eafrzcat
 
 UCSB
 
 LESTER WALLACK in "The Veteran.'
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES 
 
 HERE AND THERE WITH 
 
 PROMINENT ACTORS 
 
 MARGARET 
 
 1 For they are the abstract and brief chronicles of the time." 
 
 Hamlet. 
 
 WTLSGAT'Q 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 THE MERRIAM COMPANY 
 67 FIFTH AVENUE.
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1894, 
 
 PY 
 
 THE MERRIAM COMPANY
 
 TO THE 
 .MEMORY OF THE LATE 
 
 tester IdaUacft, 
 
 THIS 
 LITTLE VOLUME IS DEDICATED 
 
 BY ITS AUTHOR 
 
 IN RECOGNITION OF HIS HAVING BEEN 
 THE FIRST TO ENCOURAGE HER 
 
 IX THE 
 USE OF HER PEN.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Lester Wallack Averse to the Stage. His Ad- 
 vice to a Young Lady 9 
 
 A Glimpse of the Domestic Life of Edwin 
 Booth 15 
 
 The History of an Unproduced Play 19 
 
 Louis James in Comedy 39 
 
 The Tragedian and the Rubber Band 44 
 
 Characteristic of Maurice Barrymore 54 
 
 A Dispute Preceding the Professional Debut of 
 
 Mrs. James Brown Potter 57 
 
 Annoyances Attending a Theatrical Benefit 
 
 Performance 69 
 
 Reminiscent of the Vokes Family , 88 
 
 Could Kyrle Bellew be Considered Vain ? 100 
 
 Mr. Bellew Married or Single 103 
 
 The Stage of Indifference. Some Lines In- 
 spired by a Farce-Comedy 107
 
 VI CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Incidents in the World of Music Brigiioli, 
 Kellogg, Campanini, Lillian Russell, Carl 
 
 Streitmann and others Ill 
 
 Mr. Henry Irving's " Lyceum Theatre " Court. 132 
 Adonis Dixey's Offhand Estimate of Himself . . 135 
 A Playwright's Interview with the Mansfields. 136 
 A Realistic Dream of the Late Lester Wallack. 139 
 
 Signor Brignoli on a Railway Train 149 
 
 James W. Morrissey's Musical Congress Under 
 
 the Patronage of Dom Pedro II 151 
 
 Letter and Lines from Louis James 156 
 
 The Influence exercised by a White Satin Tea- 
 Gown upon the Opening of a Theatre .... 161 
 
 Whistling as a Fine Art 175 
 
 The Drawing-room Entertainer with Profes- 
 sional Aspirations 181 
 
 A First Experience with a Busy Manager of 
 
 Burlesque 190 
 
 Jottings 196
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Lester Wallack in " The Veteran". . .Frontispiece. 
 
 Edwin Booth in " Hamlet " Facing page 17 
 
 Louis James in ' Yirginius " " " 48 
 
 Kyrle Bellew " " 97 
 
 Dion Boucicault in ' ' The Shaugh- 
 
 raun" " "129 
 
 James W. Morrissey " " 145 
 
 Maurice Barrymore " " 188
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Xester TJQallach averse to tbe Stage. Dte 
 B&vfce to a loung 
 
 A YOUNG girl received some advice 
 from the late Lester Wallack one even- 
 ing that seemed somewhat surprising 
 in view of his lifelong association with 
 theatricals. I must first, however, re- 
 late a comical prelude. 
 
 The young girl referred to was in- 
 vited to dine at the house of a friend, 
 without having an idea of whom she 
 was to meet. The hour appointed for 
 dinner was seven. 
 
 On the night designated the rain de- 
 scended in torrents, and the carriage 
 which was to take her to dinner did not 
 make its appearance until ten minutes
 
 10 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 before seven. When it drew up before 
 her door it proved to be a covered lan- 
 dau, into which the young lady, clad in 
 long cloak and pink silk hood, hastily 
 entered, directing the coachman, as she 
 did so, to drive at the top of his speed. 
 
 The coachman obeyed orders, and as 
 they swayed over the car tracks from 
 one side of Broadway to the other, the 
 roof of the landau suddenly unlocked 
 and fell open, leaving the young woman 
 exposed to the storm. There was no 
 time to lose, so, without disturbing the 
 driver, she opened her umbrella and sat 
 calmly up in her large open carriage, 
 the observed of all observers. 
 
 Arriving at their destination the coach- 
 man was greatly surprised on becoming 
 aware of what had occurred " behind his 
 back," but not stopping to bandy words 
 the girl ran quickly into the house and 
 disencumbered herself of her damp outer 
 garments. 
 
 As she entered the drawing-room she
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 11 
 
 found thirteen persons awaiting her. 
 Foremost among them was Lester 
 Wallack, his monocle in his eye, and a 
 quizzical expression behind it. " Well, 
 young lady," he remarked, '"' for the 
 youngest and smallest of the party you 
 are doing remarkably well. We await 
 your pleasure," at the same time mak- 
 ing her a sweeping bow. 
 
 Though the position was one to cause 
 an older heart to quake, the girl decided 
 to "go in" with a dash and make the 
 best of it, and accordingly described her 
 late experience with such humorous real- 
 ism that the guests, who also included 
 the late Dion Boucicault, were more than 
 mollified and amused. At the close of 
 her recital Wallack ejaculated, " Brava ! 
 little one ; well done around ; there'll be 
 the making of a good actress in you some 
 day." 
 
 At the dinner table, however, Mr. 
 Wallack gravely set to work to disabuse 
 her mind of the idea.
 
 12 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 " But are you not fond of your pro- 
 fession, Mr. Wallack ? " asked she, in 
 some surprise. ' ' No, " replied Wallack, 
 " I detest acting and always have. Never 
 allow yourself," he added, "to be per- 
 suaded to adopt the life. A man may 
 be able to stand it, but absolutely the 
 stage is no place for a woman, and more 
 particularly when the woman happens 
 to be a lady." 
 
 At the same dinner the conversation 
 having turned upon stageland in gen- 
 eral, and prevailing salaries in partic- 
 ular, Dion Boucicault^ remarked in his 
 unctuous brogue, "Ah! but the young- 
 sters now-a-days prefer grumbling to 
 working ; no matter for his qualifica- 
 tions, each one seems to be satisfied 
 with nothing less for his recompense 
 than the salary of a 'leading man." 
 Continuing, he said: "What could 
 they have made of the old days, I 
 wonder, when it sometimes cost a young 
 buck anywhere from 1 10s. for the
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 13 
 
 honor of walking as Hamlet's ghost, 
 1 to preside as first grave-digger, and 
 so on, in proportion ? " 
 
 The smallness of Mr. Boucicault's ap- 
 petite then became a subject of remark, 
 as such personal matters will, in the 
 case of distinguished persons, large cups 
 of black coffee seeming to take the place 
 of the usual courses. When appealed 
 to, Boucicault acknowledged that he ate 
 comparatively little, working and exist- 
 ing largely upon black coffee. 
 
 The talk veering round to "proper- 
 ties," costuming etc., Boucicault was 
 asked where he had raised the outfit so 
 truly appropriate that he had worn as 
 Con in " TheShaughraun." At this he 
 indulged in a smile, called forth by some 
 amusing reminiscence, accompanied by 
 that inimitable twinkle of merriment 
 that was never long absent from his 
 eyes. ' ' And well may you inquire, " he 
 responded, " for I had been so busy with 
 the rehearsing and setting of the piece
 
 14 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 that, up to within a few days of its pro- 
 duction, I was in as blessed a state of 
 ignorance as to what me own trappings 
 would be as you were likely to be 
 yourselves ; but as it finally occurred 
 to me that I'd have to wear something, 
 I explored the trunks and closets con- 
 taining the old stage wardrobe at 
 Wallack's, and I finally fished out a 
 disreputable red coat, formerly the 
 property of John Brougham, so I just 
 borrowed it for old acquaintance' sake 
 and I had never another one to me back 
 during the entire run of the piece/' 
 
 In reference to Mr. Boucicault as an 
 author, it is a fact that for many years 
 there was never a night but that one or 
 other of the four hundred and odd plays 
 which this wonderfully clever man had 
 originated or adapted was being pre- 
 sented in some portion of the English- 
 speaking world.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 15 
 
 a <3limpse of tbe Domestic Xife of Bowin 
 JBootb. 
 
 THAT part of the community who 
 only knew the late Edwin Booth as our 
 country's most celebrated actor would 
 probably have experienced surprise had 
 they obtained a glimpse of his domestic 
 life with the second Mrs. Booth to 
 have witnessed the meekness of manner, 
 you might say, with which he complied 
 with her suggestions. That last, how- 
 ever, is scarcely the word for the place, as 
 she was usually in the imperative mood. 
 
 The Mrs. Booth I refer to was one of 
 the most extraordinarily small and pre- 
 cise of women, and it was difficult for 
 the observer to discover wherein lay 
 her attraction for the great actor, like- 
 wise her claim to such absolute control 
 as she practised over her family.
 
 16 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 As an instance of the latter I may 
 cite the following, which occurred 
 nightly, and with absolute regularity, 
 at a summer resort where a number of 
 people, including the Booths, were pass- 
 ing a part of the season. 
 
 Miss Booth would possibly be engaged 
 conversing with some of her acquaint- 
 ances, Mr. Booth immersed in a book. 
 On the stroke of ten, Mrs. Booth, with 
 index finger pointing dramatically at 
 the clock, would enunciate warningly 
 the single word 
 
 "Edwina." 
 
 Without an instant's hesitation, Miss 
 Booth would bid her friends good-night 
 and retire. 
 
 In possibly half an hour's time, Mrs. 
 Booth, in the same warning voice, would 
 remark : 
 
 "Mr. Booth." 
 
 Booth, glancing dreamily up from his 
 book, would regard the small lady for 
 an instant as if gradually collecting
 
 EDWIN BOOTH in "Hamlet."
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 17 
 
 himself from some other sphere, and 
 then, as obediently as Edwina, he would 
 gravely bid good- night to those present, 
 and likewise retire. 
 
 All his life Mr. Booth seems to have 
 evinced a general desire to evade no- 
 toriety, except that which came to him 
 through his legitimate profession. 
 
 There probably never existed a time, 
 after his fame as an artist was estab- 
 lished, when he could not, had he so de- 
 sired, have been the social lion in what- 
 ever portion of this great country he 
 chanced to be. But countless induce- 
 ments were but proffered him in vain ; 
 lie seldom gave them very much heed, 
 and only seemed really to live while 
 upon the stage. 
 
 As a young man, he would receive 
 notes of adulation almost by the bushel 
 basket from the fair ones who could no 
 longer mask the feelings he inspired in 
 them, but they were rarely even pe- 
 rused ; in fact, I fear the only answer- 
 
 M
 
 18 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ing emotion they called forth was one 
 of contempt. 
 
 In his life there was just one house in 
 New York where the great actor could 
 be induced to spend a social evening ; 
 and yet, so far as he was concerned, you 
 could scarcely term it that, for the rea- 
 son he frankly gave for coming was 
 that his hostess allowed him to do as 
 he pleased ; which was to listen to the 
 good music usually provided and of 
 which he was very fond, to wander 
 about the rooms watching and studying 
 the faces and actions of those present, 
 and above all not to have introduced to 
 him any of the numerous guests who 
 were but too eager to exchange a few 
 words with " Edwin Booth." 
 
 In fact, it was curious to contemplate 
 this silent, rather melancholy, dark-eyed 
 man, to whom every one wished to pa}* 
 court, persistently denying himself to 
 them ; who was sometimes moving in 
 the throng, but never of it.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 19 
 
 t>tetorB of an "dnpro&ucefc pta. 
 
 Is there another profession or business 
 so productive of uncertainty and 
 " hope deferred," as that of the play- 
 wright ? A play may seem to possess, 
 and be acknowledged to have every re- 
 quisite for success, and yet, for reasons 
 unaccountable, it may never see the 
 light of day, or, more correctly speak- 
 ing, the glare of the footlights. With 
 this and other knowledge, it is frequent- 
 ly amusing, though, in the case of a 
 person interested, sometimes irritating 
 as well, to be regaled with the ideas of 
 those who have not pierced the intrica- 
 cies and bewildering unexpectedness of 
 the dramatic maze. The latter will 
 speak of "writing a play," and "taking 
 it to this or that manager for produc-
 
 20 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 tion," as though " A, B, C,"were com- 
 plex by comparison. 
 
 For the benefit then of the uninitiated, 
 I will recount the adventures, from its 
 inception up to date, of one play coming 
 within my experience. An unproduced 
 one as yet, though meantime, possibly, 
 hundreds of others may have been 
 brought before the public containing 
 not one-sixth of its claim to interest and 
 consideration. 
 
 In this instance an adverse fate seems 
 to be the only feasible explanation, still, 
 / it is difficult to determine. 
 
 A few years since, Miss Marie Wain- 
 wright, Mr. Louis James and a friend 
 of theirs, a playwright, were engaged one 
 afternoon in an animated conversation 
 relative to the writing of plays, the sub- 
 jects of superlative interest for the 
 plots of the same, and that most un- 
 certain of all quantities, the ' ' public 
 taste." They happened at the time to 
 be seated in Miss Wainwright's parlor
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 21 
 
 at the " Gilsey House" (New York), and 
 the discussion waxing strong at the 
 point of the selection of plots, the actress 
 rose, and picking up a volume from the 
 centre-table, handed it to the play- 
 wright suggesting the reading of it 
 without delay, and adding that while it 
 was not necessary to make an adapta- 
 tion of it, which indeed would hardly be 
 possible for the American stage, that it 
 was, from her point of view, one of the 
 most exciting and dramatic French 
 novels she had ever read, and, in any 
 event, could not fail to suggest unique 
 ideas to the author. 
 
 The latter accepted the book, and fol- 
 lowed Miss Wainwright's advice in 
 reading it almost immediately, and, after 
 careful consideration, decided upon the 
 combination of some original ideas 
 made possible by the story, and a certain 
 number of those contained in the book, 
 feeling assured thereby of a more than
 
 22 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ordinarily strong foundation upon which 
 to build a play. 
 
 After some months of labor the work 
 was completed and ready for inspection, 
 when its travels commenced, and sy- 
 nonymously the trials of the author. At 
 the suggestion of Mr. Arthur Wallack 
 (the late Lester Wallack's eldest son), 
 who happened to be the first to peruse 
 the MS., certain portions of the piece 
 here and there were revised, and after 
 this was accomplished, Mr. James W. 
 Morrissey's was the first managerial 
 ear to be engaged in a hearing of the 
 same. 
 
 Nothing could have been more satis- 
 factory or encouraging than his enthu- 
 siastic expressions and criticisms in 
 regard to it. He formulated various 
 plans for its production on the instant, 
 subsequently making most vigorous 
 efforts to realize them ; but they were 
 not destined to be successful, and mean- 
 time the playwright one morning met
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. - 23 
 
 that most illustrious and charming 
 actress, Mrs. D. P. Bowers, and was 
 questioned by her in reference to this 
 latest work. 
 
 After listening to a resume of the 
 piece, she made arrangements to have it 
 read to her, saying she was " on the 
 lookout for a new play, and so far this 
 one seemed likely to interest her." 
 Accordingly, the following day the 
 reading took place, after which she dis- 
 cussed the work from beginning to 
 end, expressing herself as thoroughly 
 pleased, and complimenting the author 
 in the highest terms. Finally, to bring 
 the affair to a business basis, she said 
 she had heard nothing so strong and 
 so apparently fitted to make a success 
 for her since she had starred " East 
 Lyiirie ; " further stating that if Mr. 
 A. M. Palmer would arrange to "send 
 her out " with the necessary "backing " 
 she would take the piece " on the road " 
 without delay. All that had so far
 
 24 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 transpired in relation to it was of suffi- 
 ciently brilliant promise to make the 
 playwright feel convinced that the prop- 
 erty now under consideration was liable 
 to realize a brilliant result at almost 
 any moment. A slight drop in the 
 barometer was experienced later, when 
 it was ascertained that Mrs. Bowers' ef- 
 forts to obtain her ' ' backing " had proved 
 futile ; theatrical business was not good 
 at the time, and Mr. Palmer did not 
 feel in condition to risk the necessary 
 funds. 
 
 Later on in the season when Miss 
 Wainwright and Mr. James came to 
 New York to fulfil their annual theat- 
 rical engagement, the product of their 
 suggestions was read to them, and both 
 pronounced it one of the strongest 
 pieces to which they had ever listened, 
 writing letters to the author to that 
 effect, and regretting at the same time 
 the fact of their being "billed " to play 
 in the " legitimate '" only, thus prevent-
 
 THEATKICAL SKETCHES. 25 
 
 ing their presenting the play to the 
 public themselves. 
 
 The playwright now decided to test 
 the practical merits of the piece by giv- 
 ing it at a trial matinee, and with this 
 purpose in view took it to Mr. H. B. 
 Taylor, conducting "Taylor's Theatri- 
 cal Exchange," desiring him to take 
 charge of the business management of 
 the affair, getting the " cast " together, 
 etc. 
 
 Mr. Taylor was willing to undertake 
 the matter, opining that the play would 
 be a success, and " there would be 
 money in it." 
 
 It was decided to hire the " Madison 
 Square Theatre," then under the man- 
 agement of Mr. Palmer, for the repre- 
 sentation ; and as it was the rule that all 
 plays produced at Mr. Palmer's theatre 
 should pass under his scrutiny for 
 several reasons, the chief est among them 
 being that he should find them fitting 
 in all respects, it was taken to him for
 
 26 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 perusal. Within twenty-four hours 
 the playwright called for the play and 
 the verdict, to find that Mr. Palmer and 
 his "reader" had meantime made 
 themselves familiar with its contents 
 and were more than favorably disposed 
 towards it, Mr. Palmer's only objection 
 being that it seemed to him too strong 
 at that period for the taste of a public 
 that only seemed to be gratified by 
 farce-comedy and burlesque. However, 
 this was only a suggestion of possible 
 taste, the arrangements torihematin&e 
 were begun. The first person engaged 
 for the company was Mr. Maurice Bar- 
 rymore, to enact the leading male role. 
 Upon hearing the play read he was 
 enthusiastic in regard to it, and also 
 more than ordinarily interested by a 
 certain coincidence relating to it. It 
 seems the French novel that had afford- 
 ed the author the nucleus of the plot 
 had at one period attracted his attention 
 also ; in fact, he had been so impressed
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 27 
 
 with its strong dramatic qualities that 
 he had himself essayed to found a play 
 upon it, but, according to his own ac- 
 count, had failed to be satisfied with the 
 result, and now that he had chanced 
 upon the same idea worked out to his 
 liking, he was more than willing to 
 undertake the designated rdle. 
 
 While the present phase in the fort- 
 unes of the play was pending, Mr. 
 Alexander Salvini walked into Mr. 
 Taylor's office one afternoon when the 
 latter was conducting a business inter- 
 view with the author, and being in- 
 structed as to the subject, and thereby 
 becoming somewhat interested, it was 
 suggested he should read the play and 
 submit his opinion of it. 
 
 He took the MS. w T ith him, and in. 
 the course of a day or two returned with 
 it, saying that he was most favorably 
 impressed with the plot, its strength, 
 and so on, and believed it had every 
 chance of success. It was not in. the
 
 28 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 line of the plays in his repertoire, and, 
 therefore, as there would be some risk 
 for him in producing it, he would not 
 like to undertake the entire responsibil" 
 ity, but if the author would advance 
 the funds for the first week's production, 
 he would guarantee the second week, at 
 the end of which time it could be deter- 
 mined if the play would carry itself 
 and be in for a "run." 
 
 The author, however, would not con- 
 sent to this, for the piece having already 
 received the cachet of so many dis- 
 tinguished people in the profession, it 
 seemed as though much better terms 
 should be demanded for it. 
 
 The latter was apparently justified in 
 these views, as within a day or two Mr. 
 James Barton Key, upon hearing of the 
 play and learning its plot, became posi- 
 tively excited over it. 
 
 " Why," said he, " it is most remark- 
 able that I should finally run across this 
 piece. For six years past I have been
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 29 
 
 enthusiastic over the book that suggest- 
 ed it, and could not for the life of me 
 understand why some one did not recog- 
 nize its possibilities and make a play of 
 it. A trial matinee!" he ejaculated 
 to the author in a tone of disgust. 
 ''No you must not dream of it, the 
 piece is far too good to run the chance of 
 ruining it in any such fashion. It 
 must be properly produced for a ' run,' 
 and I'll undertake to do it." 
 
 Fired by Mr. Key's enthusiasm, the 
 author put a stop to all further prepara- 
 tions for a matinee, and entered into 
 work with him in dead earnest, to fulfil 
 their contemplated arrangements for a 
 production. 
 
 Mr. Barrymore was held for the lead- 
 ing role as before ; Mr. E. J. Henly en- 
 gaged to personate the "polished vil- 
 lain," and the cast in general was an 
 exceptionally good one. 
 
 After the expenditure of much time 
 and energy, Mr. Key succeeded in find-
 
 30 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ing a man who was willing to ' ' back " 
 the enterprise, that is, guarantee the 
 expenses for three weeks. The next 
 step was to obtain a desirable theatre, 
 an exceedingly difficult matter in New 
 York, by the way, towards the end of a 
 theatrical season. 
 
 None were found available until a 
 consultation with Mr. Henry Miner re- 
 vealed the fact that it might be possible 
 to "book " time at the "Fifth Avenue," 
 of which he had the management, if a 
 certain "star," who had been vacillat- 
 ing in the matter, could be persuaded 
 to cancel her engagement. 
 
 Under the circumstances, Mr. Key 
 regarded the selection of a theatre as 
 settled, and went on perfecting the rest 
 of his arrangements. 
 
 Some very handsome scenery and fur- 
 niture, in storage for debt, and that 
 had been used in one of Mrs. Potter's 
 plays, was secured ; in fact, everything 
 seemed to " move on wheels." The
 
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 31 
 
 messages exchanged between the "star" 
 and the manager were eminently satis- 
 factory until within a comparatively 
 short period of the date set for the 
 "opening night," when this "star," 
 making use of the prerogative of her 
 sex, suddenly upset the calculations of 
 every one by telegraphing that she had 
 decided after all to play her three weeks 
 in Xew York. 
 
 There was no other theatre to be had, 
 and by the time there would be one 
 vacant the hot weather would be too 
 far advanced to make the attempt 
 feasible or practical. 
 
 The playwright and Mr. Key were 
 obliged to stand this blow as best they 
 could, and turn their attention and 
 efforts elsewhere. 
 
 The latter subsequently sent an aspir- 
 ing and handsome young actress, em- 
 anating from the west, to the author, with 
 word that, should the play suit her, she 
 would have unlimited money to spend
 
 32 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 on its production. The play did suit 
 her, with the exception that she desired 
 the part of the heroine to be still further 
 emphasized if possible. 
 
 The author succeeded in accomplish- 
 ing this, and greatly improving the 
 piece generally at the same time, but 
 when everything was again in readi- 
 ness, the affluent young actress had 
 become a poor young actress. Her 
 ' backer " having vanished, and in place 
 of securing a permanency for herself 
 amidst the constellations, she was per- 
 force contented to take a third-rate 
 position in a "stock" company. 
 
