PRE FA C E.

W H AT a different thing talking is compared with writing ! I am on tour when I jot down th is fl h profound re ection . My dear friend J osep Hatton has been on my track since we parted in town , a month or two ago , with this one message , by post and telegram— “ You ought to write the ! ” Preface , every word of it As it is my own I I Preface of course ought , and of course have done so . But wh ile the writing of it has been a labour of love , it has bothered me a good deal

u more than a labour of love is s pposed to do . Many times I have adm ired the skill with which my collaborator has written , i n these pages , stories which seemed to me to require , for a complete

n narratio , the point one puts i nto an anecdote I when acting it . am occasionally called upon to I make a speech i n public . Well , get along now and then pretty well , thanks to the inspiration that seems to come to me f rom the friendly sym pathy of my aud ience but there is no inspiration P REFACE .

in a blank sheet of paper , and there is no applause

in pen s and ink . When one makes a speech one

seeks kindly faces around one , and it is wonderful

what assistance there is in a little applause . You take up the report of a speech in a newspaper ; “ i s you see that it peppered with Laughter , ” s Applause , Loud cheer , and so on that sets

you reading it , and carries you on to the end . I t is very much the same with a speaker he makes his l ittle joke , and there is a laugh , wh ich helps him to his ne x t ; then he says a n ice thing about the s occasion , and get a round of applause ; that m helps him on h is road to the cli ax , when he — hopes to finish up , and mostly does with a burst I of enthusiasm . What am coming to is an em phasis of my original point—the tremendous difference between speaking and writing .

S itting down i n cold blood , as it were , to intro I I duce these Reminiscences , feel that can only be more or less formal in my expressions of d iffi

’

c I . den e , hoping don t intrude , and so on Hatton "

a s . says , M ake the Pref ce a peech , if you l ike But how can I make a speech to an audience whom 7 I cannot s e e I t would be like speaking into a phonograph . I f there were any applause , one would have to make it oneself. That would be

s t c/a zw the wor kind of g i maginable . I f our public

e the sp aking of future is to be done in this way , P REFACE . ix what is to become of the personal magnetism of I the orator N evertheless , am told by scientific forecasters that fifty years hence a public speaker will simply address h is phonograph , and send the cylinders to be reeled off on the platform of

’ St . J ames s H all , or wherever the great meeting may be held , while he remains comfortably at home or Spends the evening at his club , to read in due course a full report of his speech in the newspapers . I t will be a curious change i n the administration of public affairs . There will , how — ever , be one great advantage to a speaker ; his

b e remarks will assuredly be correctly reported ,

of cause , course , his phonograph ic cylinders will be handed to the Press , and the printers will set

s up their types from the voice it elf. This may be a little awkward where other speeches are being set up into type . The noise of a lot of phono grams being reeled off at the same time must be rather confusing ; but , of course , if that is so , they will invent someth ing to meet the case . As long

’ as they don t invent phonographic theatres , with all the good actors and good play s of an entire season thrown into the purchase of a fireside I instrument , it does not much matter . But am

u s diverging . Let get back to the point where the phonograph interrupted us . I t was Hatton ’ s last resort to follow me up w ith P REFACE .

“ I the suggestion , M ake it a speech . was having a holiday at Aix , but the shadow of th e I Preface fell upon me even at the Kursaal . went to Lucerne , where our friend I rving was staying , and the thought of this address to the reader added a deeper shadow , in my estimation , t h I to the natural reflections of e lake . had to go to Lucerne to give I rving my ideas upon some

flf a /z I t o new readings in céet . am bound say they were not received with the gravity one is accustomed to in tragedians . But that is neither

I I . here nor there , and fear am again d igressing

I t s is as tonishing what you can do under pre sure . I t w as not my idea to wri te these Rem iniscences ;

' it was not H atton s i dea ; it was the outcome of a request from M r . Tillotson , the great Literary Syndic who supplies the N ewspaper Press with the works of Wilkie Collins , William Black , M iss

