle
humor. He spoke most disrcspectfully of
the old gentleman, and declared that no
hint was plain enough for his comprehen-
sion.


.'IIurt his feelngs.n cried Tom. scorn-
fully "You might talk of him under his
nose for an hour, and he would not find
out that you--are not talking of Herr Won
Bismark. He went about singing his
wifc's praises like bird with one note :;
and all the time everybody knew"
and Tom finished his sentence with toss
of his head and IA contemptuous shrug of
his big shoulders. And since his wife
died. is the tedious old man any better ?
Doesn't he come here night after night and
tell us Of the points she made as Juliet or
Beatrice, or Julia in the 'IIunchback. ;
And if we are spared the mother for one
night, we have IA double dose of her daugh-
ter. The old dotard bleats over the girl.
as il


Tom did not finish his sentence save
with contemptuous cloud of smoke; and
| thought | might ask question.


He did teach her to act, didn't he ?'
said.


ale never learned to act himself.n said
Tom, and he laughed AS if he had launched
| an enlrram We all lauphed we We're