 Upon the return of Mr. Louis James 
 to New York at the close of the sea- 
 son, he made haste to visit the author 
 to say that during these intervening 
 months, the play had so haunted him, 
 and he had become so convinced that it 
 was " a good thing," that he had about 
 decided to alter his policy, that is, 
 abandon the "legitimate" for the fol-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 33 
 
 lowing season, and arrange to take the 
 piece "out." 
 
 He took the MS. away with him, 
 becoming more and more impressed 
 with it, pencilling out his scenes and 
 the "business" in preparation for a 
 production. No contracts had yet been 
 signed, however, and meantime Mr. 
 Morrissey had made several engage- 
 ments with Miss Eose Coghlan to hear 
 the play read. One circumstance after 
 another arose to prevent this latter, 
 and at last the minds of every one con- 
 cerned were put at rest by Mr. James' 
 assurance that the matter, as far as he 
 was concerned, might be regarded as 
 settled. 
 
 Such proved not to be the case, for the 
 following day came a hurried note from 
 the tragedian saying he regretted, as 
 much as possibly the author would, not 
 being able to produce the piece, his 
 role in it being delightfully adapted to 
 him, but that he had just received an 
 
 o
 
 84 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 offer from Mr. Frederick "Warde with 
 which he had closed, and their repertoire 
 would continue to embrace only the 
 " legitimate." One of the principal 
 reasons he assigned for the change was 
 that the responsibility of management 
 would thus be lifted off his hands. As 
 time went on, several of the lesser lights 
 read and approved the play, but never 
 found themselves in condition to raise 
 the necessary funds for production, and 
 during this lull, as it were, Mrs. Bowers 
 sent another request that the play should 
 be read to her, as she thought there was 
 once more some possibility of her obtain- 
 ing a "backer ; " but for the second time 
 she failed in accomplishing this. 
 
 Miss Emily Rigl was the next " star '' 
 on the tapis to become interested, but 
 the "backing, "or rather the lack of it, 
 played its usual part of stumbling-block. 
 
 Personally Miss Rigl makes it a point 
 never to risk anything, and, at the time, 
 no one could be found who would risk
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 35 
 
 for her, so it went on to the next, who 
 proved to be Mr. E. J. Henley. He hav- 
 ing heard considerable of the piece, and 
 having been engaged to act in it, though 
 so far not having heard the play itself, 
 went to see the author about it. At the 
 same time he was busily engaged on 
 a venture of his own, and therefore 
 not in a position to give immediate 
 attention to this one, but, if successful 
 with the first, proposed to follow it up 
 with a representation of the work re- 
 ferred to should it meet his demands. 
 
 He took the MS. away with him. 
 Shortly after, the piece in which he was 
 interested was produced, failed, and he 
 was taken ill. In the general disturb- 
 ance he of course failed to read the 
 play the fortunes of which we are follow- 
 ing, and finally sent it back to the owner 
 (who was now becoming perfectly ac- 
 customed to this result), and left the 
 city in search of health. 
 
 Mr. Jacob Litt, having heard of the
 
 36 THEATRICAL, SKETCHES. 
 
 work, next took it up to read, but being 
 almost simultaneously sent for to super- 
 intend and disentangle some of the 
 troubles occurring in his western thea- 
 tres returned the play unread to the 
 author, to be " considered further upon 
 his return to New York." 
 
 One day the playwright read it to 
 Miss Julia Arthur, and it seemed from 
 the immediate result as though it had 
 found its niche at last. She was 
 charmed with it in every way, being 
 enthusiastic over the role of the heroine, 
 which would, she said, suit her better 
 than any she had so far been entrusted 
 to portray. Though under contract to 
 Mr. A. M. Palmer as "leading lady" 
 of his " stock " company, she decided 
 to try and use her influence in getting 
 him to stage it for her, thus giving her 
 a decided opportunity for displaying 
 her powers. 
 
 Mr. Palmer was about sailing for 
 Europe, and was finally persuaded to
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 37 
 
 take the revised MS. with him, to con- 
 sider the feasibility meantime of produc- 
 ing the play the ensuing fall, with Miss 
 Arthur in the title-role. When he re- 
 turned to this country, it happened to 
 be on the ship that was held in quar- 
 antine for twenty days down the bay 
 during the cholera scare, and upon 
 finally reaching the city he told Miss 
 Arthur and the playwright, that, though 
 greatly impressed with the strength 
 of the play, and under the circum- 
 stances he should like to oblige them 
 both, absolutely the policy of his theatre 
 would not allow of his producing 
 anything of so melodramatic an order. 
 Up to date there are half a dozen 
 people taking this same piece under 
 consideration. 
 
 The author constantly threatens to 
 let the manuscript go up in a semblance 
 of a blaze of glory by touching a match 
 to it, averring the fact of being sick 
 and tired of the whole thing ; but upon
 
 38 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 the occasion of each threat of this 
 nature a protest is uttered against the 
 sacrifice, and a reminder that many of 
 those that have turned out to be the 
 so-called "great plays'' have had just 
 such a history. So the MS. still re- 
 mains MS., and is still pigeon-holed, 
 notwithstanding the fact that it has 
 a dozen times been within an ace of 
 production. Hope need not necessarily 
 be crushed out, even by playwrights ex- 
 periencing such vicissitudes as above 
 recounted, when it is borne in mind 
 that the immortal Gounod waited and 
 watched through ten dreary years before 
 his no less immortal opera of " Faust " 
 received its production.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 39 
 
 loute 3ames in ComeDg. 
 
 ACCUSTOMED to seeing Louis James 
 in tragic roles, or at all events in the 
 legitimate drama, the public is not 
 aware that it has been deprived of a 
 delightful comedian. 
 
 His ability in this line, as well as 
 his wonderful command of an adverse 
 situation, was perfectly displayed upon 
 the occasion of a large "benefit per- 
 formance " several years ago. Mr. 
 James' contribution to the entertain- 
 ment was to take the leading part in a 
 one-act comedy from the French ; the 
 two other characters in the piece being 
 impersonated by Miss Bruno, a hand- 
 some English blonde, and Mr. Burr 
 Mclntosh, just then beginning to appear 
 on Metropolitan boards. 
 
 The rehearsals of that comedy were,
 
 40 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 I am sure, infinitely more ludicrous 
 than the author had ever anticipated. 
 No especial place had been provided for 
 the trio to rehearse in, and no one 
 deputed to hold the prompt-book, so it 
 resulted in a sort of " go-as-you-please " 
 in a private drawing-room, and a closing 
 with the modest offer of an amateur as 
 prompter. Though excessively pains- 
 taking, considerable verdancy was mani- 
 fested by Miss Bruno, Mr. Mclntosh 
 and the stage-manager pro tern. The 
 latter, unversed in the ways of the true 
 " professional," frequently felt as if tied 
 up in knots by Mr. James' methods of 
 rehearsing, which seemed to consist of a 
 mumbling and jumbling of words, the 
 only part that was ever distinct being 
 the cue. 
 
 The actor finally made the uneasy 
 prompter, who was in a continuous rush 
 to " find the place," understand that he 
 never, if he could avoid it, repeated 
 anything that took place in the play at
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 41 
 
 rehearsal, except the cue. After this 
 they got on fairly well together, al- 
 though arriving at the desired period 
 by a series of spasmodic jumps. As for 
 Mr. Mclntosh, he was usually immersed 
 in thought or studying his "part" at 
 the moment his cue was given, and 
 would tardily arrive upon the scene 
 displaying great surprise that it was 
 "his turn," or else, being over- warned, 
 would precipitate himself forward sev- 
 eral speeches too soon. Xor was he as 
 well " up " in French as he is at present, 
 and would insist upon addressing Mr. 
 James in the play as " Octive, Octive, 
 old fellow," suggesting thereby a cer- 
 tain number of notes on the piano. The 
 prompter one day "walked in where 
 angels fear to tread," making Mr. Mc- 
 lntosh aware of his betise by suggest- 
 ing that he should sometimes pronounce 
 it Octave, as in the French, but was 
 incontinently snubbed by the young 
 man in return, who did not relish being
 
 42 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 11 taken up afore folks," observing 
 irritably, "Oh ! that'll be all right at 
 the performance. " A quickly suppressed 
 glance of merriment appeared in Mr. 
 James' eyes during this little encounter, 
 and I am positive during the rehearsals 
 he experienced many delicious silent 
 paroxyms of mirth, his fine sense of the 
 ludicrous being amply fed by the un- 
 conscious food of his "support." 
 
 The day of the performance, strange 
 to say, from such unpromising premises, 
 proved a veritable triumph for James. 
 Before his "Public" he bent to the 
 serious task before him serious, because 
 at the rise of the curtain the members 
 of his small cast became what is known 
 in the vernacular as "rattled." They 
 walked "On" and "Off" whenever 
 impelled, said anything that came into 
 their minds at the time, and if nothing 
 came Mr. James smilingly supplied the 
 defect with an impromptu. Mclntosh 
 sailed around calling upon " Octive " to
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 43 
 
 his heart's content, and the amateur 
 prompter sat in the stage-box aghast, 
 recognizing hardly any of the original 
 piece being given to the audience. 
 
 The apparently rudderless bark proved 
 to be in more than safe hands, however, 
 and came to its moorings miraculously. 
 As he afterwards explained, Mr. James 
 very soon perceived that his "support," 
 vulgarly speaking, was not " in it," and 
 so coined everything necessary on the 
 spot, succeeding thereby in producing 
 a comedy "while you wait" that kept 
 the large audience in a continuous roar 
 of laughter, and covered himself with 
 glory. In speaking of the affair he said 
 he never enjoyed anything better in his 
 life and I'll venture to say the audience 
 rendered the same verdict.
 
 44 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 {Tragedian and tbe IRubber JBanfc. 
 
 IN pursuance of the humorous side of 
 Mr. Louis James' character, several inci- 
 dents occur to me connected with his 
 public and private life which happened 
 to come within my knowledge. 
 
 Possibly somewhat in sympathy with 
 Silas Weg, he frequently " falls into 
 poetry," in his private correspondence ; 
 but as it is highly probable he would not 
 allow these hasty effusions to be digni- 
 fied by this much-abused term, I hasten 
 to do justice to that innate modesty 
 which is another characteristic of Mr. 
 James, and simply designate them as 
 verses. A short prose preface is neces- 
 sary, however, before submitting the 
 lines I have in mind. 
 
 Upon a certain occasion the actor 
 surprised and delighted a young friend
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 45 
 
 of his who had just concluded her 
 ' ' maiden effort " at play-writing by ex- 
 pressing sincere admiration for the re- 
 sult, and assuring her if, upon closer 
 consideration, the piece confirmed the 
 impression obtained from it upon the 
 first reading, he would probably produce 
 it during his coming " season." 
 
 "Ah!" said he, laying the MS. 
 open at a page that seemed to have 
 caught his eye, and evidently at the same 
 time experiencing some difficulty in 
 keeping his features under grave con- 
 trol, " here is one of your stage direc- 
 tions I shall hardly be able to comply 
 With." 
 
 " What is that ? " demanded the anx- 
 ious young author. 
 
 " This one," replied Mr. James, read- 
 ing : "'/. D. enters slowly B. C Y ." 
 "Now I can't do that, you know," 
 said he, glancing up from the page with 
 a very ingenuous expression of counte- 
 nance.
 
 46 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 " But why not ?" asked the puzzled 
 young woman. 
 
 "Because," replied Mr. James with 
 mock gravity, "though ' L. D.' may 
 have found it convenient to come in 
 at that period, Louis James, his repre- 
 sentative to be, is, unfortunately, an 
 A. D.'er, and is therefore obliged to 
 enter ' up to date.' ' He thereupon in- 
 dulged in a hearty laugh at the expense 
 of the little playwright, assuring her, 
 however, it was but a slight mistake 
 easily remedied, and proceeded to illus- 
 trate that the C., minus the B., would 
 prove an all-sufficient guide to the 
 ordinarily intelligent Thespian, though, 
 in further conversations, he could not 
 always restrain himself from making 
 some playful allusion to the time when 
 she insisted that ' ' he should enter before 
 Christ." 
 
 At the time referred to, it was 
 finally arranged that the MS. should 
 be sent to Mr. James' hotel the follow-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 47 
 
 ing day, and in tying up the package 
 the author, for further safety, slipped 
 a rubber band around it, somewhat 
 over an inch wide. In an accompany- 
 ing note she suggested the band was 
 but a loan, being a valuable piece of 
 property, which she should expect to 
 have returned with the MS. ; further 
 insinuating he should keep watch and 
 ward of his conscience in the matter, 
 lest it should serve for some odious 
 comparison 'twixt it and the elastic. 
 
 The mail very shortly brought an 
 acknowledgment of the MS., the fol- 
 lowing short extract from the note 
 serving to show the impression created 
 by the unusual size of the rubber : 
 
 " CHERIE ELASTIC : 
 
 " Where did you get it, and by what means ? 
 " Have you a corner on rubber? 
 "I accept the 'trust,' but deny the similarity 
 between it and my conscience, etc., etc. 
 "Signed, 
 
 " Yours in the Lord, 
 
 " LOUISA, 
 "Exit B. c."
 
 48 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Meantime a theatrical manager sent 
 in haste to the young lady for the MS. 
 of this same play, saying he desired to 
 read it to Miss Rose Coghlan. Some- 
 what elated with her sudden popularity 
 in the "stellar" world, the young 
 authoress sent a hasty request to Mr. 
 James for the return of her play for a 
 day or two. The messenger brought it 
 back almost immediately, without any 
 accompanying word from him, and 
 minus the rubber band. 
 
 Fearing in her haste to have offended 
 Mr. James, she subsequently wrote him 
 an explanatory note, and added a play- 
 ful request for the missing rubber. 
 
 It came next day by express, done up 
 in numberless wrappings and a card- 
 board box. 
 
 Her sex being allowed a ' ' change of 
 mind," the young lady generously de- 
 cided to present the much-worried rub- 
 ber to Mr. James out and out. Ac- 
 cordingly, in preparation, she placed
 
 K 
 
 LOUIS JAMES in "Virginius."
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 49 
 
 the band on a piece of gilded card- 
 board, fastening it in place at intervals 
 with pale blue ribbon in the form of 
 "true lovers' knots," and inscribing 
 within the circle these lines : 
 
 TO 
 
 LOUIS JAMES. 
 
 " Tho' you have won the ' mibber ' in this game, 
 I cherish no ill-feeling for the same. 
 These true-blue knots at intervals of space, 
 To keep my too elastic love in place." 
 
 M. 
 
 Mr. James, evidently considering the 
 game was not yet " played out," for- 
 warded the following within twenty- 
 four hours : 
 
 " SWEET MAID, 
 
 " Your love ' elastic,' can it be? 
 I've always found you trusting true, 
 That's the way you've been to me ; 
 Ye gods ! Now, what am I to do ? 
 
 "If you, like this band of rubber, 
 Hold on all the things you meet, 
 How I wish I was your ' lubber,' 
 To be held by one so sweet. 
 
 4
 
 50 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 " But rubber comes, and rubber goes, 
 Sometimes one way, sometimes t'other ; 
 Comes in garters, comes in hose ; 
 If you doubt me, ask your mother. 
 
 " Oh, you giddy, heartless critter, 
 Draped in clinging things, and lace, 
 Don't your conscience sometimes twitter, 
 When you see my careworn face ? 
 
 " Now, adieu ; don't think me bold 
 (I'm sitting in my robe de nuit) ; 
 And I know I'm catching cold 
 While inditing this to thee. 
 
 ' Thus, when as marble cold I lay, 
 With a Daisy in my hand, 
 Surely friends will truly say, 
 Died of too much ' Rubber Band.' 
 "Exit ' LOUISA.' 
 
 " ' A'(n) 'D \ante)" 
 
 The woman, in the recipient of the 
 above, not feeling content to allow a 
 man, even though a distinguished actor, 
 the privilege of the " last word," decided 
 to send Mr. James a line of sympathy 
 on his decease, and at the same time 
 give the matter in general a decent 
 burial, the means being appropriately 
 at hand in the form of an envelope, and 
 paper to match, about ten inches by
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 51 
 
 six in size, the whole bordered by a 
 solid inch of black, the style used by the 
 French when in mourning, for convey- 
 ing to friends the news of a death. 
 
 At the top of the sheet of paper the 
 young authoress drew a good-sized pair 
 of scissors, these to serve as her right- 
 ful crest. Finding a bunch of black 
 flowers in a newspaper, she pasted them 
 on one of the lower corners of the same 
 page, and wrote on the clear space left : 
 
 IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 " Not a voice was heard, not an eye was dry, 
 Through the width and breadth of the land, 
 As they gravely closed the coffin lid 
 On the tune from the Rubber Band.'' 
 
 A little black cat, illustrating one 
 of the advertisements of a periodical, 
 served, when cut out, to fasten the flap 
 of the envelope, accompanied by the 
 Latin, arranged for the occasion, 
 
 ' ' REQUIES 
 
 S'CAT 
 
 IX SPACE "
 
 52 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 It was then directed 
 
 " To the deceased," 
 Louis James 
 
 Theatre, 
 
 with a note in one corner 
 
 " If in communication, please forward." 
 
 The appearance of such a document 
 in the post must undoubtedly have pro- 
 duced a startling effect upon those 
 through whose hands it passed, before 
 reaching its destination. 
 
 The following day, Mr. James called 
 upon the fair playwright, to talk over 
 the matter of the play, as well as to 
 comment on the above. She appeared, 
 attired in a long white gown, to the left 
 shoulder of which was attached an 
 immense black gauze bow ; she wore 
 long black gloves, and carried a black 
 fan, her features drawn to a "decent 
 gravity." 
 
 She of course anticipated that with 
 Mr. James' usual keenness he would
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 53 
 
 immediately connect her costume with 
 the elastic incident. To her surprise, 
 however, he came quickly forward to 
 meet her, and in a voice of deep con- 
 cern anxiously inquired what had hap- 
 pened so suddenly, " Had any of the 
 
 family ?" 
 
 With a delighted laugh at having 
 caught the tragedian "napping," she 
 explained that she was only evincing a 
 proper respect for the demise of the 
 " Rubber Band."
 
 54 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Characteristic of jflfoaurice JBarrgmore. 
 
 THE difficulties encountered and the 
 length of time it takes in communi- 
 cating with distinguished members of 
 the theatrical profession may be well 
 illustrated in the person of Mr. Maurice 
 Barrymore, and after perusing the 
 following it will be easily compre- 
 hended why he, at all events, would 
 be accessible to but few. 
 
 A playwright, desiring to produce a 
 play at a matinee "on trial," conclud- 
 ed Barrymore was the most desirable 
 man for the leading role, and accord- 
 ingly deputed an agent to make an 
 appointment with him. 
 
 The writer, having had no previous 
 personal experience with Mr. Barry- 
 more, prepared to meet the actor within 
 a few days, but, despite the earnest en-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETC.HKS. 55 
 
 cleavers of the agent, a theatrical man- 
 ager and several friends, who tried to 
 deliver messages, six months elapsed 
 before the desired interview took place. 
 
 When it did, the playwright felt as- 
 sured it was as difficult, once located, for 
 the actor to go as it had been to come. 
 
 It happened to be a bitter cold day in 
 winter, and when, after three or four 
 hours of reading and discussion, Mr. 
 Barrymore rose, carelessly observing, 
 "Well, I think I'll be going; I left a 
 friend of mine outside, Gus Thomas, 
 who walked over with me " and with 
 a slight smile adding, " I told him I 
 should only stop a moment," the play- 
 wright, quite horrified, exclaimed, 
 ' ' Why, the poor fellow must be quite 
 frozen ! " 
 
 "Oh, no, I fancy not, "lazily observed 
 Barrymore ; "and, by the way, I had a 
 terrible scene with him last night." As 
 he spoke the actor reseated himself. 
 "Thomas has got a play he wants me
 
 56 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 to ' star ' in, k Reckless Temple ' by 
 name, and I'm averse to starring at 
 present, but he stayed with me nearly all 
 night, urging that this would afford 
 him his one chance of becoming known 
 in the world," etc., etc. 
 
 Mr. Barrymore remained fully an- 
 other half-hour recounting the existing 
 condition of affairs, and, despite the 
 playwright's anxiety, it was made evi- 
 dent later on that Mr. Thomas did not 
 freeze, and the good heart of the actor 
 manifested itself as well, for " Reckless 
 Temple" made its appearance on the 
 "boards," with Mr. Barrymore in the 
 title- role. 
 
 Though ultimately a failure, the piece 
 apparently proved the stepping-stone 
 he anticipated for Mr. Thomas, who 
 has been known to fame and prosperity 
 ever since, although Mr. Barrymore, 
 upon the occasion referred to, certainly 
 gave him, as he had others, a "long 
 wait."
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 57 
 
 H Dispute preceding tbe professional Debut 
 of flfors. James JBrown potter. 
 
 THE fever termed " stage fever" is 
 one from which those who have every 
 reason for remaining in private life, 
 such as position, means and family ties, 
 should jealously guard themselves 
 against. It is an insidious malady and, 
 unless in the case of pronounced genius 
 or the necessity for earning a living, 
 should be stamped out as vigorously as 
 any other plague. 
 
 I do not say this from any ill-feeling, 
 being a sincere admirer of the stage in 
 all its legitimate bearings, but because 
 of a rooted objection to seeing women 
 possessed of no real talent, break up 
 their homes to make guys of themselves, 
 and misery for their relatives and
 
 58 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 friends. Private theatricals seem to be 
 the ' ' hot-bed " for instilling hope in the 
 aspirant for stage honors ; members of 
 these clubs would not for the world be 
 thought anything but " amateurs," 
 and equally of course, u We only do it 
 for charity and the fun of the thing," 
 is the invariable reply to any one who 
 utters a warning word, but gradually 
 one person will display some slight 
 talent, and his or her vanity is instantly 
 fed to repletion by the fulsome praise of 
 ill-advised friends. That person becomes 
 the "star" of the club, and visions of 
 Sara Bemhardt and Henry Irving grow 
 dim, as the feeling within them becomes 
 a certainty that, "given the opportu- 
 nity," and he or she will eclipse them all. 
 As an example of the foregoing, I 
 don't think a better choice occurs to me 
 than Mrs. James Brown Potter. She 
 was an undoubted social favorite, com- 
 manding the admiration of her husband, 
 friends and acquaintances, so that when-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 59 
 
 ever she made her appearance on the 
 amateur stage backed by the laudable 
 purpose of so doing for sweet charity's 
 sake, she was sure of an enthusiastic 
 audience. She became the recipient of 
 flattery more untrammelled than that 
 usually accorded an acknowledged 
 public favorite, and because of her 
 beauty and prestige was accorded the 
 place of society's leading amateur. 
 
 About this time, feeling that she was 
 getting quite beyond the casual one-day 
 or night performances given at intervals 
 during a " season," the organization of 
 which she was the leading light ex- 
 tended its operations accordingly, and 
 would play two or three successive 
 nights in the theatres of the small 
 cities adjacent to New York, always of 
 course " for charity." 
 