B raddon , Rider Haggard , M rs . Oliphant , Walter

t . Besan , and the othe r leading novelists of the day T I t was illotson who said to my collaborator , Why n ot the Reminiscences of Toole for a ” “ n ? cha ge And Hatton of course said , Why ” ? — s not as well he might , eeing that he had al ready been making a few notes about me , in , however , such a vague kind of way that they would have come to noth ing but for the stimulus of T illotson ’ s desire to introduce into his P REFACE . xi l iterary wares the truth that is stranger than

fiction ; a st imulus which fixed Hatton to dates of production , and which made me the slave of Hatton ; the I w illing slave , am ready to admit , for we are old friends , we have sympath ies i n com mon ; and it has been a great an d novel delight to me to see

’ these chapters grow under the expert s hand , to

an e c read the proofs , and to have my words and dotes , my ideas and notions photographed in type . I f the readers only enjoy the story that follows as much as I have enjoyed telling it to my collaborator , and as much as he says he has enjoyed writing it , we shall be a happy family of i t authors and readers . You know how is when you make a speech you often think of the clever dungs you couhi have a nd afle r yo u have sat

down . I t is similar with Reminiscences , as you will discove r when you come to tell your own

story , as of course you will tell it . Everybody is

relating his reminiscences nowadays , and a capital

form of literature it is . H ow do you do P I When are your reminiscences coming out will , t expec , become a regular form of social salutation soon very much better too than always begi n ning

c am onversations with the weather . I continually thinking of som ething I ought to have said in the

c hapters that are closed . and I hope those of my x fi P REFACE . friends who expect me to relate all the incidents i n which they are i n terested will forgive me if they are disappointed . I have had many letters pointing out things I o ught to have mentioned duri ng the run of the Reminiscences , and I have made additions and corrections here and there , and with much satisfaction ; bu t I cannot remem ber every boy who was at school with me , nor every man I have m e t since nor is it necessary to record all the C ircumstances under wh ich I have written orders for the play . M oreover , I have not had i t qui te all my own way i n these records , and I offer this fact as an additional explanation and apology for sundry om issions . I t was not merely with a desire to tell my story that H atton donned hi s li te rary gear ; but to interest and amuse the I f t public . he had set led down into the regular groove of biograph ical narrative , with all i ts

s solemni tie of dates , with its records of school

t days , its early ambitions , i ts li tle battles , and its

s big disappointments , its diary note and its copies

ou of letters from celebrities and others , y would not have been coax ed through six hundred pages as you will now , nor would you have had as cha racte ri st i c a sketch of a career in which so many of you , my good and kind friends , have shown so much generous and tender interest .

n s There are plenty of shortcom i g i n these pages . P REFACE .

H atton frequently speaks of them . But he is always very modest about his work . I have one feeling in regard to this book we have produced together , which I think the reader and the critic will endorse ; our volumes are not pretentious , and they are not dull . Our united obj ect has been to try and consider the readers more than ourselves . We both hope that critics and readers will take the work for what it professes to be , not what

For they think it should have been . my own part , I shall always look back to the days of its production as a very pleasant , happy tim e , shadowed , as all happy times are , by sorrowful memories and incidents ; but happy as this world goes , and made the happier by friendly letters and journalistic compliments wh ich , from week to week , have signalized its serial publication , and by the confident hope that the complete work will be received with equal favour by the general public , to whom no man living has more reason to be grateful than T L . . O O LE J .

f n T r Ocl éez 1 8 . O ou , o , 8 8

T O F I C O N TE N S V O L . .

F R N E N I GH T O LY O O N . GE — — PA unlooked-for pleasure Prefatory remarks A word to the reader— R eminiscences of a red-letter night and the story of some yellow tickets I t does make me ” — so wild I -Toole and Sothern A chop in the city ’ ” - P D n I Mrs . Howard aul id t tell thee so ! Toole and I rving studying character— A sorrowful incident with a happy ending— The Chestnut Bell

T O R M E S R E A Q UA . — R obson and the pleasures of a garden Georg e Loveday “ Man proposes -A pleasant room and a cheerful — —“ ’ ” host Getting shaved An oss of another colour —Memorable birthdays—A remarkable evening Legal luminaries and their extraordinary conduct — Too d efi an t That yere seven -and -six The cab ’ — men s triumph The Hon . Lewis Wi n gfi eld as Mephistopheles —Robson in D ublin—The story — Toole told to D ickens A happy home xvi CONTENTS .

S S H E S H O W UN I N AND AD . PAGE ’ O — M r i . Mr A recept on at rme Square and s. Toole s Silver Wedding— Pleasant hours after midnight ’ Mr . I rving s first experience as a public reader on his own account— Toole at D unfermline A ’ Nor ” —“ ” rible Tale in chapel Lo ! the poor I ndian ' C omplimentary groans —Toole ’ s age Michael Garner on the stage and off—Old C arente and the — ’ bandits David James s Whitechapel romance — Hollingshead and the birthplace of Podgers Low salaries and high art— Actors and their friends Artistic society— The shadow

FT E R T E R V L O F E R LY T E N Y E R S A A N I N A N A A . A sorrowful vacation—The R eminiscences resumed — Notes from Aix-les-Bains At home i n William — D Street Sir Walter Scott , Charles ickens , and the D odger ”— A postprandial reminiscence of Edin — burgh Stanley , the Scotch actor, poet , and preacher — - Rag s and plush Twig Ideas for public enter — — tai n m e n ts Toole at home I rving in the fi re -light — Books and albums A Marlborough House m en u The comic appeal of a famous light comedian ” — Bu z fu z and Mr . Sergeant Ballantyne Beginning this present work in downright earnest

H L H B YH O M H O C OO O O O . I D D, D , AN D A little London boy in the country—Truant and playgoer — - in the city East-end and city theatres Toole as ” “ E D a erwood Antonio , Jacob arwig, and gg CONTENTS . xvii PAGE First appearances on the regular stage—C lerk in a ’ — ’ wine-merchant s O ffi ce The murder of O C on n or ’ Sergeant Ballantyne and Charles Keaa OOle s first appearance as a professional actor—From London to — Edinburgh— A bad omen turns out well Hard work — — R Farewell as a stock actor Mr. and Mrs . obert — Wyndham— Dublin wit First appearance as a pro — ’ fessi on al actor in London St . James s and the — — Lyceum On tour as a star First meeting with I rving— A compact

AT T H E AD EL P H I .

— — ’ Engaged by Benjami n Webster Wright Toole s first — appearance at the Adelphi Webster a great actor, — but not sufficiently appreciated T/ze Wi llow Copse I diots who wo uld laugh at a funeral -Queer notions about acting C aleb Plummer ”—A police ”— man i n d i ffi c ulti es Stephen Digges Stories Of P aul Bedford — Edm und Kean at Bath— Wright and — Bedford in Lancashire The man in the hob -nail — pumps Bob Keeley and Miss Woolgar in f a n g ! ' ’ ’ P r z ae— Wombwell s E Buckstone, show , and dmund — “ Kean The magn animity of the R oscius of the World — Leah and the Batemans Joe Bright

B E H T H E SC E ES B E TW E E TH E C T I ND N AND N A S . — humours of Bob Romer Jimmy Rogers discovers the recluse— The disabilities of shopkeeping— Bob —T P C and the blackbird . . ook The C aged Lion — — Two views Of Brighton Buckstone and the bill sticker—Toole as an imitator—Keeley at Bow Street — — — R eading a play Gomm ersal and the nuts Actors x v fi i CONTENTS . GE — — PA and aut hors Old G d i scomfi ted A dramatic — — college f ew Toole and the conjuror An amusing reminiscence of L earn i n g to n

V I I I .

’ C H EFLY CO C E R G T H E E E S T H E G ETY I N N I N QU N AND AI .

’ — Bea rer Man e the Queen s First production of s , — — with I rving as Bob Gassit At the Gaiety Farce and C omedy— A memorable engagement with Phelps and Mathews— R eminiscences of Phelps—A little jest at Manchester—P helps on Mathews and Mathews on Phelps— A young man who didn ’ t set the Thames — — on fi re Phelps and Macready Notes on the work — and character Of Phelps Burnand and A r i/ u ! Car ds 2 5 3 F T T . L I ST O I LLU S RA I O N S TO V O L I .