 A faint whisper finally rippled through 
 Mrs. Potter's "set," to the effect that 
 she was seriously contemplating the 
 step that would designate her as a " pro-
 
 60 THEATRICAL, SKETCHES. 
 
 fessional ; " rumor added that she was 
 receiving fabulous offers from would- 
 be managers, but when one bolder than 
 the others inquired the truth of Mrs. 
 Potter, the rumors were always denied. 
 Notwithstanding her denials, Mrs. 
 Potter, knowing Mrs. John Sherwood to 
 be intimate at the house of Mrs. Lester 
 Wallack, succeeded through her in 
 arranging an interview at which Mr. 
 Wallack should be present and hear her 
 recite, presumably with the idea of ob- 
 taining his estimate of her capabilities 
 as an actress. At the close of her reci- 
 tations, Mr. Wallack paid Mrs. Potter 
 several graceful compliments upon her 
 "charming talent," etc., such as he 
 deemed so pretty a woman as she had 
 a right to expect from him, but at the 
 same time very strongly advised her 
 not to become " professional," for, as he 
 observed after her departure, the moder- 
 ate amount of capacity she displayed 
 did not warrant her in throwing off her
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 61 
 
 responsibilities and breaking up her 
 home, or him in offering such advice. 
 
 A little later on, a large benefit per- 
 formance in aid of some good work was 
 organized by one of the prominent 
 women in society. It was to take place 
 at the "Academy of Music," and for it 
 the very best theatrical talent had vol- 
 unteered their services. There were 
 five hundred well-known women's names 
 on the list of patronesses and, to rep- 
 resent these, Mrs. Potter was asked 
 to read a very pretty prologue, written 
 for the occasion by Mrs. John Sher- 
 wood. 
 
 Mrs. Potter returned a note of thanks 
 and acceptance to the lady in charge of 
 the affair, saying she would be happy 
 to read the prologue, "before or after 
 the performance." 
 
 The little difficulty in reference to ap- 
 propriate time suggested by Mrs. Pot- 
 ter's note was easily adjusted, as she 
 received a response from the busy man-
 
 62 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ageress pro tern., saying she thought 
 they would not deviate from the pre- 
 vailing custom upon this occasion, there- 
 fore she would like to have Mrs. Potter 
 open the performance with the prologue. 
 
 The project grew and prospered, was 
 much talked of, and, as the important 
 day drew near, was widely advertised. 
 
 Posters appeared on the elevated rail- 
 road stations, bearing, besides the an- 
 nouncement of the mammoth entertain- 
 ment, the names of the prominent pat- 
 ronesses, and a list of those who had 
 volunteered to take part. 
 
 The placing of Mrs. Potter's name 
 proved a difficulty. As a large propor- 
 tion of the volunteers were " stars " of 
 the first theatrical magnitude, it was 
 not deemed correct to head the list 
 with an amateur, even though it were 
 Mrs. James Brown Potter ; accordingly 
 it was placed about third on the list of 
 women's names. As it happened, in 
 the male list the name of Kyrle Bellew
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 63 
 
 appeared almost opposite that of Mrs. 
 Potter, quite an accident of course, as I 
 believe at that time they had barely 
 met. 
 
 It being now very close to the date 
 determined upon for the perform- 
 ance, the house of the manageress pre- 
 sented a very busy scene, the various 
 people connected with the entertain- 
 ment constantly coming and going,- and 
 among the visitors on a particular morn- 
 ing was Mrs. Potter, who had come to 
 gain a few particulars as to the hour she 
 was expected to appear, etc., etc. One of 
 the posters previously mentioned hap- 
 pened to be spread out on a table in the 
 drawing-room, and Mrs. Potter, attract- 
 ed by her own name, stopped involun- 
 tarily and exclaimed, " Oh ! I am afraid 
 Mr. Potter will not approve of that." 
 
 "Why should he object?" inquired 
 the lady. ' ' All of our names are there 
 as well, and the object is certainly a 
 worthy one." Mrs. Potter, however, did
 
 64 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 not seem to feel at ease so far as Mr. 
 Potter was concerned, and did not be- 
 lieve he would take kindly to her "pro- 
 fessional " surroundings. 
 
 Her hostess then good-naturedly re- 
 marked, though she had not at present 
 very much spare time at her disposal 
 for arranging differences, if Mrs. Potter 
 found her husband had any serious feel- 
 ing, on the subject, to ask him to come 
 and see her, and she would endeavor to 
 explain the matter to his satisfaction. 
 
 That afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Potter 
 called upon the lady in question, and, 
 though a number of persons were 
 present besides, the interview reached 
 the storm boundary. Mr. Potter's anger 
 was not of the repressed order, in fact 
 he waatloud and eloquent upon the sub- 
 ject of his wife's name being placed with 
 those of " professionals," and gradually, 
 from the drift of his words, it dawned 
 upon his listeners that he had been given 
 to understand that the entertainment
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCH KS. 65 
 
 was only to include the services of 
 amateurs, and his first intimation that 
 such was not the case came to him upon 
 seeing the bill-boards referred to, at the 
 elevated road stations. 
 
 From this aspect of affairs he was of 
 course entitled to consideration, and al- 
 though up to this moment the hostess 
 was feeling herself somewhat aggrieved, 
 knowing as she did that Mrs. Potter 
 was fully cognizant of the arrange- 
 mentsas they stood, as this new light 
 was shed, she grasped the true situa- 
 tion, and when Mr. Potter's arrival at a 
 period offered her the opportunity, she 
 said, "You surely did not consider me 
 so lacking in intelligence, Mr. Potter, as 
 to hire the ' Academy of Music ' for an 
 amateur performance T' 
 
 Darting a look at his wife, Mr. Potter 
 admitted it had appeared a strange ar- 
 rangement to him, and then, as though 
 his feelings upon the subject could no 
 
 longer be held in check, he told Mrs, 
 5
 
 66 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Potter, in unmistakable language, that 
 " this sort of thing had got to stop," she 
 must be ' ' black or white, an actress 
 or not an actress." That these various 
 affairs in which she took part that were 
 in every essential "professional," and 
 only prevented from so appearing to the 
 public by the saving clause of ' ' ama- 
 teur" being tacked on, would no 
 longer be tolerated. One of the most 
 flagrant items, as regarded by Mr. 
 Potter in the present instance, seemed 
 to be the proximity of Kyrle Bellew's 
 name to that of his wife, and causing 
 him to remark he "simply .wouldn't 
 stand it." 
 
 In the latter part of the discourse Mrs. 
 Potter seemed faintly to agree with her 
 husband, though this may have been an 
 undiscriminating acquiescence offered 
 with the laudable intention of soothing 
 him into an ordinary frame of mind ; to 
 those present at the interview, however, 
 who remembered and contrasted it by
 
 THEATEICAL SKETCHES. 67 
 
 the light of after events, it seemed as 
 though Mr. Potter must have felt some 
 prophetic warning at the time. 
 
 The Potters finally arose to take their 
 leave, Mr. Potter intimating that he 
 should probably withdraw his wife's 
 name from the programme, his wife at 
 the same time assuring one of the ladies 
 near her, sotto rocc, that she should 
 still hope to carry out her part, and 
 would make every effort to alter her 
 husband's ideas on the subject. 
 
 The result was Mrs. Potter's actual 
 withdrawal by her husband, and Miss 
 Marie Wainwright's more than gracious 
 acceptance to take her place at the last 
 moment, the press scenting out the whole 
 affair, and interviews more or less true 
 purporting to come from the warring 
 factions appearing in the morning 
 papers. 
 
 The final result of that interview, 
 however, was made apparent a few 
 months later, when the city was liter-
 
 68 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ally ' ' painted red " with the announce- 
 ment of the professional debut of Mrs. 
 James Brown Potter, with the name of 
 Mr. Kyrle Bellew in conjunction as her 
 "leading man." 
 
 These so completely dwarfed the 
 offending little elevated road posters, 
 that I doubt if half a dozen persons 
 remembered the acorn from which the 
 great oak sprang.
 
 THEA^KiCAL, SKETCHES. 69 
 
 Bnnogances Btten&ing a Gbeatrical Benefit 
 performance. 
 
 THE annoyances attendant upon the 
 giving of a theatrical benefit perform- 
 ance are almost incalculable, more es- 
 pecially if the person in charge happens 
 not to belong to the rank and file or 
 managerial divisions of the profes- 
 sion. Their " good intentions " towards 
 these then seems to count for naught, 
 and the mere fact of being a ' ' rank 
 outsider " sufficient cause to create 
 a suspicion and malice that leaves the 
 trespasser on strange land a "hard 
 row to hoe." 
 
 As an instance, I will detail the mis- 
 eries experienced in the workings of 
 one of these affairs by a young play- 
 wright. 
 
 Upon previous occasions, this enthusi-
 
 70 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 astic young person had headed several 
 private enterprises which were so suc- 
 cessful that from the proceeds of the 
 same she had had the pleasure of send- 
 ing in many hundreds of dollars to the 
 "Actors' Fund." This was a pet char- 
 ity with her, for the players themselves, 
 she argued, having given her so much 
 pleasure and entertainment all her life 
 in witnessing their performances, it 
 was but a fair return to think some- 
 what of their needs, and alleviate them 
 when possible. So that at the time of 
 the great Actors' Fund Fair, held at the 
 Madison Square Garden, in April, 1892, 
 her services were not to be overlooked, 
 and at the request of the Fund's Presi- 
 dent, Mr. A. M. Palmer, she consented 
 to organize a " benefit " to be given at 
 his theatre the week the Fair was being 
 held in the "Garden." 
 
 She had but a few weeks in which to 
 accomplish her work, and had at first 
 objected to the undertaking on the plea
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 71 
 
 of not having just the material at hand 
 she desired, giving Mr. Palmer to un- 
 derstand that the following would be 
 the best she could accomplish at the 
 time, viz. : Put the finishing touches 
 to two one-act plays of her own, a 
 tragedy and comedy respectively, and, 
 between these plays, a programme could 
 be arranged consisting of music, recita- 
 tions and dancing. If this bill should 
 be considered sufficiently attractive, she 
 would proceed ; if not, she would be 
 obliged to withdraw. The plays were 
 submitted to Mr. Palmer to read, and 
 his approval of the programme in gen- 
 eral was signified by his placing his 
 theatre and all comprised therein at the 
 lady's disposal. He referred her to the 
 late and deeply lamented Mr. Chas. W. 
 Thomas, then Secretary for the " Fund," 
 and co-manager and partner with Mr. 
 Chas. Hoyt of the "Madison Square 
 Theatre," for whatever information or 
 assistance she would require (Mr.
 
 72 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Palmer being too deeply engaged with 
 the Fair to be available for aught else), 
 also naming his stage-manager, Mr. 
 Gene W. Presbrey, as being at her ser- 
 vice in directing rehearsals and to act 
 as general stage-manager of the per- 
 formance. 
 
 Matters so arranged presented a very 
 roseate hue at the outset, and the 
 young author, having finished her plays, 
 turned her attention to the executive 
 branch of the entertainment. 
 
 The first thing, of course, was to 
 secure the two volunteer casts required, 
 and this Mr. Thomas and Mr. Presbrey 
 said that between them they would 
 accomplish, although the playwright 
 found her services were quite frequently- 
 required. 
 
 This or that actor or actress could 
 not or would not accept for divers rea- 
 sons all-sufficient to themselves, for, be 
 it known, let me remark en passant, the 
 profession (for which I cannot blame
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 73 
 
 them) are not all too fond of studying 
 and dressing a part for a single per- 
 formance, even though it be for charity, 
 and that charity their own. 
 
 Finally, however, the cast for the 
 tragedy was complete, Mr. Louis James, 
 Mr. Edward Bell and Miss Julia Arthur 
 in the leading roles, the mailer parts 
 being filled by members of Mr. Palmer's 
 "stock" company, so rehearsals forthis 
 piece were immediately called. 
 
 Mr. Presbrey thought there would be 
 no difficulty in casting the comedy, 
 as Mr. Daniel Frohman, or other 
 managers of comedy companies, would 
 willingly loan a sufficient number of 
 their people, and feeling satisfied the 
 plays were now in good hands, the 
 young playwright turned her attention 
 to the speciality portion of the pro- 
 gramme. 
 
 There were many difficulties to be 
 encountered here : good artists, espe- 
 cially among the musicians, had not fin-
 
 74 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ished their "season" and were still "on 
 the road," more particularly the opera 
 comique contingent, including Miss Lil- 
 lian Russell, Miss Marie Tempest, Carl 
 Streetman, Hubert Wilke and others. 
 She wrote to many of these, upon the 
 chance that they would return to New 
 York in time, requesting their services, 
 but their replies were for the most part 
 discouraging. 
 
 After great patience and a lavish use 
 of note-paper, she obtained the accept- 
 ance of Sig. Campanini to sing. 
 
 " Red tape " with singers appears to 
 be indispensable ; they are so proverb- 
 ially independent, and will sometimes 
 do for a caprice what a large sum of 
 money would not force from them. 
 
 Sig. Campanini's services were first 
 requested in the name of the " Actors' 
 Fund." He refused. Then in the 
 name of Mr. and Mrs. Palmer ; but, 
 for reasons best known to himself, he 
 would not sing for anything or any-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 75 
 
 body other than at the simple request 
 of the young amateur manageress. 
 
 Conditions, by this time, had become 
 as nothing to her : she accepted all and 
 every kind, keeping in view only the 
 results. An interruption occurred here 
 in this branch of her labors the or- 
 ganist required to play the organ at a 
 certain point of the tragedy was called 
 for ; she immediately made heroic 
 efforts in the organists' ranks to obtain 
 a good volunteer, but met with no suc- 
 cess, until, going into the Mason & 
 Hamlin ware-rooms one morning, she 
 was offered the services of Mr. Wm. C. 
 Carl, who had just returned, with his 
 laurel wreaths, from Paris, as well as 
 the promise of a very fine instrument 
 to be used at the matinee. 
 
 After further efforts, the late Mine. 
 Schirener-Maplesoii, together with Miss 
 Rosa Linde, Miss Helen Von Doenhoff 
 and Sig. Clemente Bologna, were se- 
 cured to complete the musical numbers.
 
 76 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Mr. Aubrey Boucicault, in a gracious 
 way truly grateful to the now much 
 worried manageress, consented to recite, 
 and Omijo San and Oyaye San, Japan- 
 ese dancers from the Imperial Court of 
 Japan, were allowed by their managers 
 to give a characteristic national dance. 
 
 One of the women having charge of 
 a booth at the Fair was instrumental 
 in obtaining the latter attraction, and, 
 in return for this, illustrated the intense 
 desire of which many people are pos- 
 sessed for obtaining free passes to a 
 theatre. , 
 
 She called at Mr. Thomas' office in 
 the " Madison Square Theatre " build- 
 ing to offer the services of the dancers, 
 the young playwright happening to 
 enter at the same time. The former, 
 having transacted her business, turned 
 to the latter, saying : "I should like to 
 have you send me a couple of compli- 
 mentary tickets for the performance, so 
 that I may come for the short time I
 
 THEATKICAL SKETCHES. 77 
 
 can leave my booth at the Fair and see 
 these girls dance." 
 
 The playwright quietly reminded her 
 that the entertainment was being given 
 for charity, and consequently " compli- 
 mentaries " could not be distributed. 
 
 The woman continued to urge the 
 matter as her right, until Mr. Thomas 
 assured her that what she asked was 
 impossible. Upon hearing this she 
 literally " flounced " out of the office. 
 
 "Is she poor?" inquired the young 
 lady. 
 
 "Poor!" ejaculated Mr. Thomas. 
 "Come and look at her carriage." 
 
 The former, approaching the window, 
 saw the woman drive away in a hand- 
 some equipage, coachman and footman 
 occupying the box. 
 
 It was within ten days of the per- 
 formance when the playwright, upon 
 going to ' ' Palmer's Theatre " one morn- 
 ing, received word that Mr. Presbrey 
 would like to speak to her.
 
 78 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Entering his private office, she was 
 both astonished and displeased to have 
 him tell her, after some preamble, 
 though he regretted hurting her feel- 
 ings, he should really advise her to give 
 up the proposed "benefit. 1 " 
 
 After an instant's hesitation, she 
 merely reminded Mr. Presbrey he was 
 scarcely in a position to "hurt her feel- 
 ings," but bade him offer his reasons 
 for the foregoing. 
 
 He thereupon intimated that the real 
 trouble consisted in the immoral tone of 
 the tragedy, and, in consequence, Miss 
 Arthur had that morning thrown down 
 her book at rehearsal and refiised to 
 goon. 
 
 " And what else ? " inquired his 
 listener. 
 
 Well, Mr. Frohman would not be 
 able to loan them his people for the 
 comedy; in fact, here was his letter upon 
 the subject. A typewritten sheet was 
 handed to her, signed by Daniel Froh-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 79 
 
 man. The gist contained therein was to 
 the effect that Mr. Frohman regretted 
 that he should need his people for the 
 rehearsal of a new piece. Glancing up 
 from the page, she remarked to the 
 stage-manager, that all this was of course 
 very annoying, but the affair being 
 advertised, it was naturally too late 
 to turn back, therefore, the only thing to 
 be done was to re-cast the plays as 
 quickly as possible. 
 
 The stage-manager, without replying 
 directly, attempted to give the young 
 lady some advice as to re-writing her 
 play, at the same time persisting that it 
 would be impossible to go on with the 
 arrangements for the "benefit." 
 
 The lady then very plainly assured 
 him that, at Mr. Palmer's request, she 
 had already put herself to a great deal 
 of trouble in getting up this affair, which 
 was none of her own seeking, that her 
 play was not even suggested as being 
 immoral either by him or other leading
 
 80 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 people, that she had no intention of re- 
 writing it, and, as stage-manager under 
 existing circumstances, his opinion upon 
 the subject was not required. 
 
 Finally, that, in any event, the 
 " benefit " would take place, and all she 
 desired from him at present was Miss 
 Arthur's address. This she had great 
 difficulty in obtaining, being assured it 
 was absolutely of no use for her to see the 
 actress, but the playwright being de- 
 termined, and the stage-manager hav- 
 ing no good reason for withholding the 
 same, it was finally put in her posses- 
 sion. 
 
 Calling first to see Mr. Thomas, the 
 young lady discovered he had already 
 heard rumors of dissension, and was 
 thereby annoyed. She recounted to him 
 the foregoing experience, and upon 
 mentioning the letter she had seen from 
 Mr. Frolnnan, Mr. Thomas wheeled 
 round to his desk, and picking up a 
 sheet of paper, handed it to her, remark-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 81 
 
 ing, " This, then, must be the first half 
 of the same letter, sent me by Presbrey 
 this morning." 
 
 It was easy to surmise from this por- 
 tion that the stage-manager had given 
 Mr. Frohman to understand that the 
 "benefit" was in reality a vehicle by 
 which the playwright intended exploit- 
 ing two of her plays, and, impressed 
 with this idea, Mr. Frohman declined to 
 give her the aid of his people. 
 
 Upon comprehending the situation 
 Mr. Thomas and the young author were 
 exceeding wroth. Mr. Thomas said he 
 had never known Dan Frohman to break 
 faith with him before, and up to the 
 present moment had been speculating 
 as to the cause. The stage-manager's 
 evident intention to break up the " bene- 
 fit " he could not comprehend, unless 
 from the mere fact that he desired to 
 shirk the trouble it entailed ; their 
 mutual decision, at all events, was to 
 
 " repair damages " without loss of time, 
 6
 
 82 THEATKTCAL SKETCHES. 
 
 the playwright's first move being to 
 call upon Miss Arthur and learn the 
 cause of her defection. 
 
 She found Miss Arthur rather im- 
 pregnable at first, and evidently smoth- 
 ering some of the indignation that had 
 not fully found vent; but the truth was 
 out finally, and the actress's only reason 
 for relinquishing her part appeared to be 
 Mr. Presbrey's resolve, given out that 
 morning at rehearsal, to "cut" certain 
 portions of the play, until, as Miss 
 Arthur declared, the process would 
 eliminate all the strength and force from 
 her role. Under the circumstances she 
 declined to go on. 
 
 It was now the author's turn to be- 
 come indignant once more. 
 
 "Then it was not what was in the 
 play," she questioned, " but the threat of 
 cutting some of it out that forced your 
 decision ? " 
 
 Receiving Miss Arthur's assent to 
 this, she continued: " What right could
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 83 
 
 the stage-manager have, under existing 
 circumstances, to 'cut' or add any- 
 thing to my play without consulting 
 me?" 
 
 " None whatever," rejoined Miss 
 Arthur. 
 
 The actress then gave her promise to 
 appear at " Palmer's Theatre" for re- 
 hearsal the following morning at ten 
 o'clock, and, much relieved in mind, the 
 young lady drove to the hotel where 
 both Mr. James and Mr. Presbrey 
 resided with their families. 
 
 Sending up her cards, she requested 
 both gentlemen to meet her in the ladies' 
 reception-room. 
 
 Mr. James made his appearance first, 
 and rapidly laying the facts before him, 
 she begged that he would go on with 
 his "part," and also take the stage- 
 management of the piece. Mr. James 
 very kindly accepted both propositions, 
 and when Mr. Presbrey entered the 
 room, the young lady suggested that he
 
 84 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 would be pleased to learn she had suc- 
 ceeded in every way ; that the original 
 cast would assemble at the theatre the 
 next morning for rehearsal, and at the 
 same time she would not require his 
 services, as Mr. James had consented to 
 act as stage-manager for the tragedy, 
 the comedy being now in the hands of 
 Mr. Thomas. 
 
 Mr. Presbrey endeavored to appear 
 as pleased at this announcement as the 
 playwright, and Mr. James felt inward- 
 ly convinced he was not, and compli- 
 mented the former upon having sur- 
 mounted all difficulties. 
 
 There was some skirmishing along 
 the comedy line, but five days before 
 the date fixed for the matinee, the cast 
 was filled out by members of the " Trip 
 to Chinatown " company, and included 
 Queenie Vassar, Anna Boyd, Geraldine 
 McCann, Loie Fuller, Adolph Jack- 
 son, Ealph Bartlett and James K. 
 Hackett.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 85 
 
 Under the able guidance of that most 
 responsible of stage-managers, Mr. R. 
 A. Roberts, the piece was brought up 
 to an amazing state of perfection, con- 
 sidering there were less than half a 
 dozen rehearsals. 
 
 Among the minor annoyances that 
 continued were such as the following. 
 The young lady could find no one who 
 would take it upon themselves to keep the 
 affair advertised, thus she was obliged 
 to " work " that department to the best 
 of her ability unaided. Again, stopping 
 at the box-office of the theatre one. 
 morning, she learned that the sale of 
 seats had been suspended. Upon in- 
 quiring the cause of this disastrous 
 move, she was told Mr. Palmer had 
 been given to understand by his stage- 
 manager that the " benefit" would not 
 "come off," hence this order. After a 
 little energy expended on her part " by 
 word of mouth," this was rectified, and 
 the sale continued.
 