PAGE ' Fron tz zere J L . Toole y Yellow tickets this way

Mr . Sothern P Mrs . Howard aul

’ [ d on P a rk F ran a zs Mr . Toole as Spriggins in g

Mr . Toole and the nervous actor R Mr . F . obson Our Bo s Messrs . James and Thorne in y ” Tiny Tim , who ate the goose

Mr . George Grossmith , the lecturer I Mr . Henry rving D Of ld Gare n te Mr . avid James tells the story O “ D Mr . Toole as the Artful odger Tell the governor his two brothers from the workhouse called ” -Ah Toole at home . idea z z Mr . Toole as Sergeant Bu fu E Mr . . L . Blanchard The infant Toole Sheridan Kn owles ’ Mr . Toole s first appearance on the stage

Mr . Serj eant Ballantyne C D Mr . harles illon “ P r Mr . Toole as aul P y

Mr . Bancroft

Mr . Wright

Mr . Benjamin Webster

Mr . Toole as Caleb Plummer V OL . I . ! ! OF LIST ILLUSTRATION S . PAGE

P . Mr . aul Bedford and Mr Toole in

Mr . Toole and the policeman

Mrs . Alfred Mellon (Miss Woolgar)

Mr . J . B . Buckston e Miss Kate Bateman “ R Mr . James ( Jimmy ogers

Mrs . Bancroft - Mr . Buckstone and the bill sticker Lady Theodore Martin (Miss Helen Fauc i t) R Mr . obert Keeley

Bea r er Z/zcm Mr . Toole as Michael Garner in Miss Nellie Farren

Mr . Lionel Brough P Mr . helps

P all ”. Bu ll helps , Mathews , and Toole , in f

. C . Mr . F Burnand ’ An 111 Cam s Mr . Toole in t/ RE M I N I S C E N C E S

M D I AN T L E T H E C O E . J . L . O O ,

FO R O N E N I G H T O N LY .

— — An unlooked-for pleasure Prefatory remarks A word to the — reader Reminiscences of a red-letter n ight and the story of some yellow tickets I t does make me so ”— - — wild ! Toole and Sothern A chop in the city Mrs . ’ ”— Howard Paul D idn t I tell thee so ! Toole and — I rving studyin g character A sorrowful inciden t with a n — happy endi g The Chestnut Bell .

TOOLE—For One N ight Only I Such was the legend that smiled at me from the walls and windows of a little West M idland town one memorable day in the autumn of - eighteen hundred and seventy eig ht .

ad When I say the legend sm iled , I speak

’ v i dl se . T y M r . oole s provincial posters have a physiognomy of their own , and it is humorous . Perhaps you may not think that placards have V OL . I . B RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . characteristics that s u ggest their individual authors 9 Examine the first advertising hoard ing you come across and see if they have not .

H e rko m e r - Professor tried to ennoble bill sticking , but the art that conceals art was absent from his “ e xample of a bold advertisement . H is classic maidens looked scornfully down upon the flaring posters around them . Above their business ,

(advertising is a business) , they were overshadowed by their commonplace neighbours .

N O , you cannot level advertising up to the ideal of Professor H e rko m e r ; yet it is po ssible to give a few printed words as much public force as if you decorated them with studies f rom the marble

T O f halls of Alma adema , or the frescoed graces

’

. T S ir Frederic Leighton M r . oole s writing on the walls of the little town which we are discussing

O f needed not the aid pictorial artifice . The frank , — honest , open statement Toole For One Night

Only ecl ipsed the surrounding placards . I t “ shone i n thei r m idst like a talisman , and it acted ” s like a charm . The genial burges es acknow ledged it with nods O f welcome ; and in the stranger who had j ust entered their gates they had one who heartily sym path ized with their pleasant humour . The unexpected announcement

’ O f the comedian s presence made me as happy as

“ ” if I had com e into money .

OF . L RE M IN ISCEN CES J . TOOLE .

“ ” hear the cry O f P asca r él/o / P a sca r é/ f Not that there is the faintest likeness between the

Veglione masquer and the English comedian , e x cept in the popularity of his nam e among the people . I have known the time when the pla “ carded i ntimation , Toole is Com ing , woul d create quite as much real commotion in a provinc ial town as the excitement that pre vailed when the streets O f the City of Lilies “ echoed to the cry Of P asca r é/[o They take the announcement more calmly now , i n the little worlds outside London , than they did i n those days , but they have for M r . Toole a no less s incere welcome , and he is still their devoted servant .