 86 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 The day of the performance arrived, 
 and going to the theatre a little early 
 to see that everything was in order, she 
 found that the Mason & Hamlin organ 
 just arrived at the scene entrance was 
 being refused admission on account of 
 its size ; the employees of the theatre 
 assuring her the instrument was too 
 large to be brought into the building. 
 As the door for scenery happened to be 
 two stories high, and the organ could 
 have been placed in any room of ordi- 
 nary height ceiling, the assertion was 
 ridiculous on its face to any one pres- 
 ent. 
 
 However, the young playwright, 
 deciding that this was but one more 
 annoyance she was being subjected to, 
 wasted no words, but repaired to the 
 organ ware-rooms, and selecting a 
 smaller instrument, had it immediately 
 sent to the theatre. 
 
 In view of the worries and difficul- 
 ties she had been forced to undergo, it
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 87 
 
 seemed almost a miracle that the benefit 
 was conducted to the finish with com- 
 plete success, and, according to the ver- 
 nacular, there was "not a hitch" in the 
 programme. 
 
 The companies of both pieces played 
 as smoothly as though giving regular 
 performances. 
 
 Campanini, as the paper stated later, 
 sang better than he had in years, ' ' creat- 
 ing one of his old-time furores," and 
 the remaining numbers of music, reci- 
 tation, etc., were rendered with a spirit 
 that made those present, including 
 members of the press, vote the afternoon 
 a complete triumph. 
 
 You may rest assured the young 
 author, who was largely responsible for 
 this agreeable result, did not feel she 
 had reached her goal on a bed of roses.
 
 88 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Reminiscent of tbe Dohes 
 
 IT is possibly completing a round dozen 
 of years since that delightful little 
 theatrical company styled the " Yokes 
 Family " gave their last performances 
 in this country. 
 
 I only appeal to the "oldest inhabit- 
 ants " to carry their memories back so 
 far, but they, I am sure, will always 
 retain pleasant thoughts of the clean, 
 mirth-provoking entertainment with 
 which these players furnished the public. 
 
 At the time of which I speak, (prob- 
 ably 1882), I was one of a large party 
 summering at the "Ft. Wm. Henry' 1 
 Hotel, Lake George, where the Vokes 
 also arrived, bag and baggage, for a 
 month's outing ; it was there that some 
 of us had the pleasure of knowing them 
 more or less well in their private life. 
 
 Eosina Vokes (the late Mrs. Cecil
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 89 
 
 Clay) remaining in England, her place 
 in the "Family" was taken by Miss 
 Bessie Sansoii (now Mrs. Frank Daniels) ; 
 otherwise the organization was the 
 same, I am told, as when it made its 
 first appearance in this country in ' ' The 
 Belles of the Kitchen." 
 
 Never were there three more respected 
 and self-respecting young women on 
 the boards than the Yokes sisters ; 
 they were always as rigidly chaperoned 
 by an aunt or their mother as any well- 
 brought-up girls in society. 
 
 Late suppers, or visitors other than 
 those who would call generally upon any 
 family, were entirely debarred. 
 
 The aunt to whom I refer travelled 
 with them for many years, wrote their 
 plays, and always "had supper ready 
 for her girls in their own rooms after 
 the performance." 
 
 Fred Yokes, their brother (for Fawdon 
 was only adopted), designed the scenery 
 and arranged the music for their plays,
 
 90 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 while between them they settled the 
 costuming. Thus, in all ways, the term 
 " Family," fittingly described them. 
 
 When at leisure from theatrical 
 duties, the girls were always sitting 
 together, engaged upon some piece of 
 that everlasting fancy-work so dear to 
 the heart of the Englishwoman. 
 
 The first appearance of the " Family " 
 at the " Ft. Win. Henry " made a visible 
 impression ; it was at breakfast, and I 
 may say they were nothing if not in- 
 dependent in their dressing. 
 
 Victoria, Jessie and Miss Sanson were 
 attired in Watteau wrappers of different 
 hues, their aunt clad in black, with one 
 of those structures termed caps sur- 
 mounting her decorous, smooth brown 
 "front," composed of many yards of 
 black lace and ribbon, ''relieved " by 
 bunches of violets. The men, of whom 
 there were four in the party, wore the 
 usual English summer morning neglige 
 costumes.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 91 
 
 The entire party seemed utterly ob- 
 livious to the world surrounding them, 
 and went their various ways in a per- 
 fectly frank, unaffected manner. 
 
 Those in the hotel whose lives hereto- 
 fore had never happened to bring them 
 in contact with members of the theatri- 
 cal profession, at first rather resented 
 their presence and were inclined to sit 
 at a distance and regard them in the 
 light of a menagerie " let loose ; " but as 
 they did not evince the slightest desire 
 to encroach on the territory or society 
 of the habitues of the hotel, in fact, if 
 anything, rather avoided it, a few days 
 saw the former making advances to 
 "the enemy" which, though not re- 
 pulsed, were received without enthusi- 
 asm. By the end of the first week, 
 however, they were established favor- 
 ites, adding greatly to the general 
 gaiety, in their bright agreeable fash- 
 ion. 
 
 In return for hospitalities they had
 
 92 THEATKICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 received from various guests of the 
 hotel, they gave a picnic one day, to 
 which quite a number of us were in- 
 vited, and, I may add, there were no 
 regrets. 
 
 They chose Diamond Island, a charm- 
 ing spot three miles up the lake from 
 the " Ft. Win. Henry," for the "happy 
 hunting-ground," and I am sure I am 
 correct in saying that no more delight- 
 ful affair of its kind has ever been given 
 in that region of repose and pleasure. 
 
 The means of transportation consisted 
 of a fleet of row-boats, and, though the 
 picnic lasted throughout the day, there 
 was not a dull moment experienced. 
 The details for the "spread " were per- 
 fect, the actual work of which was left 
 in the hands of the English valets, the 
 one exception to this being a chowder 
 concocted by Fred Vokes, for which he 
 was, and deserved to be, well compli- 
 mented. 
 
 By the aid of the various musical in-
 
 THEATKICAL SKETCHES. 93 
 
 struments upon which the "Family" 
 could perform, the air was frequently 
 filled with delightful melody, and as the 
 sun began its sinking journey back of 
 the "purple hills," warning the pleas- 
 ure-seekers to find shelter from the 
 night, there were nothing but expres- 
 sions of regret that " the day was done." 
 Boat after boat was filled and launched 
 out onto the glassy lake, and only the 
 steady plash of the oars, and Fred Yokes' 
 voice, as he sang a charming solo, dis- 
 turbed the silent twilight. 
 
 Fred was possibly the most talented 
 member of his family, being not only 
 excessively clever in his nominal calling, 
 but an artist in oils of no mean preten- 
 sions, a fine pianist, possessed of a good 
 voice and innumerable minor accom- 
 plishments, but, as is often the case with 
 genius, he was a great care, in this in- 
 stance, to his sisters. 
 
 Generous and extravagant to a fault, 
 he would hand out the last cent in his
 
 94 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 pocket to any one who asked for it, and 
 was, in consequence, easy prey for the 
 large army of impecunious actors who 
 are always hanging about their success- 
 ful brethren ; in his nature, a veritable 
 Bohemian tramp. 
 
 At the lake he would don the most 
 disreputable looking old garments, and 
 sally forth, pipe in mouth, his fishing- 
 rod and painting materials in hand. 
 When he would next ''turn up," was 
 ofttimes a problem to the family ; fre- 
 quently, it would be far into the night. 
 
 The last day of their stay at the " Ft. 
 Win. Henry," Fred was entreated not 
 to leave the grounds, as they would be 
 starting for Saratoga directly after the 
 two o'clock dinner ; the sisters realizing 
 from experience it was best if possible 
 to keep their brother in sight. He faith- 
 fully promised to make his appearance 
 in due time, and with this assurance 
 went off as usual to muse on sea and 
 sky.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 95 
 
 The hours slipped away, dinner was 
 over and the stage before the door. !Xo 
 Fred in sight. The baggage was being 
 piled up mountain high, and the sisters 
 were anxiously peering in every direc- 
 tion for the missing member, but not 
 the smallest cloud of dust in the dis- 
 tance betokened his approach. Finally, 
 the last bags and bundles being in place, 
 they were obliged to take their seats on 
 the coach and leave him to his fate. 
 
 As the driver cracked his whip pre- 
 paratory to the start, Fred appeared, 
 toiling up the hill from the lake, ex- 
 tremely warm in appearance, and tug- 
 ging his rod and painting parapher- 
 nalia. Everyone shouted to him "to 
 hurry," to which admonition he paid 
 but slight heed, and when he came 
 within speaking distance, his sister 
 Jessie, in horrified accents, exclaimed 
 " You're never going to disgrace us by 
 going to Saratoga in that 'get-up,' are 
 you, Fred 2 "
 
 96 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 For all answer Fred packed away his 
 traps on the coach, and, swinging him- 
 self up on one of the trunks strapped on 
 the back, which left his feet dangling in 
 nonchalant fashion, waved a good-bye 
 with his ragged hat to those on the 
 piazza, who could not help laughing at 
 the comical look of resignation that 
 overspread the faces of the feminine 
 portion of the party. 
 
 The last time I saw the Yokes was 
 one evening in the ensuing winter, 
 when, upon receiving a box with their 
 compliments, a party of us went to a 
 Brooklyn theatre where they were 
 playing ' ' Fun in a Fog. " 
 
 Of course the "Family" made all 
 sorts of covert allusions, for our benefit, 
 to their life at Lake George, not com- 
 prehended by the general audience : 
 but Fred finally outstripped the others, 
 when, being supposed to be excessively 
 sea-sick on the mimic boat on which 
 they were travelling, exclaimed in loud
 
 KYRLE BELLEW.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 97 
 
 tones, "How I wish I could land on 
 Diamond Island and have another 
 chowder ! " accompanying his speech by 
 an expressive glance towards our box. 
 
 This decidedly drew the attention of 
 the house, as people suffering from 
 mal de mer are not generally clamor- 
 ing for chowder, and the sisters, as 
 usual, had to come to the rescue to put 
 a stop to any further reckless impro- 
 visations on his part. 
 
 After the play we all repaired to the 
 "Sturtevant House" in New York, 
 where the Yokes were stopping, and 
 after having paid them a little call, 
 started for our respective homes. 
 
 AYhile waiting for a car on the 
 "Gilsey House" corner, I thought I 
 detected rather thick smoke issuing 
 from the roof of the ' ' Sturtevant, " and 
 suggested the house might be on fire. 
 The idea was ridiculed by the remainder 
 of the party, however, and we all went 
 
 our various ways. 
 7
 
 98 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 My surmise proved correct, for the 
 next morning's papers gave us the ac- 
 aount of rather a severe fire that had 
 occurred in that hotel. 
 
 We went to inquire for the Yokes, 
 and discovered they had not suffered 
 anything more than a severe fright ; 
 that Victoria, upon finding the women 
 scantily attired, and all crowding in a 
 panic towards the ladies' entrance, 
 had mounted a chair and delivered, off- 
 hand, a free lecture upon the subject of 
 self-control ; that Jessie was positive 
 the women in this country did not wear 
 night-dresses, for she had not discovered 
 one who was so attired ; and Miss San- 
 son was causing unrestrained mirth on 
 account of the peculiar assortment of 
 things she had tried to save. 
 
 They told one little incident of Fred's 
 experience in the general mSlee. 
 
 When matters were somewhat calm- 
 ing down at the " Sturtevant, " he 
 crossed the street to the "Gilsey
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 99 
 
 House " on some errand. Standing at 
 the desk registering, he descried a man 
 attired in white under-drawers, red 
 shirt, high-top boots, and a high black 
 hat ; he was moved by the resemblance 
 in his costume to facetiously slap him 
 on the back, (a total stranger), jocularly 
 remarking : "I say, old man, you're up 
 early ; are you going hunting ? " 
 
 ' ' Damn it ! " replied the irate one 
 addressed. "Don't you know the 
 ' Sturtevant House ' is on fire ? " 
 
 Innumerable incidents could be re- 
 lated of these pleasant people, and it is 
 with sincere sorrow I realize we shall 
 never look upon their like again, for 
 several members of the " Family " have 
 died within the past few years, and no 
 one who has ever seen them together 
 would desire to see their places filled 
 by others. 
 
 Filled they could not be, for the 
 " Vokes Family," as they originially 
 appeared, were entirely unique.
 
 100 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Could Tfcgrle JSellew be considered Wain? 
 
 IN days now somewhat remote, dis- 
 cussion at times waxed animated over 
 a then seemingly important question, 
 theatrically and indeed socially " Was 
 or was not Kyrle Bellew possessed of 
 great vanity ? " I believe the matter 
 has never been definitely settled, though 
 in an individual instance I recall it 
 would seem there was some valid 
 ground for a supposition in the af- 
 firmative. 
 
 The occasion was an informal " even- 
 ing" at Mrs. Lester Wallack's, and 
 gathered about one of the tables were 
 two or three young ladies, Mr. Bel- 
 lew and some other men. 
 
 Bellew had some bits of paper in his 
 hands from which he was idly fashion- 
 ing little boats.
 
 THKATK1CAL SKETCHES. 101 
 
 "I hear," he drawled, addressing- no 
 one in particular, " that your American 
 navy is badly in need of ships. I pro- 
 pose to remedy the evil by presenting 
 you with a few." 
 
 One girl in the party spoke up quickly 
 in slightly sarcastic vein : 
 
 ' " I am sure we all render sincere 
 thanks in the name of the American 
 navy/' 
 
 The actor favored her with an espe- 
 cially comprehensive glance, and finish 
 ing his boat, pencilled a few words on it 
 and patronizingly tossed it over to her. 
 
 The girl picked the boat up slowly 
 (this was the first occasion she had met 
 Mr. Bellew) and read " My love to you, 
 Kyrle Bellew." She flushed rather a 
 vivid crimson, but, looking the young 
 man steadily in the eyes, said in tones 
 sufficiently clear for all to comprehend, 
 "The sentiment inscribed here (indicat- 
 ing the boat) is surely too much of an 
 honor for any one woman to aspire to,
 
 102 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 so with your permission, Mr. Bellew, I 
 will take it home, raffle it, and send 
 you the proceeds. " She then rose, bowed 
 and left the table, at the same time 
 leaving Mr. Bellew sufficiently discon- 
 certed to bite his lip, and permit his 
 brow the shadow of a frown.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 103 
 
 d&r. asellew flfcarrieD or Single. 
 
 AT the height of Mr. Kyrle Bellew's 
 reign in New York, on the stage and in 
 the heart of the matinee-girl, when 
 Thirtieth Street opposite "Palmer's 
 Theatre " (where Mr. Bellew principally 
 held sway) would be crowded every 
 Saturday afternoon with young women 
 belonging to the best " set " in the city 
 waiting patiently to catch a glimpse of 
 the actor as he issued from the stage- 
 entrance after the performance, there 
 was much anxious inquiry among these 
 same misguided young females as to 
 whether their idol was married or single. 
 Not that a solution of the matter could 
 affect any of them one way or the other, 
 but a number of the younger ones, I 
 presume, preferred to worship and dream 
 of him in private, untrammelled by the
 
 104 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 prosaic details of family attachments. 
 "Anyway," they "wanted to know." 
 
 One of the sisterhood having an ac- 
 quaintanceship with Mr. Louis James 
 volunteered to apply to him for infor- 
 mation, and thus have the burning 
 question settled. Accordingly, upon 
 the next occasion of their meeting, the 
 young spokeswoman prided herself upon 
 adroitly bringing the subject to the fore- 
 ground. Her opinion of her own deft- 
 ness suddenly vanished, however, upon 
 being unmercifully teased by the quick- 
 witted Mr. James, gaining no informa- 
 tion, (he having none to give,) and with 
 the added pang of hearing " dear Kyrle " 
 dubbed (in a spirit of wickedness with 
 the design of worrying his fair inquisi- 
 tor), 'bandy-legged,' by the athletic 
 actor. 
 
 But before they parted, Mr. James 
 relented, and promised to gather all the 
 items on the subject he could, trans- 
 mitting them to her by the earliest post ;
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 105 
 
 thus, within a few days, she received 
 from him the following : 
 
 ' Here's a how-de-do, 
 I've found it out for you, 
 When a man can live on eggs, 
 He's sure to have most bandy legs, 
 And then he's married too, 
 Dear lovely Kyrle Bellew," etc. 
 
 Below this verse a slip clipped from a 
 daily paper was pasted, and heavily out- 
 lined with a border of black ink. It 
 read : 
 
 "BELLEW. Kyrle Bellew is a married man. 
 His wife lives in England, and he is thrifty in his 
 personal habits. His only dissipation is his fond- 
 ness for hard-boiled eggs." 
 
 After this came a second verse from 
 Mr. James : 
 
 " Here's a state of things, 
 All hearts he's torn to strings. 
 Just because dear Kyrle's not single, 
 All the girls their tears will mingle. 
 Poor dear Kyrle Bellew, 
 Here's a how-de-do," etc. 
 
 " After the ' Mikado ' 
 " But don't despair, Pm still living. 
 "Yours, 
 
 " ' LOUISA.' 
 
 After receiving the above, in the name
 
 106 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 of suffering girlhood, and on bright 
 scarlet paper emblematic of their hearts' 
 blood, the recipient of the above indited 
 the following acknowledgment to the 
 tragedian : 
 
 " Here's a pretty mess. 
 Of you we think no less, 
 But when word came he was married 
 All to their rooms were fainting carried. 
 Lives he's wrecked a few, 
 This hateful Kyrle Bellew ! " etc. 
 
 " Ah ! this is too too much, 
 ' Bandy legs,' ' wife,' and 'hard-boiled eggs,' 
 Now we taste the bitter dregs 
 Of unrequited passion." 
 
 It may have been the newspaper item 
 quoted above had a more salutary effect 
 upon girldom than even a mother's ad- 
 monition or a father's stern command, 
 or it is possible Mr. Bellew tired of 
 wholesale worship. Be this as it may, 
 dating from that time, the furore 
 created by his cameo-like beauty seemed 
 to decline, and he was allowed to settle 
 down with but few remonstrances as 
 Mrs. Potter's "leading man."
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 107 
 
 Stage of ITnDifference. 
 
 IT is interesting at times to retrace 
 one's mental steps, and determine the 
 cause of an inspiration, no matter of 
 what order. 
 
 Certainly " an up-to-date " farce- 
 comedy would scarcely be sought as 
 the legitimate cause of a serious re- 
 ligious discussion, "between the acts," 
 or the following verses be regarded as 
 the outcome of such a discussion, but 
 indulgence is craved, as the facts 
 remain. 
 
 Two of the guests in a large theatre 
 party given one evening to witness a 
 sample of this popular kind of amuse- 
 ment, certainly "got in very deep." 
 
 From dwelling upon the stupidity of 
 prevailing "shows" (the only word 
 adequate to the performances) and this
 
 108 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 one in particular, they advanced to the 
 present indifference of people to things 
 in general, the lady going so far as 
 to remark, "That at times it almost 
 seemed as though God had given up 
 taking any interest in the affairs of this 
 world." 
 
 The man replied, "Being an atheist 
 the word God held no especial meaning 
 for him," in fact, he would quite as soon 
 so denominate his companion, as any 
 one else. 
 
 She was fairly shocked at this, and 
 told him under the circumstances he 
 tempted her to call him the "Devil." 
 Very seriously, however, the gentleman 
 advanced his atheistic arguments, but 
 the young lady was not to be convinced. 
 They were interrupted by the orchestra 
 loudly trumpeting forth " Johnny's 
 Gun," in the midst of which choice 
 selection, the young woman emitted a 
 slightly hysterical laugh. 
 
 Upon her escort inquiring the cause,
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 109 
 
 she said, "It just struck me as so funny 
 that ' God ' and the ' Devil, ' should be 
 seated side by side in the theatre, and the 
 audience remain actually indifferent to 
 the fact." 
 
 Upon returning home from the 
 theatre that evening, acting upon an 
 impulse, the young lady seized her pen 
 and indited these lines to her friend : 
 
 "THE STAGE OF INDIFFERENCE." 
 
 TO 
 W. E. P. F. 
 
 " The Devil and God at the play were seen 
 Side by side in the parquette chairs. 
 To the rest of the audience gathered there, 
 It seemed a droll and peculiar affair, 
 That the moving powers of heaven and hell 
 Should emerge from their respective shell, 
 To meet in a spot that was not well, 
 A suitable place for either ! 
 
 " Yet, though it wasn't a usual thing 
 When the orchestra ' started up,' 
 They turned their attention to tilings in hand, 
 Such as ' Johnny's Gun ' as played by the band ; 
 For, after all. we live in an age 
 ' Taking things as they come ' 'twould baffle to 
 guage.
 
 110 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Neither God nor the Devil are now the rage, 
 But La demoiselle Soubrette. 
 
 " The Devil had donned a persuasive smile, 
 Having lured God in to show him, 
 Though ministers roared and tried to blight 
 The lives that swarmed in the calcium light, 
 There was many a beautiful spotless elf 
 ' Playing her part ' on that glittering shelf, 
 Who like unto him, their other self, 
 Was ' not so bad as painted." 1 
 
 " But in the stage of indifference we mostly dwell, 
 It's a very wearisome thing 
 To be roused from that ' little world of our own,' 
 And asked to judge of the seed as sown, 
 To wake for the right, and a battle wage, 
 In affairs either on or off the stage. 
 ' None of my business,' remarks the sage, 
 ' And so I'll not interfere.' 
 
 L'ENVOI. 
 
 " God watched, and listened and took it in, 
 The arms and legs all waving there. 
 The masses of streaming golden hair, 
 The gauzy raiment an angel might wear ; 
 Then meeting his neighbor's satanic stare 
 Said, " I wish you good luck, and I 
 Hope there's a leaven, still by your leave, 
 I'll return to heaven.' "
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. Ill 
 
 Unci&ents in tbc Moris of flfcusfc. 
 
 THE members of the dramatic pro- 
 fession are frequently commended for 
 their general good nature and generosity 
 towards one another, but for some mys- 
 terious cause these qualities do not 
 seem to communicate themselves to the 
 musical branch to any great extent. 
 The latter art is popularly supposed to 
 possess charms that in some way soothe 
 the savage breast, and although this 
 may be its effect on an audience, the 
 opposite seems to be true of the artist, 
 in whom it apparently very often breeds 
 selfishness, vanity and irritability. 
 
 Without doubt the true musician's 
 nerves are in a more acute condition 
 than those of the rest of mankind, and 
 the care of a voice, at all events, would 
 tend necessarily towards a somewhat
 
 112 THEATRICAL, SKETCHES. 
 
 selfish life. These are then the only 
 reasons I can offer in explanation of the 
 difference that exists. 
 
 I remember witnessing an instance of 
 the selfishness that can be displayed by 
 one singer towards another, and, though 
 a mere child at the time, its striking me 
 so forcibly that it created a very lasting 
 impression. It occurred at the " United 
 States Hotel," Saratoga. 
 
 Miss Clara Louise Kellogg, at the time 
 extremely stout, and also somewhat on 
 her last notes with the public, occupied 
 one of the " States' " cottages. Sig. 
 Brignoli, who, according to tradition, 
 had been the most fascinating and 
 adored of the tenors of his time, was at 
 Saratoga also ; not at the " States," but 
 at some second-rate boarding-house in 
 the village. "Very poor," every one 
 said, and sighed as they did so that this 
 genius should be enduring such a sor- 
 rowful old age. 
 
 His voice was still extremely sweet,
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 113 
 
 for he sang sometimes in the morning, 
 (I had the pleasure of hearing him,) 
 and also, despite everything, he had still 
 managed to preserve to a certain extent 
 the air of the gallant and petted favor- 
 ite of other days. 
 
 One morning a party of ladies of "a 
 certain age" were seated at a corner 
 of the long hotel piazza, when Miss 
 Kellogg and Brignoli happened to pass 
 one another on the promenade, the 
 prima donna merely according a care- 
 less nod to the latter. One of the ladies 
 noticing this, observed that Miss Kel- 
 logg's present affluence evidently pre- 
 vented her feeling the necessity of the 
 companionship of the artist who had 
 nothing. "And yet," she continued, 
 " I can recall, in the days when she made 
 her debut and Brignoli was already a 
 great tenor, his marked kindness to the 
 nervous young singer. He gave her 
 his advice and his help in a thousand 
 different ways, then much coveted and
 
 114 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 of great value to her, as I presume it 
 has been throughout her career ; but 
 now ! " and the speaker shrugged her 
 shoulders significantly. 
 
 A few days later it was announced 
 that Miss Kellogg would give a concert, 
 at which, of course, all fashionable Sara- 
 toga would be expected to attend. Sig. 
 Brignoli, upon being made aware of the 
 event, approached the lady referred to, 
 begging her to intercede with Miss 
 Kellogg on his behalf to give him an 
 engagement to sing at the same con- 
 cert. 
 
 Knowing the tenor to be sadly in 
 need of funds, and also feeling that his 
 name would still prove a magnet to a 
 host of his old admirers who were sum- 
 mering at the Spa, she very willingly 
 undertook the mission, only however 
 to feel thoroughly grieved and indig- 
 nant over the result. 
 
 She preferred her request at the first 
 opportunity, to which Miss Kellogg's
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 115 
 
 reply was something to the effect that 
 " she couldn't be bothered with him.'' 
 
 Neither was any one else " bothered " 
 with him very long, for within a com- 
 paratively short period of the foregoing 
 incident, he died in a top-floor room at 
 the "Everett House' 1 in Xew York, 
 not possessed of sufficient of this world's 
 goods to provide him with the means 
 for a decent exit therefrom. Fortu- 
 nately, towards the last, one or two of 
 his old friends discovered his condition 
 and made themselves responsible for the 
 necessary expenses attending his death. 
 
 It is also pleasant to know that as his 
 hour arrived, he seemed to lose sight of 
 his troubles, his mind wandering back 
 to the time of his early triumphs, and 
 he finally expired most tranquilly, sing- 
 ing one of his favorite airs. 
 
 Occasionally you meet with a tenor 
 who gives better attention to his ex-
 
 116 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 chequer than did poor Brignoli. An 
 amusing little incident illustrating this 
 was recounted to me by a lady who had 
 interested herself in getting up an en- 
 tertainment for charity, at which, 
 among others Campanini had been re- 
 quested to sing. 
 
 He forwarded a very polite reply to 
 her invitation, saying he regretted ex- 
 ceedingly his inability to sing upon the 
 occasion designated, but enclosed a 
 cheque for fifty dollars, which he 
 begged her to make use of in connec- 
 tion with the charity. 
 
 Delighted with his generosity, though 
 at the same time sincerely mourning 
 the absence it would entail of the artist, 
 she sent him an immediate and profuse 
 acknowledgment of the cheque. 
 
 Whether repentance for the act over- 
 took him in the night she could not say, 
 but the following day she received a 
 note from the great singer by messenger, 
 conveying the intelligence that circum-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 117 
 
 stances would allow him to sing for her 
 after all, and requesting her to kindly 
 return him his cheque by bearer. 
 
 She laughed heartily over this dona- 
 tion "with a string to it," as slangy 
 little boys would put it, but at the same 
 time expressed her thankfulness at the 
 exchange. " For, after all, " said she, 
 " there are plenty of fifty-dollar bills in 
 the world, but only one Campanini." 
 
 All impresarios, I believe, entertain 
 different views upon "the way to get 
 there." A noticeable point in Col. 
 Henry Mapleson's policy was, that all 
 his business transactions should bear 
 the social stamp as well, and he con- 
 tinued to pursue this course in the 
 management of his late wife, Laura 
 Schirener-Mapleson, the prima donna, 
 with considerable success. 
 
 He encountered many difficulties in 
 trying to accomplish this during his
 
 118 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 latest visit to America, because of hav- 
 ing presented Marie Eoze as his wife 
 upon a former occasion. Indignation 
 being somewhat prevalent in the higher 
 circles that he now repudiated the fact, 
 and desired Laura Schirener to be rec- 
 ognized as occupying the position then 
 held by Madame Eoze. 
 
 However, he made a bold fight to over- 
 come all obstacles, and, together with 
 his own easy address, Madame Maple- 
 son's beauty and the whispers rife of her 
 " interesting history," succeeded fairly, 
 as the first step arranging to have 
 Madame Mapleson sing at several 
 private musicales. 
 
 There was one lady however wield- 
 ing considerable social influence, who 
 though she thus came into contact with 
 the Maplesons at the houses of her 
 friends, vowed not to countenance them 
 in her own. 
 
 It is apparently not always good policy 
 to write yourself down too distinctly
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 119 
 
 in these matters, as was evidenced later 
 on. 
 
 One of the large charitable entertain- 
 ments of the season patronized by society 
 was in process of erection, so to speak, 
 in which the lady to whom I refer 
 was deeply interested. It was sug- 
 gested that doubtless Madame Mapleson 
 would be very happy on this occasion 
 to sing for her. The social leader 
 thought this might be extremely pos- 
 sible, as it was to be a very fashionable 
 affair, but declined to consider the ar- 
 tist's services. 
 
 The day before that set for the per- 
 formance, the former received a message 
 informing her that the celebrity upon 
 whom she had been relying was sud- 
 denly obliged to leave town. Quite in de- 
 spair over this catastrophe occurring at 
 such a late hour, she hurriedly applied 
 to every one whom she thought could 
 possibly fill the place made vacant, but 
 none were available at such short notice,
 
 120 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 and on every side she was advised to 
 seek Madame Mapleson. 
 
 With rather a grim smile overspread- 
 ing her face, as she recognized the 
 finger of fate and her own defeat, she 
 finally directed her coachman to the 
 apartment house occupied by the Maple- 
 sons, and there, with the most gracious 
 manner possible, preferred her request 
 to the husband of the prima donna. 
 
 The colonel, suave and calm as usual, 
 recognized the fact that ' ' the lady was 
 giving them very short notice," but he 
 felt no doubt whatever apparently that 
 his wife would take pleasure in accom- 
 modating her and singing for her charity 
 with the following proviso : 
 
 That every newspaper should an- 
 nounce through its columns the next 
 morning, that " At the very last mo- 
 ment, and at the request of Mrs. - , 
 Madame Laura Schirener-Mapleson had 
 kindly consented to sing," etc. A like 
 announcement must also be made from
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 121 
 
 the stage before the performance com- 
 menced. 
 
 Groaning in. spirit under the weight 
 of her bondage, though at the same time 
 realizing its justice under the circum- 
 stances, the lady accepted the colonel's 
 terms, outwardly with apparent good 
 grace. 
 
 The announcements were made as 
 directed, and Madam, Mapleson, beauti- 
 fully attired and looking very hand- 
 some, proved a great success with her 
 audience. 
 
 To the suggestion of envy or selfish- 
 ness, as existing between singers and 
 musicians in general, I must at all 
 events indicate one exception, though 
 undoubtedly many more exist. The 
 one I refer to in the present instance is 
 Sig. Tagliapietra, the Italian with the 
 glorious baritone and perfect method ; 
 the singer, who, to voice the sentiments
 
 122 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 of one of the celebrated maestros, could 
 have been anything he chose, or oc- 
 cupied any position he desired in the 
 world of music, had he been a bit 
 more practical, displayed more interest 
 in his affairs, and curbed his desire for 
 indulging in an amusement in which he 
 found too much pleasure horse-racing. 
 An occupation also exacting much time 
 and voice. 
 
 The singer has yet to be heard who 
 can render "The Heart Bowed Down" 
 from "The Bohemian Girl," as Taglia- 
 pietra renders it, or who can so vita- 
 lize to that thrilling degree the part 
 of the Toreador in "Carmen." I 
 listened to his impassioned virile person- 
 ation of the latter character one night 
 that the opera was being given, and a 
 few evenings later met him at a private 
 musicale ; there, as on the stage, he 
 sang magnificently as usual, and in 
 both surroundings his bearing, despite 
 the admiration excited by his talent,
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 123 
 
 remained as simple and unaffected as 
 that of a child. 
 
 In the course of the same evening, 
 Herr Carl Streitmann, then the tenor 
 of the " Lillian Russell Opera Company. '' 
 sang several selections from "La Ci- 
 gale " (the opera then being presented 
 by the latter) most charmingly. 
 
 As he finished, it was a pleasure to 
 watch Tagliapietra, who had been stand- 
 ing by the piano while the tenor sang. 
 His "bravos" and enthusiasm were 
 beyond others', his feelings being ex- 
 pressed in the most earnest and ingenu- 
 ous fashion. Not satisfied that the 
 sweet notes should yet cease, he ex- 
 claimed, "Oh, Streitmann, sing this one 
 for me, please," meanwhile handing 
 Herr Streitmann the number from " La 
 Cigale," "Trifle Not with Love." " It 
 is my favorite, you know,'' he continued, 
 ' ' and you sing it so beautifully. " Streit- 
 mann smilingly complied, fulfilling the 
 request in exquisite style, and upon his
 
 124 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 reaching the finale, Tagliapietra again 
 lavished heartfelt and generous appreci- 
 ation upon the tenor. 
 
 The opera comique companies are not 
 to be distanced by their elder sisters of 
 grand opera in their capacity for evolv- 
 ing disputes, contentions and enmities. 
 No company of the kind, I think, could 
 at one time boast of a more complicated 
 state of affairs in this direction than 
 the " Lillian Russell Opera Company," 
 about the date it reached Boston on 
 its tour through the country with " La 
 Cigale." 
 
 Several members of the company did 
 not attempt to screen the fact that the 
 prima-donna 'succeeded in rendering 
 their existence anything but a dream, 
 and so far as the tenor and the fair diva 
 were concerned, they had quite ceased 
 to speak.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 125 
 
 Though night after night as their roles 
 in the opera demanded that they should 
 evince deepest love for one another, for 
 the benefit of their audiences, of course 
 they did so, but once the friendly shelter 
 of the "wings" was gained they re- 
 lapsed into contemptuous silence. One 
 evening this condition of affairs was 
 altered for a few moments, when a 
 short conversation ensued in an under- 
 tone while they were still before the 
 footlights. Streitmann was clasping 
 Miss Eussell to his heart in a very fervor 
 of artistic rapture, and singing to her of 
 his love in the impassioned manner so 
 natural to him, when he suddenly heard 
 her say, "Take care, take care." A 
 slight pause occurring he quickly in- 
 quired, sotto voce, "Of what V " You 
 have turned my face away from the 
 audience," replied Miss Russell. 
 
 As Streitmann finished the number he 
 almost shoved her from him, breathing 
 out fiercely, "Bah! You call yourself
 
 126 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 an artist, and can think of such trifles 
 as that?" 
 
 Later on commenced what might be 
 termed the battle of flowers. 
 
 Miss Attalie Claire, who impersonated 
 the female role next in importance to 
 Miss Russell's in the company, was 
 forced to suffer some severe penalties 
 when an impetuous though possibly ill- 
 advised admirer began deluging the 
 young singer and the theatre with his 
 floral offerings in her honor, until a veto 
 was put upon it by u the management " 
 and then the young gentleman, deter- 
 mining that his action in the matter 
 should not be wholly restrained, caused 
 to be displayed the flowers that would 
 otherwise have been sent to the theatre, 
 in one of the most prominent of the 
 " Hub's" shop-windows hired for the 
 occasion. 
 
 The press and the people vigorously 
 discussed the incident, thus continuing 
 to give greater prominence to Miss
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 127 
 
 Claire than was at all relished by the 
 head of the organization to which she 
 belonged, and, in consequence, every 
 trifle that could add to the former's an- 
 noyance behind the scenes was now put 
 in practice. Finally one evening Miss 
 Eussell told the young lady she could no 
 longer allow her to use the blonde wig 
 .she had been wearing in her part, as 
 it interfered with the effect of the prima 
 donna's own light hair. 
 
 All were small matters in their way, 
 but the wig proved the culminating 
 straw, and Miss Claire proceeded to be- 
 have in truly feminine fashion, first by 
 crying bitterly, and then fainting dead 
 away. 
 
 However, though at one time pro- 
 ductive of tears and discomfort, the 
 flowers finally proved to be Miss Claire's 
 pathway to the altar, for, shortly after 
 her season with Miss Russell closed, she 
 became the wife of the very wealthy 
 young man who had unwittingly in-
 
 128 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 creased her troubles by his attentions, 
 and retired with him to private life. 
 
 The advertising methods resorted to 
 by the managers of that most difficult 
 of all things to manage, a prima donna, 
 are wonderful and varied. "Losing 
 their diamonds," being followed by 
 non-repressible admirers, accidents and 
 robberies, all are resorted to ; but 
 among the most ingenious and unique 
 inventors of these necessary little booms 
 stands Mr. James W. Morrissey. 
 
 For some time he directed the fort- 
 unes of the late Miss Emma Abbott, 
 whose great popular success throughout 
 the country was very largely attribut- 
 able to the wonderful manner in which 
 he kept her before the public. Miss 
 Abbott was neither beautiful nor par- 
 ticularly attractive in any way ; she 
 was far from being a great artist in 
 grand opera, and yet she drew crowded
 
 DION BOUCICAULT in "The Shaughraun.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 129 
 
 houses, and died possessed of large 
 wealth. 
 
 "The Abbott stage kiss" became 
 famous, for what reason, and in what 
 way, one would have to apply for par- 
 ticulars to Mr. Morrissey. 
 
 The prima-donna herself was pos- 
 sessed of extraordinary energy and 
 push, and, in combination with her man- 
 ager, who more than equalled her in 
 these characteristics, they usually found 
 themselves on the "top wave." 
 
 During one period of her operatic 
 career the New York papers were 
 filled with the details of a murder which 
 a man and woman were jointly accused 
 of committing. The pair had stood two 
 trials, and were still proclaiming their 
 innocence of the deed, and calling for a 
 third, though they had not the means 
 for paying the expenses of the same. 
 
 Ever on the alert, Mr. Morrissey's 
 quick brain recognized here an oppor- 
 tunity for his prima donna. Accord - 
 9
 
 130 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ingly he suggested to Miss Abbott that 
 she should raise the necessary amount 
 to cover the expenses of a third trial, by 
 "soliciting subscriptions." No sooner 
 resolved upon than put into practice ; 
 Miss Abbott and Mr. Morrissey im- 
 mediately engaged a carriage, and 
 entering it, list in hand, drove to 
 the various offices of the prominent 
 merchants and brokers, obtaining the 
 sums requested with so little trouble, 
 that before two o'clock, Miss Abbott 
 had collected one thousand and ten 
 dollars a sum sufficient to cover the 
 expenses of a third trial for these poor 
 wretches. She enclosed to them one 
 thousand dollars, and then, feeling 
 somewhat hungry and fatigued after 
 her morning's work, used the extra ten in 
 paying for a little lunch at Delmonico's 
 which was shared by her genial man- 
 ager, during the progress of which they 
 did not forget to drink to the success and 
 good health of the prisoners.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 131 
 
 The following morning the papers 
 were filled with admiration and won- 
 der over the charity and kind heart of 
 Miss Emma Abbott, and, as the story 
 gradually filtered through the profes- 
 sion, you may be sure Mr. Morrissey's 
 services as a manager were in greater 
 demand than ever.
 
 132 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 dBr. t)enn> frvtng's "i^ceum abeatre" 
 Court. 
 
 THE public is of course generally 
 aware that much ceremony attaches to 
 the Court of St. James, presided over as 
 it is by her Eoyal Highness, Queen 
 Victoria, but I doubt if they have equal 
 knowledge of that exacted from the 
 court surrounding her distinguished 
 theatrical subject, Mr. Henry Irving, in 
 his London theatre, the "Lyceum." 
 
 Several years since, the late Lawrence 
 Barrett consummated arrangements 
 with Mr. Irving by which he and his 
 company should occupy the "Lyceum" 
 during a summer season. 
 
 The final arrangements being com- 
 pleted, the Barrett company set sail for 
 " the other side,'' arriving in London a 
 week before the close of Mr. Irviug's
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 133 
 
 season, and the opening of their own, 
 and feeling naturally curious concern- 
 ing the inner workings of the theatre 
 tenanted hy the best-known actor of 
 his day, the more prominent members 
 of the company, taking advantage of 
 Mr. Irving's invitation, made them- 
 selves at home both before and behind 
 the curtain. 
 
 All the surroundings seemed calcu- 
 lated to inspire awe ; the attendants 
 and attaches were drilled like soldiers, 
 and there was a tendency among them 
 to lower their tones to the pitch regarded 
 as canonical when entering a church. 
 Perfect order reigned, and all had the 
 name of Irving upon their lips as though 
 referring to some supreme deity. 
 
 The crowning touch of impressiveness 
 was given by the following ceremony : 
 
 Before a door which some one whis- 
 pered to you was " Mr. Irving's dressing- 
 room," stood a boy in rigidly upright 
 position, whose duty in general was to
 
 134 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 guard his master from any sudden ap- 
 proach from the outside world, and in 
 particular he was known as Mr. Irving's 
 private "call-boy." 
 
 A moment before the actor's " cue" 
 would be given for his entrance on the 
 stage, the general "call-boy" would 
 approach the former and intimate the 
 fact. 
 
 The private "call-boy" then giving a 
 discreet tap, to which the door would 
 be opened, imparted this information to 
 Mr. Irving, and then the youth advanc- 
 ing, with Mr. Irving following in his 
 wake, would make his way to the 
 former's stage entrance, waving his 
 arms as though to disperse any real 
 or imaginary impediment, and at the 
 sametime crying 
 
 "Make way for Mr. Irving." 
 ' ' Make way for Mr. Irving. " 
 In this royal fashion, Mr. Irving 
 would be finally ushered before his 
 audience.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 135 
 
 " Duel's ffbanD Estimate of 
 Dimself. 
 
 THE ingenuous view which our friend 
 " Adonis " Dixey takes of his own 
 admixture of brain and tissue is con- 
 cisely illustrated by his reply to a com- 
 parative stranger who was suggesting 
 his adaptability for a piece in which his 
 Majesty, Satan, was the leading light. 
 
 " Ah, yes ! " responded " Adonis" D. 
 " I've frequently been told I ought to 
 personate the c Devil, ' I'm such a h - 1 
 of a fellow."
 
 136 THEATEJCAJ. SKETCHES. 
 
 B Plagrfgbt's Interview witb tbe 
 
 FROM " Adonis" D. to Kichard Mans- 
 field, is, theatrically speaking, a stride, 
 but the subject-matter vanitas riots 
 along through the veins of both in 
 equally healthy fashion, possibly with 
 the odds in Richard's favor, making 
 them kin. 
 
 A little anecdote is related of the 
 latter who, though of course the central 
 figure, played his part upon this oc- 
 casion, at least, nearly "out of sight." 
 
 The puppets on the scene were a 
 modest playwright, possessed, for a 
 wonder, of an acknowledged good play, 
 and Mrs. Mansfield the latter on be- 
 half of, and the honored mouth-piece 
 of, Richard. The " m. p." (modest play- 
 wright) not being yet sufficiently in-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 137 
 
 noculated to enter direct to the holy of 
 holies, i. e., Richard's presence. 
 
 Evidently bearing in mind the copy- 
 book maxim of '"Honesty," etc., the 
 playwright began the interview by 
 stating that the piece in question had 
 been allowed to go en tour in Canada, 
 but had not been exploited in the 
 United States. 
 
 Saturated with the importance of her 
 mission, Mrs. Mansfield raised her right 
 hand in token of disapproval "Noth- 
 ing further need be said," she re- 
 marked, " for, had you the finest play 
 ever written, Mr. Mansfield would not 
 touch it ; he must create the role al- 
 ways, no one else can have had anything 
 to do with it ; " then, with a depreca- 
 tory smile, "with the exception, of 
 course of those in Shakespearean pro- 
 ductions, and their having been written 
 so many years ago could hardly have 
 been helped." 
 
 Just here Richard appeared and dis-
 
 138 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 appeared at an open door, a dissolving 
 vision in a quilted jacket, as though to 
 ratify the rites. 
 
 It was over and the "m. p.," 
 filled with a strange reproachful irrita- 
 bility towards the immortal William 
 for having lived too soon, was silently 
 let down six flights in an elevator, feel- 
 ing it was only half as far as deserved.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 139 
 
 B "Realistic Dream of tbe late Xester 
 THUllacfc. 
 
 DREAMS in general are of no especial 
 interest to any one, unless it be to the 
 dreamer, who experiences a certain 
 sense of importance in relating them 
 the following morning to a select audi- 
 ence whose hair may obligingly stand 
 on end with horror, or whose ear may 
 be charmed, according to the subject- 
 matter, but occasionally you hear of 
 one that impi'esses you, and the follow- 
 ing, given to me as authentic, may 
 arrest attention, if only for the reason 
 that it has for its central figure that 
 of the late Lester Wallack. 
 
 Within the year after Mr. Wallack's 
 death a movement was inaugurated 
 having for its object the raising of suffi- 
 cient funds by popular subscription to
 
 140 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 erect a statue in bronze of the well- 
 known actor ; the same to be placed, 
 when finished, in a suitable part of the 
 city (New York). 
 
 An appeal was framed and issued ' ' To 
 the Public,'' setting forth therein the 
 many good reasons for the erection of 
 such a statue, and signed by thirty-four 
 of New York's most prominent society 
 women, Messrs. August Belmont & Co. 
 graciously accepting to act as bankers. 
 
 In consideration of the immense pop- 
 ularity of Wallack, and " Wallack's 
 Theatre," it seemed impossible that the 
 project should meet with anything but 
 complete success. 
 
 Alas for the surety of human au- 
 guries ! 
 
 After the first few hundred dollars 
 were subscribed, in some inexplicable 
 way, the gracious work seemed to fall 
 through of its own weight. 
 
 This proved a great disappointment 
 to many, particularly so to personal
 
 THEATRICAL, SKETCH KS. 141 
 
 friends of the Wallack family who had 
 deeply interested themselves. Among 
 the latter was a young lady who had 
 been appointed the secretary and who 
 had worked very earnestly for success. 
 
 Before such an idea as failure, how- 
 ever, had been contemplated, the 
 principal thought exercising her mind 
 was ivhich of Wallaces numerous 
 stage characters should be selected to 
 most fittingly represent him in bronze. 
 
 No one seemed able to decide, not 
 even St. Gaudens, who, by popular 
 voice, was to be the sculptor. 
 
 One day, while paying Mrs. Wallack 
 a visit, the young secretary suggested 
 what a boon it would be could Mr. 
 Wallack settle the matter for them, 
 k 'for," added she, "in that clean-cut 
 graceful, decisive way of his, he would 
 decide in an instant, and to perfection." 
 
 As is often the case with a vexed 
 question, it haunts one with madden- 
 ing persistency, seeming as though for
 
 142 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 its own sake, it sought a solution ; and 
 so it was the young lady could not 
 seem to free herself from this one. 
 
 Seating herself at the piano the same 
 evening, she sought, by playing over 
 some of Mr. Wallack's favorite ballads 
 ''If My Glances should Betray Me," 
 sung in "Rosedale,*' ''Once Again," 
 and so on, to gain some distinct im- 
 pression, but, as may be supposed, noth- 
 ing of a supernatural nature occurred, 
 and at last, vaguely disappointed, she 
 retired for the night. 
 
 The following morning, however, she 
 awakened rather suddenly, and sat up 
 with that bewildered sensation of some 
 strong, all-pervading presence that 
 sometimes marks the line between 
 waking and dreaming as indistinct. 
 
 She had an engagement with Mrs. 
 Wallack that day, and, upon meeting 
 her, said, "Before anything else, let me 
 tell you of a dream I had last night of 
 Mr. Wallack. I call it a dream, and
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 143 
 
 yet it was so vivid, so real, that even 
 yet I cannot shake off its effect. 
 
 " At first," she proceeded, " I seemed 
 to find myself in a long, dark street 
 with 110 distinguishing features ; but, 
 as I proceeded, I came upon a large 
 building I recognized as a theatre, and 
 before what was apparently a side door, 
 over which hung a swinging-lamp, 
 stood Mr. Wallack talking to an at- 
 tendant. No one else was in sight. 
 
 ' ' I walked directly up to him, telling 
 him I had come to see him, though my 
 purpose only seemed to reveal itself to 
 me at the moment. He replied 'Yes, 
 my dear, I know it, I was expecting you; 
 and now come inside at once, for though 
 the night is warm, I am very chilly/ 
 
 " The servant, for such he seemed to 
 be, with lighted torch, preceded us 
 through a chain of beautiful, low-ceiled 
 rooms hung in rich stuffs, finally arriv- 
 ing at the farthest one, an oriental- 
 looking place done in ruby velvet and
 
 144 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 heavy gold, with lights glittering 
 everywhere like jewels. 
 
 " As we stood in the middle of this 
 apartment, I said rather sadly to Mr. 
 Wallack, ' You know I have come to 
 hid you good-bye/ 'Yes,' he replied, 
 ' I know we shall never meet again 
 here.' I felt tears spring to my eyes, 
 and as he rested one hand lightly on 
 my shoulder, with the evident intention 
 of comforting me, there came to us 
 suddenly the sound as of a mighty 
 clapping. ' Hark ! ' said he, as he 
 raised his other hand in a listening 
 gesture, then, with a satisfied look upon 
 his face, he continued, 'Ah, there is 
 a great house to-night, the largest I 
 have ever played to ; hut,' he added, 
 as with a sigh his hand slipped from 
 my shoulder, ' it is for the last time, 
 I shall never play again.' Then rally- 
 ing, and again addressing me, he said, 
 ' They are clapping for me to appear, 
 you know ; so I must not keep them
 
 JAMES W. MORRISSEY.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 145 
 
 waiting, and now little one a long 
 good-bye. ' And so we parted. 
 
 "The torch-bearer preceded me as 
 before, and, feeling very grave and sad, 
 I followed him until we had almost 
 reached the entrance, when I turned to 
 gain my last look at Mr. Wallack. 
 
 "The tableau that rewarded me 
 caused me to catch my breath in ad- 
 miration. Under a great sunburst of 
 light that irradiated everything in a 
 dazzling, unearthly manner, in the cen- 
 tre of the ruby-and-gold room he stood, 
 attired in the full white flowing robes 
 of an Arab chieftain, and gleaming 
 out against the red drapery of the 
 room as though hewn from marble, so 
 handsome, so chiselled. 
 
 " Would that St. Gaudens could have 
 seen him at that moment, and had he 
 been but half true to the original, he 
 would have created a work of art that 
 would have been a delight for all 
 
 time." 
 10
 
 146 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Having finished the details of her 
 dream, the young secretary, in a puz- 
 zled tone, asked Mrs. Wallack what she 
 made of it all, saying, that though Mr. 
 Wallack made a magnificent picture to 
 her mind in the dress, still she could 
 not see why he should have been cos- 
 tumed like an Arab. 
 
 Mrs. Wallack, without replying, rose 
 and requested the young lady to follow 
 her into an adjoining room, then point- 
 ing out a very large, full-length photo- 
 graph of Mr. Wallack in the garb of an 
 Arab chieftain, asked quietly, "Was it 
 anything like that ? " 
 
 " Why, that is it," gasped her aston- 
 ished visitor. 
 
 " Have you never seen ' The Veteran,' 
 one of Mr. Wallack's favorite char- 
 acters ? " queried Mrs. Wallack. 
 
 "Never!" replied the young lady. 
 "Indeed I don't ever remember hear- 
 ing of it." 
 
 "Under those circumstances," mused
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 147 
 
 Mrs. Wallack, " it seems very peculiar 
 for you to have had this dream. I 
 wonder," she continued, " this charac- 
 ter did not occur to me as the one from 
 which to model the statue, not, however, 
 in this Arabian costume, but in his own 
 short kilt and open shirt, worn before 
 he changed with the Arab. The dif- 
 ficulty now will be to obtain a photo- 
 graph of him in that costume. I have 
 none, and cannot tell you who has, un- 
 less possibly Sarony. " 
 
 The dream, however, decided the 
 choice of character for the statue, for 
 the secretary, nothing daunted by Mrs. 
 Wallack's reference to the difficulty of 
 obtaining the photograph, spent some 
 days in seeking it in the different gal- 
 leries and private collections. Finally 
 in one of the latter she secured it, and 
 took it immediately to St. Gaudens, 
 who pronounced it the perfection of 
 poses, as indeed it was, and a vast pity 
 it is that this beautiful work of art, as
 
 148 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 it would doubtless have been had the 
 necessary fifteen thousand dollars for 
 its completion been forthcoming, is not 
 commanding " Players' Square. "
 
 THEATBICAL SKETCHES. 149 
 
 Signer JBrignolf on a "Railway Grain. 
 
 THE ruling passion of a tenor strong 
 in death (his voice) was exemplified by 
 Signer Brignoli one afternoon on a 
 railway train. 
 
 He was touring through the countiy 
 with the "Parepa Rosa Concert Co.," 
 which included, besides the ladies, Fer- 
 ranti, Jules Levy, the famous cornet 
 player, and Mr. James W. Morrissey as 
 treasurer for the company. 
 
 Their next stopping-place was to be 
 Meadeville, Penn., where they intended 
 giving a concert that evening. Brig- 
 noli, always hospitably inclined, leaned 
 over towards Mr. Morrissey, a few 
 miles before reaching their destination, 
 and invited the latter to dine with him 
 upon their arrival, a courtesy accepted 
 by the treasurer with pleasure.
 
 150 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Approaching within sight of the 
 depot, every one stood up, gathering 
 their wraps together or putting them 
 on, when the train suddenly gave a 
 violent lurch before coming to a stand- 
 still, flinging Brignoli, who was stand- 
 ing in the aisle, flat on his face. 
 
 As he fell, he exclaimed, in his 
 broken English, "I am keeled! I am 
 keeled ! " But he gradually dragged 
 himself to a standing position near the 
 door, to which he clung with his left 
 hand, while he convulsively grasped at 
 his chest with his right, and, regardless 
 of the fact as to whether every bone in 
 his body might not be broken, sang 
 several bars of the tenor's prison solo 
 from "Trovatore" in his usual exquis- 
 ite style, ejaculating as he finished- 
 Thank God ! Thank God ! The voice is 
 still there. Come on, Morrissey, let us 
 go and dine."
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 151 
 
 ffames Id. jfllborrf seed's /Musical Congress 
 under tbe patronage of Bom iPeDro f f . 
 
 DURING the "Centennial" year at 
 Philadelphia, James W. Morrissey was, 
 for the time being, principally engaged 
 in booming " Decker Brothers' " pianos. 
 It was not exactly in his line of busi- 
 ness but then the methods of making 
 bread and butter are not always 
 matters of choice. At the time men- 
 tioned, the pianos were not going out, 
 or the bread and butter coming in as 
 rapidly as seemed desirable, and as 
 necessity is surely the mother of inven- 
 tion, it occurred to the versatile man- 
 ager, that a " Musical Congress" com- 
 bining a series of concerts, which 
 would include the best talent procur- 
 able, and at which the Decker pianos 
 would be used, as a matter of course,
 
 152 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 would be the greatest advertisement 
 for the latter that could be conceived 
 at the moment. For Mr. Morrissey 
 to think is to act, and within a very 
 short time his plans for the above 
 were formed and he had obtained the 
 names of Clara Louise Kellogg, Annie 
 Louise Gary, Mme. Zelda Seguin, Sig- 
 nor Brignoli, Remmertz, Ferranti, and 
 a host of equally celebrated and popu- 
 lar artists for his programme. 
 
 Dom Pedro (the Emperor of Brazil), 
 and his suite having arrived in Phila- 
 delphia, it also occurred to the enthusi- 
 astic head of this musical enterprise if 
 he could arrange to give it under the 
 patronage of the emperor it would 
 add very materially to its lustre and 
 brilliancy. He accordingly obtained 
 an audience with Dom Pedro, and pre- 
 ferred his request, which was most 
 graciously granted. At the same time 
 Mr. Morrissey begged to place a box at 
 the emperor's disposal for each concert.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 153 
 
 The emperor said he should be de- 
 lighted to attend the performances, 
 being extravagantly fond of music, but 
 he must be allowed the privilege of 
 paying for his own box, which he did, 
 sending for it regularly every morning 
 as long as the affair lasted. Upon the 
 occasion of the opening night, the 
 Academy was decorated from pit to 
 dome with flags, drapery and flowers, 
 the emperor's box, of course, being 
 most lavishly done up. A vast audi- 
 ence filled every seat and niche of 
 standing-room, the previous advertis- 
 ing having been accomplished in the 
 most discreet and attractive manner. 
 Dom Pedro and suite were in his box, 
 the programme was being fulfilled in 
 more than satisfactory fashion, and 
 Mr. Morrissey, content with what he 
 had so far achieved, was standing in 
 the lobby near the box-office, convers- 
 ing with some friends, when he heard 
 his name pronounced. Turning his
 
 154 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 head he found himself confronted by a 
 man attired in a magnificent uniform, 
 and whom he recognized as one of the 
 royal aides. The latter proffered him 
 a note, remarking at the same time, 
 "From the emperor." 
 
 The manager hastily opened the pen- 
 ciled message from royalty, in which 
 he found he was requested, if it were 
 not too late, to have a number desig- 
 nated as a Chopin Waltz on the pro- 
 gramme altered to List's Rhapsodie, 
 No. 2, and signed, "Dom Pedro." 
 
 Mr. Morrissey instantly sent a mes- 
 senger back on the stage to Julia Rive 
 the pianiste, asking her not to appear 
 until he had spoken with her, then, re- 
 questing the aide to follow him, they 
 went behind the scenes and made the 
 necessary explanation to the artiste. 
 
 On the way ' ' back, " the emperor's note 
 presented the idea of a " magnificent 
 ad." to the managerial mind, but sup- 
 pressing the desire of using it for any
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 155 
 
 such purpose until he had received a 
 proper sanction, he turned to the aide, 
 saying, "I would like the emperor's 
 permission to read his note to the 
 audience, as it seems to be due them, as 
 well as to Mme. Rive, to account for 
 the change in the programme." 
 
 The aide replying that the respon- 
 sibility would be his, Mr. Morrissey, 
 nothing loath, stepped before the foot- 
 lights and read the note aloud. Cheer 
 after cheer arose from the great audi- 
 ence, and when Mme. Rive appeared 
 and rendered the selection " by re- 
 quest," the emperor rose, and re- 
 mained standing during the entire 
 number, at the finish sending the ar- 
 tiste a beautiful floral offering. The 
 enthusiasm of the public seemed bound- 
 less. 
 
 Subsequently Decker Brothers and 
 Mr. Morrissey realized the substantial 
 benefit that may accrue from the pen- 
 cilled lines of an emperor.
 
 156 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Xetter and ILines from Xoute James. 
 
 I THINK, from all accounts, it must 
 have been at the time of the "silly 
 season " so called, or, in other words, 
 during the summer vacation, that Mr. 
 Louis James' superabundant vitality 
 and boyish love of fun, found their 
 most natural vent. At all events it is 
 about this time that those who have 
 the privilege of his acquaintance hear 
 of most of the tragedian's pranks. 
 
 The same young girl who made in- 
 quiries of him in reference to Kyrle 
 Bellew's married or single state, had 
 occasion to send a note to Mr. James 
 the ensuing summer, from the watering- 
 place at which she was quartered, and 
 when his reply arrived, laughingly 
 acceded to my request for its posses-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 157 
 
 sion, in revenge, she suggested, for the 
 blow he had dealt the Bellew matinee- 
 girl contingent by giving confirmations 
 of the former's connubial state ; adding 
 it would be fun to make the tragedian 
 quake by seeing his nonsense exposed to 
 the critical public. 
 
 I give the letter in full, not in " re- 
 venge," but as amusing ; also some 
 lines attached to a photograph of him- 
 self, which arrived at the same time. 
 The photograph presented Mr. James 
 in evening dress, his head adorned with 
 a very becoming short, crisp white wig. 
 It was as he appeared in an act of 
 "One of our Girls," during the single 
 season, of late years, that he lapsed 
 from tragedy to comedy, at the " Ly- 
 ceum " theatre, New York. 
 
 He, by the way, received a very goodly 
 share of homage from the matinee-girl 
 during that winter, always insisting, 
 however, that it was all due to his curly 
 white wig.
 
 158 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 But to the letter now, which is dated 
 from a spot on the Massachusetts coast. 
 
 "DEAR : 
 
 " ' As unto the bow the cord is, so unto man is 
 woman.' The relation you bear us is even of 
 a stronger arid more tenacious nature than the 
 attachment of the aforesaid cord to the ditto 
 bow. 
 
 " I presume you are the queen of the region you 
 at present inhabit, and many a poor fellow looks 
 upon your rosy cheek and killing eye wondering 
 who will draw the prize. Now don't permit any 
 mere summer adorer to aspire to the place I hold 
 in your heart of hearts ; don't be a fickle child, but 
 take example by me and keep your ' heart true to 
 Poll.' 
 
 " We are enjoying our ' otium cum dig,' what- 
 ever that may be, and adding to our avoirdupois ; 
 covering our ' neck-bones ' so that decollete 
 dresses may be worn without fear of showing up 
 salt-cellars and the Bony-part family to an unsym- 
 pathetic public. 
 
 " Speaking of that, I'm having a ' sweet thing ' 
 made in dresses, I can tell you, a delicate wine- 
 colored foulard with under-vest a la ' Man.' 
 Revers of lace, and ruffled underskirt to waist of 
 same. Hat to match, made of straw and lace. 
 
 " And, oh, you dear thing, I forgot. I'm having 
 a new ' Mother Hubbard ' made. It's lavender, 
 with fluffs of lace down the front, insertion of lace 
 in the yoke, lace flounces, and the loveliest thing 
 in petticoats you have ever seen all lace (Spanish) 
 to the waist, so when I raise my dress slightly, I'm
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 159 
 
 simply a dream. No stockings, just legs tinted to 
 match lavender ' Hub.' Don't scorn a Mamma 
 Hubbard ; if you knew the comforts of a good 
 aforesaid, you'd never be without one. 
 
 " I wear my hair short (being short, alas, of that 
 article in spots). It's the fashion now, besides it's 
 comfortable in hot weather, and, moreover, it is 
 economical, as it saves wear and tear on hair- 
 brushes. 
 
 "You remember Mrs. Wrinkle, dear, do you? 
 Well she's bought a new phaeton ! Now we all 
 know the condition of her finances, so the question 
 naturally arises at our quiet resort ' WHERE 
 does the money come from ? ' 
 
 "I'm not at all curious, as you know, but it 
 would content me much to discover particulars. 
 
 "This spot is so distressingly healthy, ' no ills 
 that flesh is heir to ' seem to find us out. I am 
 happy to say we are all blooming, and that I, the 
 ' Poor Zingara Girl ' am a bud of much promise, 
 though I fear fated to blush unseen by the eye of 
 man. 
 
 " To your household I send a heart full of love ; 
 kiss Jack for me. Cruel thing ! he never allows 
 me that privilege any more O God ! There was 
 a time Alas ! 'tis past. If he won't accept, kick 
 him, a good swift one. 
 
 " Be good, say your prayers and rest, is the com- 
 mand of yours in a state of holy bliss 
 
 "The giddy 
 " LOUISA." 
 
 The following, are the " lines" re- 
 ferred to.
 
 160 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 " As on this sylph-like form you gaze, 
 
 Whom Nature true assigns, 
 Not only as the Counterfeit, 
 But author of these lines. 
 
 " Do you observe my lovely eye, 
 
 The sternness of my look ? 
 ' Twas owing to a flirting fly 
 That buzzed as I was ' took.' 
 
 " He flew about my wig-ged head, 
 
 Then lit upon my nose, 
 And at one time, I really thought 
 We'd surely come to blows. 
 
 " When in my grave-clothes, I'm ' laid out,'- 
 
 And you this ' pictur ' see, 
 Oh, drop a silent tear, sweet maid 
 And sometimes think of me ! "
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 161 
 
 influence Eierdseo b a IHUbite Satin 
 ea*(3oYvn upon tbe penlng of a {Tbeatre. 
 
 FOR those who have held their doubts, 
 the following incident cannot fail to 
 convince that " petticoat government" 
 is no myth, possibly emphasized when 
 it is a " thing of beauty." 
 
 The sterner sex have been known to 
 loudly proclaim the joy they experience 
 in one place at least on this troubled 
 sphere where they rule supreme their 
 clubs ; that only there are they exempt 
 from the exactions of woman, lovely 
 woman ! 
 
 But are they ? 
 
 She may not be en evidence, yet 
 there is always a " poper behind the 
 throns," even in men's clubs, and I 
 
 think, as usual, we may " cherchez la 
 11
 
 162 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 femme, with the same surety of success 
 in finding her. 
 
 With what scorn would the two 
 thousand and odd brawny members of 
 a prominent organization receive the 
 proposition that a woman's filmy white 
 satin and lace "tea-gown," could be 
 an important factor in the opening of 
 a magnificent building erected with 
 the one purpose in view of furnish- 
 ing them with amusement, and of 
 exclusively sheltering their own manly 
 forms ? 
 
 Surprising as it may be for them to 
 realize it, such upon one occasion was 
 the fact. 
 
 The Manhattan Athletic Club of New 
 York City having attained the mem- 
 bership given above and built for them- 
 selves a magnificent club-house on 
 Madison Avenue, decided, upon comple- 
 tion of the latter, to hold a "house- 
 warming " on its stately premises, that 
 they might give their friends and the
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 163 
 
 public some idea of their palatial sur- 
 roundings before taking possession. 
 The principal feature of amusement 
 suggested for the occasion being a 
 theatrical performance to be given in 
 the beautiful little theatre attached to 
 the club proper. The talent collected 
 for this, coiisistde of about thirty men, 
 members of the club, and as nothing 
 was to be spared that would lend eclat 
 to the affair, it was decided to have a 
 burlesque written expressly for them. 
 
 Accordingly, upon the decision being 
 rendered, the president of the com- 
 mittee on theatricals, set himself im- 
 mediately to work to find the play- 
 wright who would satisfy their require- 
 ments. 
 
 The only people he thought of apply- 
 ing to were men whom he knew of in 
 the profession, but in every instance 
 there seemed to be some good reason 
 why these could not accept the com- 
 mission.
 
 164 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 The time now lacked but six or seven 
 weeks to the date fixed upon for the 
 opening of the club, and growing des- 
 perate one day in the realization of the 
 fact that the most expert writer must 
 be given a fair opportunity to materi- 
 alize good work, he called upon Mr. 
 James W. Morrissey, the genial man- 
 ager (at that time) of the "Madison 
 Square Garden " and " Garden Theatre," 
 and asked to be directed by him to some 
 one upon whom he could rely to carry 
 out his plan. To his surprise, Mr. Mor- 
 rissey gave him the address of a lady, 
 saying, if any one could do it, she could 
 if she would. 
 
 The president of theatricals took the 
 address offered him, though, as he after- 
 wards confessed, in a very doubting 
 spirit. But needs must when necessity 
 drives, and so, within the hour he was 
 inquiring of the lady's maid for her 
 mistress. 
 
 The lady, who was young, and proini-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 165 
 
 nent in the world of society, having just 
 returned from a tour of the summer 
 watering-places, sat surrounded by her 
 trunks, the unpacking of which she was 
 superintending, when the servant, who 
 had admitted the gentleman', announced 
 that "some one from Mr. Morrissey de- 
 sired to see her." 
 
 Having business relations with the 
 manager, she quickly decided he had 
 sent her some word by messenger, and 
 seizing a white satin and lace "tea- 
 gown,'' the most convenient garment 
 within reach, hastily donned it, and 
 descended to the drawing-room. 
 
 To her surprise, in place of the usual 
 messenger she expected to find, a very 
 handsome young man, attired in correct 
 morning costume, rose and introduced 
 himself. 
 
 After some preamble, he said he had 
 come to ask her to write a burlesque to 
 be used for the opening of the "Man- 
 hattan Athletic Club" house, at the
 
 166 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 same time offering Mr. Morrissey's name 
 as a credential. 
 
 "But," objected the young lady, " I 
 do not understand why Mr. Morrissey 
 suggested your coming to me for such 
 a purpose, as I have never written a 
 burlesque, and I do not think it would be 
 wise of me to emulate the self-coiilideiit 
 Irishman, who, though never having 
 played on a violin, decided he could if 
 he tried. Besides," she added conclu- 
 sively, " I have not done any work ex- 
 cept for ' professionals,' and you must 
 not feel offended if I suggest that, 
 from all I have ever heard of amateurs, 
 I should prefer not to enter that field." 
 
 "Well, you see," urged the young 
 gentleman, " many of our men have 
 been considered the best actors in the 
 ' Columbia Dramatic' (the most promi- 
 nent amateur society in the city), and 
 you would find them quite different 
 from the usual run." He then added 
 very impressively, "Do consent, for I
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 167 
 
 am perfectly certain you can write the 
 burlesque if you only will." 
 
 " I don't see how you can be certain 
 of anything of the kind," retorted she, 
 " never having met me before in your 
 life." 
 
 "Still," he observed, with possibly a 
 trace of apology in his tone, " I feel im- 
 pressed that you can, and beg you will 
 agree to it." 
 
 After much more of the same per- 
 suasive order, and apparent blind faith 
 in her power to accomplish anything 
 to which she "set her mind," though 
 somewhat wondering at the trust placed 
 in her capacit}^ by an entire stranger to 
 accomplish what was, after all, some- 
 thing to which was attached no small 
 responsibility, she agreed, that being 
 Saturday, to take the matter under 
 consideration until Monday at the same 
 hour, when the young manager prom- 
 ised to return and receive her final 
 answer.
 
 168 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 "If by any chance," said the young 
 playwright, "an appropriate and con- 
 vincing plot occurs to me in the inter- 
 im, that is, one that is strikingly 
 original, and will carry itself, I will 
 undertake it, if not I shall decline." 
 
 The young gentleman then took his 
 departure, assuring her, before he left, 
 of his entire belief that she would be 
 successful. 
 
 Upon finding herself alone, the ob- 
 ject of this sudden influx of faith at 
 first decided she had been extremely 
 lacking in common sense for having 
 promised to regard the matter seriously. 
 "For it is preposterous, after all," 
 mused she, "for me to dream of writ- 
 ing a thing of this kind, providing the 
 music, and having it on the stage in six 
 weeks from the present date." As the 
 last thought forced its way in upon 
 her, she experienced a sensation of 
 panic, and prepared to despatch a note 
 to the club immediately, containing her
 
 THEATKICAL SKETCHES. 169 
 
 declination ; but she hesitated, and 
 thereby committed herself to the hard- 
 est six weeks' labor of her life, for late 
 on the ensuing Sunday afternoon, after 
 continuous thinking, an absolute inspi- 
 ration seemed to come to her, and dash- 
 ing down the thoughts as they took 
 form, she finally came to a stop at the 
 bottom of her seventh page of foolscap, 
 realizing, as she did so, that she had 
 the outlines for a plot such as was re- 
 quired. 
 
 When her visitor was announced on 
 Monday morning, she was prepared for 
 him, MS. in hand, and, after reading it 
 aloud, was convinced by his excessive 
 enthusiasm that she had more than real- 
 ized his wishes. So, without further 
 parley, contracts were drawn up, and 
 the young authoress commenced her 
 work. 
 
 For six weeks she labored unceas- 
 ingly, in reality, day and night. As 
 soon as the first act was finished it was
 
 170 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 put in rehearsal, she of course immedi- 
 ately proceeding with the second. 
 
 Nothing was spared by the club in 
 the way of expense ; the scenery was 
 painted by the best professional scenic 
 artists, the costumes fashioned by a 
 prominent costumer, and all the pro- 
 fessional coaches employed necessary 
 for the burlesque itself, and the inci- 
 dental singing and dancing, notwith- 
 standing the great weight of the affair, 
 fell first on the playwright and on the 
 president of theatricals. 
 
 The latter coming every day to con- 
 sult with the former, receive finished 
 MS. and so on, found her always forg- 
 ing ahead, sustained by the grim deter- 
 mination to keep her contract to the 
 letter ; in fact, more than keep it, for, 
 besides writing the burlesque and 
 lyrics, choosing the greater part of the 
 music and composing the remainder, 
 she attended almost all rehearsals, led 
 the chorus (upon finding they remained
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 171 
 
 very inefficient and spiritless under 
 professional training), and consulted in 
 the business details. 
 
 The young man afterwards con- 
 fessed that undertaking the manage- 
 ment of thirty male amateurs proved a 
 greater task than he had imagined, and 
 fifty times he was on the point of giv- 
 ing up the whole thing in sheer despair, 
 and probably would have done so, had 
 it not been for the encouragement and 
 support he received from the young 
 authoress, who never allowed the sug- 
 gestion of failure to be made after she 
 had given her final decision to under- 
 take the work. 
 
 The gratification of success was 
 theirs, however, though the tension 
 was strained almost to the breaking 
 point to accomplish it. 
 
 The burlesque was produced with 
 every detail perfected on the night first 
 designated, and not only fullfilled its 
 mission of opening the house, but was
 
 172 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 pronounced a great success, being 
 given upon many subsequent occasions, 
 and always meeting with the same 
 reception. 
 
 At the close of the evening, while 
 congratulations were in order, the 
 president of theatricals intimated to 
 the playwright that he had a con- 
 fession to make, preluding by asking 
 her if she knew or could guess how the 
 burlesque had come to be written. 
 
 She replied she did, for without 
 any apology being offered for her lan- 
 guage, she thought she might honestly 
 say " by the sweat of her brow." 
 
 "No, no," hastily interrupted the 
 young gentleman, "not that. I know 
 how very hard you worked, but I mean 
 the cause of your writing it at all ? " 
 
 She suggested if he was offering her 
 a conundrum she "gave it up." 
 
 "Well," said he, in rather shame- 
 faced fashion, " when Morrissey gave 
 me the address of a lady, I jumped to
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 173 
 
 the conclusion that, through absolute 
 necessity, for the next six weeks I 
 should be forced into constant commu- 
 nication with a stern-visaged, elderly 
 t blue-stocking,' and the relief was 
 so great when you came flying down- 
 stairs, attired in that white satin gown, 
 that I determined, then and there, 
 you should write the burlesque, and I 
 would not accept ' no' for answer." 
 
 "Then," said the nonplussed young 
 woman, after an instant's pause to re- 
 cover from her astonishment, "your 
 extreme desire for me to write it, and 
 supreme faith in my powers, was not 
 due to the impression I made upon you, 
 of superior intelligence, but rather to 
 the beauty and becomingness of my 
 1 tea- gown i " ' 
 
 "I'm afraid that's about it," re- 
 luctantly admitted the young presi- 
 dent. 
 
 It seemed so ludicrous that a pre- 
 tentious undertaking, such as the
 
 174 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 one just accomplished, backed by a 
 dignified body of over two thousand 
 men, should have hung upon a thing 
 so frail as a concoction of satin and 
 lace, and the susceptibility of one in- 
 dividual for the same, that the play- 
 wright indulged in a ringing laugh, 
 rather to the dismay of her companion. 
 "Well!" said she, finally, " as it 
 happened, your luck was uppermost, 
 and everything has turned out satis- 
 factorily ; but it strikes me your de 
 cision was a risky one, and I advise 
 you, for the peace of your future ex- 
 istence in the club, not to acknowledge 
 to the rest of its members the influence 
 that was brought to bear upon them 
 by a white satin ' tea-gown.' '
 
 THE ATE 1C AL SKETCHES. 175 
 
 TKHbistimg as a tftne Brt. 
 
 IT is foolish in these kaleidoscopic 
 days of the nineteenth century, for any 
 one to present, or try to preserve a de- 
 cided taste or opinion in reference to 
 anything or anybody. Having done so, 
 possibly the first day of January, one 
 may be obliged to feel disgusted and 
 privately contemptuous of one's self by 
 the first day of February, upon dis- 
 covering they have been influenced by 
 the popular voice, and are floating with 
 the current as rapidly as the rest. If 
 you are not, you might as well be, 
 for, to be paradoxical, the " still small 
 voice " you feebly raise to stem the tide 
 is drowned by the roar of the multi- 
 tude before its message can reach the 
 ear. 
 
 In point of fact, the sheep will
 
 176 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 continue to follow, unknowing, and 
 uncaring, bleating and blocking up the 
 highway so long as any one chooses to 
 take the trouble to lead. Let us not be 
 making invidious comparisons, how- 
 ever, because, after all, the person who 
 11 breaks ground" in a new field, and 
 ploughs straight through to victory, is 
 certainly, to borrow a delightful expres- 
 sion from the sporting world, " clear 
 sand," more especially when the per- 
 son happens to be a member of the 
 gentler sex, and therefore, perhaps, 
 should not have the nature of the tools 
 employed too closely scrutinized. 
 
 But even the meekest of us who have 
 been cowed into submission, and been 
 forced to degenerate in our ideas and 
 desire for true art, by the^/m de siecle 
 caterer of amusements, who, much like 
 the western tavern hosts of old, with 
 pistol pointed at the first one of his 
 cowering guests who dared to murmur 
 against his rations, making use at the
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCH*^. 177 
 
 same time of the now historic remark, 
 "You'll eat your hash, and you'll like 
 it too," occasionally get possessed with 
 the absurd idea of entering a protest 
 against the bizarre drapery with which 
 the goddess is frequently adorned ? 
 
 I must confess the latter portion of 
 the western host's remark did not ful- 
 fil itself with many of us upon the oc- 
 casion of a certain musicale given one 
 evening several years ago, at the house 
 of a great music-lover. Up to a cer- 
 tain hour, the programme rendered, 
 for a house concert, had been simply re- 
 markable and artistic beyond criticism. 
 One celebrated artist after another had 
 added to the enjoyment of the guests, 
 who were fairly wide-eyed with as- 
 tonishment over the feast offered them 
 by their hostess. But, to go back for a 
 little, a day or two before the date of 
 her musicale, the latter had received a 
 note from one of the stockholders of the 
 
 "Metropolitan Opera House," whose 
 12
 
 178 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 taste in music of the higher order she 
 had faith in, asking if her programme 
 for the coming event was full, and if 
 not, he would send her some one who 
 would be ' ' sui generis, " a lady, whose 
 accomplishment he would leave her to 
 display as a surprise. 
 
 Though the programme was already 
 perfected, this mysterious offer was ac- 
 cepted by the hostess because of the re- 
 liance she placed in her correspondent. 
 
 To return to the evening in question, 
 after some charming selections had 
 been rendered, there came a little lull 
 before the other artists present should 
 appear, and the hostess, considering 
 this a propitious time for developing 
 the so-called surprise, approached a 
 handsome-looking woman, who had 
 entered late, smiling, and with a slight 
 hesitation, she said, " I presume this is 
 Mrs. Shaw ; you must pardon me, I do 
 not know what it is you do, but this 
 seems the right moment for doing it."
 
 THEATKICAL SKETCHES. 179 
 
 Mrs. Shaw promptly responded, " I 
 whistle." 
 
 The hostess checked her astonish- 
 ment, and the sensation of having 
 received a cold douche, as promptly as 
 possible, and making the best of things, 
 led the performer to the piano, at the 
 same time quietly making the an- 
 nouncement to her guests of what they 
 were about to hear. 
 
 Her own fortitude could not, however, 
 prevent the chill that crept through the 
 long drawing-rooms, or stop the signifi- 
 cant glances exchanged, implying the 
 bad taste of introducing any such 
 diversion as the present one offered, 
 nor did the temperature regain its 
 tropical warmth until an Italian tenor 
 in high favor sang forgetfulness of all 
 else into the souls of his audience. 
 
 Such was the absolute impression 
 created at the time of Mrs. Shaw's 
 society debut as a whistler. 
 
 It may be her accomplishment, like
 
 180 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 olives, became an acquired taste ; at all 
 events her triumph and success have 
 been indisputable, and has proved the 
 means of her earning a handsome liv- 
 ing for herself and others. 
 
 I cannot see that any difference has 
 been made in the treatment of hers and 
 the most divine art for has she not 
 shared, equally with the expounders of 
 the latter, the tribute and distinction of 
 special audience before crowned heads, 
 concerts where the public paid a guinea, 
 and two guineas to listen to her ; 
 and have not most of the people who 
 criticized her at the time of her debut, 
 forgotten their cynical remarks of the 
 first of January and succumbed to the 
 February thaw ?
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 181 
 
 2>rawtnfi*room Entertainer witb pro* 
 fessional H^nratton. 
 
 BEWARE of the aspiring drawing-room 
 entertainer who desires to effect his or 
 her appearance before the footlights by 
 way of the private entrance offered by 
 some guileless hostess impregnated 
 with the worthy desire of entertaining 
 her friends, and, at the same time, giv- 
 ing the unknown genius "a lift." 
 
 Such is the burden of the wail of one 
 aggrieved woman who has occasion- 
 ally opened her portals too wide, and 
 has, in consequence, realized several 
 bitter fiascos occasioned by these same 
 self-styled geniuses. These dire results 
 also having engendered an icy distrust 
 of the taste and knowledge of certain 
 of those among her friends who have 
 enthusiastically foisted their monstrosi-
 
 182 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ties of art upon her and her unsuspect- 
 ing guests. 
 
 Embittered as she now is by her 
 experiences, her invariable reply to all 
 later applicants of like order is the 
 same as that uttered by Mr. Poe's 
 "Raven," " Never More!" 
 
 Although fully appreciating her 
 cause for feeling disturbed, I could not 
 restrain my mirthful emotions over her 
 account of one of the persons who, as 
 she termed it, had made her drawing- 
 room for the time being ridiculous. 
 She had received a note during the 
 "season" from one of her friends in- 
 forming her of their accidental dis- 
 covery of " a prodigy, a wonder." A 
 woman possessed of a voice which, as 
 soon as it received a proper hearing, 
 would electrify the public ; " adding 
 that, should she desire, they would 
 endeavor to secure her for one of the 
 elaborate " At Homes " for which her 
 house was celebrated.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 183 
 
 Enthusiastic to claim this rising 
 "star'' as her own, she lost no time, 
 but sent an immediate acceptance of 
 her friend's offer, doubled her invita- 
 tions for the occasion, and meantime 
 felt unequal to the task of occasionally 
 suppressing the triumphant thought 
 that she was possibly on the eve of pre- 
 senting a second Patti to a grateful 
 public. 
 
 The night of the " At Home" had 
 arrived, and with it a crush of her most 
 cultured and expectant friends and ac- 
 quaintances ; the evening was growing 
 a little old, and a feeling of uneasiness 
 was commencing to spread among the 
 guests that they might, after all, be 
 deprived of the promised treat, when 
 the butler announced the name of the 
 expected one, which, from motives of 
 good-nature, I now suppress. 
 
 The hostess moved eagerly forward 
 to greet her prize, a dark-haired woman, 
 whose jetty tresses were worn rather
 
 184 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ostentatiously, bound with broad bands 
 of red velvet in a sort of GraBco-Roman 
 fashion. 
 
 A white gown of the artistically 
 draped order shrouded her somewhat 
 lengthy figure, the ensemble creating a 
 suspicion of labored effect, (not usually 
 employed in society by the true artiste) 
 upon the minds of the initiated, but 
 rather dazzling on the whole to those 
 whose point of view is usually restricted 
 by the tall hedge surrounding individ- 
 uals in private life. 
 
 It was evident from the first flow of 
 eloquence, quite unrestrained or abashed 
 by the fact of being a stranger and the 
 cynosure of many eyes, that this long- 
 stemmed floweret would never blush un- 
 seen or unheard, of her own volition. 
 
 She volubly inquired, " If she was 
 late ? Had she kept them waiting ? " 
 remarking that she had come as soon 
 as she could possibly tear herself away 
 from the house of another well-known
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 185 
 
 society woman, but where she had re- 
 sisted all entreaties to sing ; having 
 saved herself for the present occasion. 
 Not even had she been prevailed upon 
 to give her clamoring friends that 
 charming ballad, " The Three Fishers," 
 for the singing of which, she evidently 
 desired to impress her listeners, she was 
 justly famed. 
 
 The mention of this pleasant homely 
 song sounded somewhat incongruous 
 upon the lips from which it was mo- 
 mentarily expected would issue the 
 ravishing notes of an operatic aria, but 
 then the comforting assurance of Chris- 
 tine Nilsson and her frequent rendition 
 of " Down upon the Swanee River" 
 rescued the mind of the hostess from 
 annoying doubts, and she asked her 
 siren if she felt equal to quieting the 
 feverish impatience of her guests, and 
 singing to them at once. 
 
 The songstress graciously acquiesced 
 without delav, and announced she would
 
 186 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 give the famous duo from "Aida," 
 first. 
 
 This was more than some of those 
 present had been led to expect, but it 
 was beyond any one's presumption to 
 inquire why she should undertake so 
 much at once. The hostess even feel- 
 ing seriously annoyed with herself that 
 across her mental vision should pass the 
 remembrance of a concert given by the 
 colored waiters of a watering-place at 
 which she was stopping, and at which 
 the master of ceremonies had announced 
 that "Messrs. Smith, Jones and Rob- 
 inson, would sing a quarteeter." The 
 lionne of the evening further con- 
 fided that she should be obliged to have 
 the front drawing-room cleared of 
 people, as she would like it entirely to 
 herself. This was accomplished, the 
 now wondering and awe-struck audi- 
 ence allowing themselves to be shoo'd 
 around in most docile fashion. Her final 
 request was for some " red drapery."
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 187 
 
 The eldest child of the house was 
 hurriedly pressed into the conversation 
 at this juncture, and upon being made 
 to understand what was required, asked 
 in a " stage whisper," "And must it be 
 red ? v Upon being assured that the 
 color was imperative, she vouchsafed 
 the information that the only red thing 
 she knew of in the house was the shawl 
 used to throw over the poll-parrot's cage 
 at night. 
 
 She was sent rapidly in quest of the 
 same, and, placed in the hands of the 
 singer, it was used by her to wind and 
 drape about her shoulders ; the effect 
 desired to be gained thereby having to 
 be left much to the imagination of the 
 beholders. 
 
 Finally the gas was lowered in the 
 room now doing duty as the stage, 
 to that mysterious light reckoned as 
 romantic, and the future prima-donna 
 struck the key-note on the piano ; then, 
 minus any further accompaniment,
 
 188 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 soared away into the intricacies of the 
 promised duo. 
 
 But what was this ! A solo after all ? 
 For, reaching the limits of her own 
 part, she suddenly ceased singing, and 
 threw herself into an attitude of ex- 
 pectancy (so did the audience). 
 
 It proved to be an interlude of com- 
 plete silence during which the second 
 voice was supposed to be taking up the 
 theme. 
 
 Matters were conducted on this prin- 
 ciple to the finish, when the lady strode 
 toward the imaginary footlights, gave 
 one final triumphant note, and fell flat 
 on her back with her feet (which can- 
 dor compelled the hostess to admit 
 were not like "those little mice, etc.,") 
 to the audience. 
 
 This was not recognized by all to be 
 a dramatic climax, and, in their igno- 
 rance, they came hurriedly forward to 
 "help her up," but others, less char- 
 itably inclined, perhaps, sought the
 
 MAURICE BARRYMORE.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 189 
 
 friendly shelter of a sofa-cushion, or a 
 handkerchief, in which to bury their 
 convulsed features. 
 
 The artiste needed no assistance, but 
 sprang eagerly to her feet, seeking in 
 all directions to ascertain the effect she 
 had produced, especially upon some 
 rather illustrious personages present ; 
 but the hostess sought in turn to save 
 her from the knowledge, by immediate 
 offer of refreshment and almost of re- 
 tirement. These were not accepted, how- 
 ever, and she became suddenly aware 
 that, by some extraordinary means, the 
 late exponent of " Aida" was occup} r ing 
 the piano-stool, and, with or without 
 consent, was narrating to her already 
 too highly amused guests the woes of 
 "The Three Fishers."
 
 190 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 B Sitst ^Experience witb a JBusg /foanager 
 of JBurlesque. 
 
 THREADING my way in and out among 
 the crowds thronging Broadway one 
 sunny morning in spring, I chanced 
 upon a young authoress of my 
 acquaintance, accompanied by her 
 mother and her business manager. 
 By mutual volition we stopped to ex- 
 change a few words, the authoress in- 
 forming me with a touch of pride in her 
 voice, that having written a burlesque, 
 the outlines of which were already 
 somewhat approved, they were on their 
 way to keep an appointment, at his of- 
 fice, with the famous manager of that 
 branch of the drama, Mr. Ed. E. Kice ; 
 adding an invitation to join them if I 
 so desired. 
 
 Being possessed of sufficient desire to 
 make acquaintance with my friend's
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 191 
 
 latest work, as well as to note its effect 
 upon Mr. Rice, I accepted the hastily 
 proffered invitation, and we accord- 
 ingly pursued our way through Thir- 
 tieth Street to the well-known office. 
 
 From the drift of her remarks, I felt 
 assured the young woman was not 
 fully prepared for the experience in 
 store for her, and felt inclined to give 
 utterance to some timely warning 
 but refrained. Having had her path- 
 way prepared, she evidently expected 
 to be ushered into a quiet, well-ordered 
 apartment, where the manager would 
 be anxiously awaiting her advent to 
 tender her the full hour of audience 
 which she had been promised, in which 
 to discuss in a leisurely manner the 
 pros and cons of the piece, and, with- 
 out doubt in her own mind, Mr. Rice, 
 at the close of the interview, would be- 
 come the proud possessor of the treas- 
 ured MS. 
 
 Knowing that in another moment
 
 192 THEATKICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 the facts would probably speak for 
 themselves, I held my peace, until our 
 entrance into the office put a stop to all 
 further confidences. 
 
 To the trained eye, the first glimpse 
 of the room was sufficient to dispel the 
 idea of a lengthened interview with 
 any one individual, it being packed 
 with the genus " variety," from the 
 door to the screen half enclosing Mr. 
 Rice's desk each and all, eager to be the 
 next to claim the managerial attention. 
 
 Indeed, it appeared as though the 
 entire company of " 1492 " (the reign- 
 ing burlesque attraction), including 
 their friends, had dropped in for a 
 morning chat. 
 
 It had not yet dawned upon our no- 
 vice in ways burlesque, however, that 
 the apparent state of affairs could in 
 any way affect the business upon which 
 she had come ; regarding the latter, so 
 to speak, as a thing apart ; and thus she 
 rested easily against the door while her
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCH KS. 193 
 
 man of business made his way forward 
 to present his client's name. 
 
 Mr. Eice, rushingly busy as usual, 
 dotting down memoranda, dictating to 
 his type-writer at intervals, and an- 
 swering "half a dozen questions at 
 once," propounded by as many different 
 people, stopped an instant, but scarce 
 taking time to glance up, replied in his 
 characteristic fashion "All right, ask 
 the lady to step this way." 
 
 This she did, preparatory, as she sup- 
 posed, to being led into some retired 
 spot away from this " madding crowd." 
 The manager wheeling round in his 
 chair as she made her appearance, 
 nodded to her, remarking : "Miss - 
 I believe ? I shall have to ask you to 
 tell me what you can of this 
 
 " What ! here ?" she gasped, with an 
 astonishment that was pathetic. 
 
 "Yes," continued Mr. Eice, " I am 
 sorry I cannot give you the hour I 
 
 mentioned, but I had forgotten a re- 
 13
 
 194 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 hearsal I have to superintend, that will 
 commence in about ten minutes." He 
 went on to suggest that, meanwhile, 
 half of that precious time was at her 
 disposal in which to present to him a 
 resume of her burlesque, and a general 
 idea of the music ; the details he would 
 look into later on. 
 
 Having offered her the best oppor- 
 tunity in his power under the circum- 
 stances, he calmly surveyed the army 
 of his as yet unsatisfied visitors over 
 the top of the young lady's head, and 
 prepared to listen with that imperturb- 
 able manner born of necessity and 
 habit, to what she had to say, although 
 I am bound to state the facilities for 
 hearing were not augmented by the 
 chattering of the motley throng. 
 
 A veteran might have been equal 
 to the situation, and possibly scored a 
 success, but the young girl in question 
 was literally " struck dumb " by this 
 request to "state her case" within the
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 195 
 
 limit given, and amidst the din confus- 
 ing her. She finally faltered out, 
 "That it would be better for her to 
 come upon another occasion, and 
 and 
 
 The manager bowed, wasted no time 
 in remonstrance, and simply proceeded 
 with the "next in turn." 
 
 The bewildered young woman, slip- 
 ping from the room followed by her 
 friends, made her way rapidly to the 
 street, where they stopped and held a 
 semi-indignation meeting, and for the 
 moment I fear scarcely appreciated my 
 remark, that though the little encoun- 
 ter had scarcely been of an agreeable 
 nature to them, at the same time they 
 must appreciate the fact that Mr. Kice, 
 though but one single individual, evi- 
 dently found it necessary to attempt the 
 work of six, and, therefore, with the very 
 best intentions, could not fail to en- 
 counter difficulties in trying to fulfil and 
 meet the requirements of all.
 
 196 THliATKIUAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Jottings. 
 
 IT is curious to note the evolution of 
 the wheel of fortune, the rotations of 
 which can perhaps be followed more 
 clearly in the dramatic profession than 
 any other, for the reason that their lives 
 are more en evidence than those whose 
 affairs force them less before the public. 
 
 Years ago when the " Star Theatre " 
 was not the "Star, "but "Wallack's," 
 and considered as well the most fash- 
 ionable place of amusement in the city, 
 Lester Wallack was regarded as the 
 head and front of theatrical manage- 
 ment, the handsomest actor on the 
 stage, and one of the most elegant men 
 about town. He rarely walked a block 
 in the street that he was not privately 
 as well as openly followed by admiring
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 197 
 
 femininity, his picture probably adorned 
 the dressing-table of nearly every girl 
 in town, and being of good English 
 family, as well as a man of charmingly 
 cultivated intellect and taste, his pres- 
 tige in every way was unquestioned, 
 making the history of his life that of 
 success and pleasure unrivalled. 
 
 He simply coined money, both at his 
 own theatre and throughout the coun- 
 try ; "Wallack's yacht," "country 
 houses," "coach," and all that attend 
 upon such luxuries, were discussed, but 
 at the same time, to a certain extent, 
 taken as a matter of course. 
 
 The receipts poured in so naturally, 
 so ceaselessly, that little wonder it never 
 occurred to this favored being that any 
 other condition of affairs was possible. 
 At the time of his greatest opulence 
 Theodore Moss was in Wallack's em- 
 ploy. The former was plodding and 
 methodical, and he gradually became 
 very useful to the brilliant actor, who
 
 198 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 left the arrangement of business de- 
 tails more and more in his hands. To 
 give some idea of the amount of money 
 that Mr. Wallack had at his command, 
 he bought a yacht and a house at 
 Long Branch one year, for which he 
 paid, cash down, ninety thousand dol- 
 lars ; but, though his capacity for mak- 
 ing money seemed unlimited, his ca- 
 pacity for business was nil. 
 
 The only instance on record of his 
 being extremely cautious, was when 
 visiting Budd's furnishing store one 
 day in company with one of his sons, 
 when, after having given an order for 
 two or three hundred dollars' worth of 
 goods, and handing in his check for the 
 same, he remarked: "Now, Budd, I 
 want a receipt for this, if you please." 
 His son laughingly tried to convince 
 him that the witnesses to the transac- 
 tion, and his own check and stub would 
 be a sufficient guarantee against any 
 trouble that possibly might arise in the
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 199 
 
 future, but Mr. Wallack gravely per- 
 sisted in having the receipt. 
 
 As a contrast to the above, he would 
 certify checks, leaving the amount blank 
 for Mr. Moss to fill in ; the latter could 
 then at any time have made one out 
 for every cent Mr. Wallack was worth. 
 Monies were also put in the bank under 
 the name of Moss to save Mr. Wallack 
 the trouble of making his own deposits. 
 
 This almost culpable carelessness 
 could lead to but one result : the Thir- 
 tieth Street theatre was built under his 
 supervision, but from that time on, 
 matters went from bad to worse, one 
 piece of property after another was 
 sold to meet demands which in some 
 way never could be satisfied, and the 
 end? 
 
 Mr. Wallack died, a few years since, 
 a comparatively poor man. 
 
 Mr. A. M. Palmer, who shares with
 
 200 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 Mr. Atigustin Daly the leading mana- 
 gerial honors of to-day, strikes one as 
 another instance of reversing the origi- 
 nal order of things. 
 
 In earlier days he held the post of 
 Librarian of the " Mercantile Library," 
 then, as now, located in Astor Place. 
 
 Later on, be became interested in 
 various matters with Mr. Sheridan 
 Shook, manager of what had become 
 the famous "Union Square Theatre ;" 
 justly so, because of its magnificent 
 stock-company, fine selection of plays, 
 and the manner in which the same 
 were presented to the public. 
 
 The relations of Shook and Palmer 
 became more consolidated as time went 
 on, until, as is sometimes the case in a 
 close race, when the bystanders notice 
 the nose of the rear horse creep up and 
 shoot by the leader, until, to return to 
 the men in question, the name of A. M. 
 Palmer stood alone as that of winner, 
 and Mr. Shook was well, I don't ex-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 201 
 
 actly know where, but justly, how- 
 ever, "to the victor belongs the spoils." 
 
 To those who regard a prominent 
 manager's judgment of a play, after 
 reading it, as infallible, it will be sur- 
 prising to know that Mr. Palmer is 
 quoted as saying he has about con- 
 cluded that it is somewhat in the light 
 of an impossibility to predict what 
 might, or might not, be a success with 
 the public, until after the curtain has 
 been rung down on the first represent- 
 ation, and a few weeks later this 
 utterance was verified in the following 
 manner. 
 
 At an entertainment to be given at 
 his theatre two one-act plays were to 
 make up a portion of the programme, 
 a tragedy and a comedy. 
 
 After perusing both, Mr. Palmer 
 dropped the tragedy MS. on the table 
 before him, remarking, " I don't think 
 anything of that, but this," referring 
 to the comedy, "is good, and will sue-
 
 20'2 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 ceed." His verdict was promptly 
 reversed, three weeks after, by the 
 audience before whom the plays were 
 given, and by the newspaper accounts 
 the following morning. 
 
 The tragedy held the people breath- 
 less, and called forth exhaustive criti- 
 cism from the press, while the comedy 
 was merely mentioned as having been 
 given a place on the programme. 
 
 Augustin Daly regarded as the 
 great disciplinarian manager is so re- 
 spected, feared and omnipresent with 
 his company that in the old days at 
 least of his reign over them, at the 
 "Fifth Avenue Theatre," he was often 
 referred to by the less reverent mem- 
 bers of his troupe as " God," some even 
 going so far as to kneel daily on the 
 mat outside the closed door of his priv- 
 ate room in the play-house, and offer 
 up prayers.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 203 
 
 The fact that he made it a rule not 
 to notice the members of his company 
 outside the theatre was a matter of 
 sore speculation with some, and cer- 
 tainly did not meet their approval. 
 Mr. Louis James proving to be one of 
 these. Soon after being engaged by 
 Mr. Daly, he met him and his brother, 
 Judge Daly, on the street ; not knowing 
 of the above rule, he bowed to them 
 both ; the judge recognized Mr. James, 
 but the manager did not, and it then 
 became a sort of " war-to-the-knife " 
 feeling with the actor, so much so that, 
 during the three years he remained 
 under him, he never spoke'to the man- 
 ager except in the way of business, and, 
 I fear, despite the value of his services, 
 in a quiet way made himself somewhat 
 of a thorn in the managerial flesh. Miss 
 Fanny Davenport and Mr. James had 
 made their appearance in public some- 
 where about the same period at Mrs. 
 Drew's theatre in Philadelphia, and,
 
 204 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 happening to become good friends, it 
 naturally followed when they found 
 themselves together in Mr. Daly's com- 
 pany that their good fellowship so to 
 speak, should continue. Thus in the 
 intervals of rehearsal, or between acts, 
 they indulged in many a gay chat, 
 sometimes standing by the door of Miss 
 Davenport's dressing-room, sometimes 
 elsewhere. 
 
 This evidently caused the manager 
 displeasure, as ere long a notice was 
 posted up to the effect, "That any 
 of the ladies or gentlemen of the com- 
 pany found conversing in the neighbor- 
 hood of the dressing-rooms, or during 
 the progress of a performance, would 
 be fined," so much. Mr. James' dress- 
 ing-room at that time happened to 
 be directly over Miss Davenport's, with 
 one large window extending through 
 both, so, after the notice appeared, as a 
 mild form of revenge and annoyance, 
 the actor and actress indulged in un-
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 205 
 
 usually lengthy confabs, using the 
 window as a means of communica- 
 tion. 
 
 On another occasion during the re- 
 hearsal of a play which had been placed 
 "under the ban" by the whole com- 
 pany, and when they thought them- 
 selves alone, the body of the theatre 
 being shrouded in extreme darkness, 
 Mr. James had just finished a stilted 
 scene, which to express his contempt of, 
 he gave a sort of " Flo wers-of -Spring " 
 hop, tra la, as he made his exit but 
 was surprised to hear himself suddenly 
 recalled by a stern and uncompromising 
 voice that seemed to arise from the ap- 
 parently untenanted orchestra. 
 
 "Mr. James." 
 
 Reappearing on the stage, and look- 
 ing in the direction from which the 
 voice emanated Mr. James answered 
 quickly, "Yes, sir." 
 
 " Do you intend," continued the 
 voice, "to use that piece of business in
 
 206 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 which you have just indulged in your 
 part, when presenting it before the 
 public ? " 
 
 Mr. James replied in an equally im- 
 pressive tone: "I really don't know, 
 Mr. Daly, I haven't quite decided the 
 matter as yet." 
 
 Notwithstanding peculiarities, Mr. 
 Daly's policy has proved a good one, for 
 the years come and go, only to find him 
 mounting higher and higher the lad- 
 der of success and prosperity, and to 
 realize that his name is a power on 
 both sides of the Atlantic. 
 
 Miss Ada Rehan, Daly's present 
 " leading lady, " represents a striking 
 example of the limitless good fortune 
 that may be attained by a woman pos- 
 sessed of talent and perseverance. 
 
 Who, to contemplate this peerless 
 creature, can imagine that her life has
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 207 
 
 ever been otherwise than it is at present ! 
 And yet it has been different, more to 
 her credit be it said. 
 
 Among the guests of a theatre 
 party visiting ' ' Daly's " one evening was 
 a very charming Irishman, a well- 
 known man about town. As Miss Re- 
 han made her exit, at the finish of the 
 first act of the piece being presented, 
 amidst the vociferous applause of the 
 large audience present, the gentleman 
 emitted a little sigh of satisfaction, re- 
 marking softly, "Well, well, it is 
 difficult to realize that little Biddy and 
 the queenly Ada are the same. " 
 
 Upon being pressed for an explana- 
 tion of this, he confided the fact to his 
 friends, that when his father was alive 
 and living in Ireland, "Biddy," as he 
 called her, with other children, ran 
 barefoot over the estate. 
 
 It is a wonderful thing to realize 
 how Miss Rehan has worked her way 
 up patiently, step by step, until she has
 
 208 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 reached the first position. Truly, a 
 magnificent example of courage. 
 
 Mr. Charles Hoyt, the phenomenally 
 successful manager and author from 
 New Hampshire, has ever a dry, hu- 
 morous, unpretentious manner of re- 
 garding matters, and apparently him- 
 self included. 
 
 A young playwright was transacting 
 some business with Mr. Charles W. 
 Thomas, the late partner of Mr. Hoyt, 
 in their joint office one morning, when 
 the latter came in. After a little des- 
 ultory conversation, the author said, 
 " Mr. Hoyt, what is one to do '? Give me 
 your advice, for, having been so suc- 
 cessful, you can afford to." Mr. Hoyt 
 inquired upon what subject, and the 
 young woman replied, " Well, my 
 plays are acknowledged to be good by 
 any number of critics, and yet the 
 market seems so overstocked it is al-
 
 THEAT1UCAL SKETCHES. 20'J 
 
 most an impossibility to obtain a pro- 
 duction for them." 
 
 Mr. Hoyt replied briskly: "Well, I 
 don't know that I can be of any ser- 
 vice to you, for the cases are different. 
 No one ever took any particular notice 
 of the plays I wrote, until I just hired 
 my own theatre and brought them 
 out myself." 
 
 The result of Mr. Hoyt's policy re- 
 quires no comment. 
 
 Peculiar coincidences come to light 
 now and then in the profession, leav- 
 ing the participants thereof a prey to 
 certain superstitious feelings. 
 
 Several years since, a burlesque was 
 written for an amateur troupe of 
 young men ; the author of the same 
 being especially admonished to create 
 a particularly "fat part," for one of 
 the members, Mr. James K. Hackett, 
 
 who was considered by many to dis- 
 14
 
 210 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 tance any of the performers belonging 
 to the " Columbia Dramatic" organiza- 
 tion; but, as the latter would not admit 
 that such was the case, the young 
 aspirant for amateur dramatic honor 
 (then studying to be admitted to the 
 bar) was to be given this opportunity to 
 demonstrate the fact beyond a ques- 
 tion. 
 
 The performance was given, and the 
 role allotted to Mr. Hackett was of a 
 dashing, brilliant order, in which he 
 realized the fondest hopes of his cham- 
 pions ; indeed, he made an unqualified 
 success of it. This fact naturally im- 
 pressed him with friendly feeling to- 
 wards the author of the piece. Two years 
 passed, however, and neither of them 
 had met. The latter had been told, or 
 been given to understand in some vague 
 way that the young man who burlesqued 
 Carmencita's dancing so wonderfully 
 had abandoned the study of law and 
 entered the theatrical profession ; but
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 211 
 
 one morning about this time, while two 
 of her short plays were in course of 
 rehearsal at "Palmer's Theatre," hap- 
 pening to glance up, she saw Mr. 
 Hackett making his way on from the 
 wings. After the ordinary greetings 
 the playwright inquired, "And what 
 brings you here ? " 
 
 ' ' The very question I was going to pro- 
 pound to you," replied the young actor. 
 
 11 Why, I am watching the rehearsal 
 of two of my pieces," she answered. 
 
 " And I have been sent to take a 
 small part in one or other of them," he 
 responded, " though I did not know they 
 were yours." 
 
 Mutual explanations followed, and 
 later on, when the "leading man " en- 
 gaged for one of the plays failed to 
 appear, Mr. Hackett was given the 
 position and thus made his profes- 
 sional debut in a character of any im- 
 portance in a play by the same author 
 as that of the burlesque. Making
 
 212 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 a success of it he was now inspired 
 with a certain superstition in regard to 
 her work, and some months later he 
 arranged to tour a part of the country 
 in another of her pieces. He made con- 
 siderable reputation for himself in this, 
 and the author is now to write a play 
 to order for him, of which he hopes to 
 make a notable production. 
 
 Lotta, the sprightly little creature of 
 whom the public was so fond, has left a 
 great gap by withdrawing herself from 
 the boards of late, let us hope not per- 
 manently. Notwithstanding her great 
 popularity, I remember her vacation 
 life at Lake George when she hired a 
 little cottage two or three miles down 
 the lake from the " Fort William 
 Henry Hotel was simplicity itself. 
 There she remained the whole sum- 
 mer through with the members of her
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 213 
 
 family, and an occasional friend to visit 
 them. 
 
 With her fine auburn hair hanging 
 down her back in large soft curls, and 
 a muslin slip-dress on, she looked little 
 more than a child ; and her chief delight 
 was to find some one who would play 
 croquet with her, which game she would 
 indulge in as long as there was a part- 
 ner to be had. 
 
 One day, while discussing matters 
 theatrical, she observed it was wonder- 
 ful the trifles that could disturb her part 
 in a play, unless they happened to be just 
 so. 
 
 In one piece, a portion of her costume 
 consisted of an old sunbonnet, which 
 she was in the habit of pulling and shov- 
 ing all over her head during her scene, 
 and she declared she became so depend- 
 ent upon it, that had it been missing 
 at any time, she veritably believed she 
 should not have been able to get 
 through with her part, for she had
 
 214 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 experienced something of the same 
 description in another play. It was 
 one in which she dressed as a boy, and 
 her greatest comfort while in this garb 
 was to thrust her hands into her 
 trousers' pockets. 
 
 Her mother had remonstrated with 
 her in vain for doing this, but to no 
 avail, so, without apprising her daugh- 
 ter of the fact, Mrs. Crabtree sewed 
 the pockets up one fine day. 
 
 The same night, when Lotta came 
 bounding on to the stage, and her 
 hands sought their usual resting-place, 
 they sought in vain, and consternation 
 claimed the little actress for its own. 
 In fact, so thoroughly did this altera- 
 tion upset her that she completely 
 forgot her part for the time being, and 
 did not regain her equilibrium until the 
 scissors were brought into play, arid 
 ripped up the mischief done.
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 215 
 
 Mr. Barnabee, the genial and digni- 
 fied "Sheriff of Nottingham," in De 
 Koven's opera of "Robin Hood," and 
 third part proprietor of the organization 
 known as the ' ' Bostonians, " according to 
 his own showing, made a very modest 
 beginning of his theatrical career. 
 
 When quite a young man he was em- 
 ployed in the dry-goods store of a well- 
 known Boston merchant, and he, with 
 some young men of his acquaintance 
 having aspirations of their own, organ- 
 ized a dramatic club for diversion in 
 the evenings, indulging in anything 
 theatrical their fancy dictated. 
 
 He had been for some time employed 
 in the store, but had never as yet en- 
 countered the proprietor, who was 
 popularly supposed to be a somewhat 
 austere person ; therefore, when one 
 morning he was suddenly summoned to 
 his presence in the latter's private office, 
 the young clerk's heart felt anything 
 but normal in its workings, and his
 
 216 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 
 
 mind searched vainly to discern in 
 what he had been derelict, for he could 
 not imagine the summons portended 
 anything less than dismissal. 
 
 His employer commenced the inter- 
 view by telling him that the evening 
 before he had witnessed an amateur 
 performance in which he had recog- 
 nized him, Barnabee, as taking part. 
 The latter's spirits now sank to zero, 
 feeling positive he detected signs of dis- 
 approval in the tones of the former ; 
 what was his surprise, however, at the 
 unexpected ending. 
 
 "Now," continued the gentleman, 
 "my wife and family being away in 
 the country, I am proposing to give a 
 ' stag ' dinner, at which I desire all the 
 guests shall personate an especial 
 character. I thought your acting 
 proved you to be especially clever in 
 dialect Yankee parts, and I should like 
 you to attend the repast as my down- 
 east country cousin. "
 
 THEATRICAL SKETCHES. 217 
 
 The relief occasioned by the purport 
 of this interview was of course very 
 great, and Mr. Barnabee made haste to 
 accept the invitation extended. 
 
 The dinner proved a great success, 
 the various characters all being well 
 portrayed, and it was, in consequence, 
 productive of much mirth. 
 
 After this, one circumstance led to 
 another, until Mr. Barnabee realized 
 the dry-goods store was a thing of the 
 past, and the stage his profession.
 
 Napoleon, 
 
 Lover and Husband 
 
 BY FREDERIC MASSON 
 
 Translated from the I4th French Edition 
 ByJ. M. HOWELL 
 
 FIVE PHOTOGRAVURE PLATES, 320 PAGES, 
 5VO, CLOTH, GILT TOP, $2.00 
 
 * * * * Frederic Masson has undertaken to reveal the lover's 
 side, as it may be called, of Napoleon, from the precocious youth 
 to the day that he died at St. Helena. The book is what might 
 be called a "revelation," for, though many of the names and 
 episodes treated have been vaguely touched before, the present 
 author has buttressed his statements by documents which a 
 court of law would be compelled to pronounce unimpeachable. 
 And, indeed, without documents, the Napoleon presented in 
 Frederic Masson's volume, " Napoleon, Lover and Husband," 
 would be hardly credible, for, if there is one saliency in Napo- 
 leon's character that stands out beyond others in the recorded 
 actions of his life, it is his determined hostility to feminine inter- 
 ference in affairs of state, or even affairs of the family. It was 
 his supposed impassive indifference to the sex that first won him 
 the incredulous interest of the Parisians, when, as the head of 
 the Italian army at twenty-five, he sternl/ put aside the usual 
 gallantries that follow " war's alarms," and found time only for 
 conjugal letters to the absent Josephine. 
 
 * * * * Paris, and indeed all Europe, seems to be struck with 
 the remarkable recrudescence of the Napoleonic legends. Not 
 only are plays reviving the career of Napoleon presented on two 
 or three of the Parisian stages simultaneously, but half the 
 national periodicals are deep in new "studies" of the extinct 
 volcano. Masson's book, which, it is no exaggeration to say. is 
 exciting a sensation from St. Petersburg to Rome, derives its 
 chief force from the fact that the revelations are drawn from 
 friendly sources, and the writer presents the result rather in the 
 spirit of a philosophic and admiring friend than a severe censor 
 of morals or a critic of character. 
 
 For sale at all Bookstores, or will be mailed postpaid upon 
 receipt of price by 
 
 COMPANY 
 
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 67 Fifth Avenue
 
 UNCLE BENJAMINg) 
 
 A HUMOROUS AND 
 PHILOSOPHICAL NOVEL 
 
 CLAUDE TILLIER 
 
 ILLUSTRATED, 1 2 MO, CLOTH, $1.25 
 
 A novel unlike any other, by an author unlike any other; a 
 novel that has no equivalent in the literature of this century; 
 a novel which, despite the pessimism with which it opens and the 
 pathos with which it closes, must take rank among the wittiest 
 and most humorous ever written; a novel of philosophy, of prog- 
 ress, of reality, of humanity; a novel of the heart and of the 
 head; a novel which is less a work of art than a work of genius. 
 
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 worthy to take rank with the best of Fielding's, Smollett's, 
 Richardson's, Marryatt's, or any of the old English novels, for 
 its hearty, healthy sense and sentiment and its sound or curious 
 characters." 
 
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 but not without a strong charm of human sympathy and interest, 
 and relieved by the ready wit and a finely flavored humor that 
 touches upon the philosophical." 
 
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 A DELIGHTFUL STORY OF EARLY DAYS IN MARYLAND. 
 BY 
 
 M. Q. MCCLELLAND 
 
 AUTHOR OF 
 
 " BROADOAKS." "OBLIVION," "PRINCESS," 
 ETC. 
 
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 M. G. McClelland 
 
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 12mo, Cloth, tfel.OO 
 
 This is one of the most delightful stories that ever 
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 of the South for the South is Miss McClelland's 
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 takes up one's pen to write of the paradise that lies 
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 A Common Mistake, 
 
 The Story of a New 
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 BY 
 
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 12mo, Cloth, 5O Cts.^) 
 
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 I.INGUA GEMMAE * 
 
 A Cycle of Gems by ADA L BUTTON 
 
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 . . BY . . 
 
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 slightly idealized, while Belle-Plante is the ill fortune which 
 robbed the world of a philosopher. In refusing to give his brother 
 meat and drink, Belle-Plante merely gives the highest expression 
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