H E is ever the prince O f humorists who can cry

w ell . as as laugh Robson was a low comedian , but he is chiefly remembered for his s erious f comedy and his flashes O tragic power . Toole is best known i n London as the spirit of farce and burlesque . I n the provinces they are not content only to Spend merry evenings with him “ D “ they love h is U ncle ick , his Caleb Plum

hi s mer , M ichael G arner ; and it is not alone u pon the stage t hat the famous comedian exhibits this double gift of fun and pathos ; it is the re flec FOR ON E N IGHT ONLY . 5

O f tion his own sympathetic nature , a capacity to feel the tender emotions of the m ind as well as the ex citement O f mirth and gaiety . M uch of M r . Toole ’ s personal popularity may be traced to these qualities . H is work has always been artistic and honest . H e has been a leading star in London and the provinces for the best part O f h is life . N O actor has been more honoured by men whose friendship is a distinction and an endorsement of N character . O actor is more respected by his professional brethren , nor more S incerely beloved by the great mass of playgoers . H e possesses

O f i s a fund natural humour , and the life and soul Of any company wh ich has the good fortune to have him for host or guest . The writer who undertakes to give an account

’ e of M r . Tool s life and work , his clever stories , h is unrehearsed jests , and his career in general , has no easy task , except when he appeals to those who

know how the humorous comedian tells a story , how he acts it , how he im itates the person in the narrative , and who know the mobility of hi s facial endowments , and his many humorous and delight f ul T idiosyncrasies . here is no more familiar

figure in all England than that of M r . Toole , and many who read the s e volumes will be able t o put into his stories the personal colou r , the

w Of t inkle of the eye , the twist the mouth , the 6 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

i n quiet chuckle , which belong to the Toole d iv id u ali ty .

’ w as I t M r . Toole s peculi ar m imetic faculty wh ich first brought him u pon the stage but we will di s cuss this and other incidents of his early life b - -b y and y . I n the present work the chronicler does not begin at the beginning . Such a proceed i n g would not be in keeping with his subject (M r . Toole is nothing unless he is discursive and fancy free ) an d under presen t circumstances i t would also be highly inconvenient .

TOOLE — For One N ight Only I I had several reasons to be delighted with th e advent O f the f amous comedian at the little West

M idland town . Firstly , I , too , was there for one T n n ight only secondly , M r . oole was my i timate friend and thirdly , I had been commissioned by the editor O f a certain London newspaper to con ” t ribu te to his Portrait Gallery O f Pen -and -ink

- s f . Sketche a word picture O M r . Toole I nterviewing was at that time only j ust coming into jou rnalistic fashion . M r . Edmun d Ya te s had grafted a literary Shoot of the American idea u pon the Wor ld ; I had done something in this way for f l ew/per k? M ag az i n e and the Ti m es of N ew York ; and M . Blowitz had exploited FOR ON E N IGHT ONLY 7

the Yankee notion in several personal chro u i t cles for the Ti m es Of London . O herwise the Engli sh Press was very properly fighting shy O f the sort O f thing which had made itself offensively known in this co u ntry as an I nte rview ; but the true art of both journalism and cr i t i c i sm 18 to seize upon what is good in every new method of work ,

O f and not to condemn the whole a thing , what

i t m a ever y be , because part of it is bad , or, as i n “ ” O f the case of I nterviewi ng , because an ignorant

I f w e abuse of it . in England are Slow to make

s u n a changes in our establi hed institutions , our n im i ty is delightful when the day O f conversion arrives ; and if the prin ciple which gov e rn s our public criticism is eminently conservative , it is

an d also eminently honest , in the end eminently correct . Toole— For One N igh t Only I Such a unique O pportunity for combining bu si ness with pleasure had rarely O ffered itself in my

l r literary and journa istic experience . Over a b ace

o f of birds and a glass M adeira , I resolved that I would fulfil the commission Of a certain London - - editor , and not only make the pen and ink Sketch ” he required , but I nterview the subject thereof at the same time ; and I mention this at the outset of these Reminiscences because that I nterview may be said to be the origin of this work , and it cer S . . RE M I N ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE . t ai n ly has suggested to me the form and method of its literary construc tion .

T o HOSE who know M r . To le , need not be told that he is not , i n his private affai rs , what the world calls a methodical person ; not one of those busy men who find ti me to keep diaries of the follies and backslidings Of the great people they meet ; not a secret historian of the events of

h s his time , nor an epistolary recorder of i own life

AS t and adventu res . in his chari ies he is the last man in the world to let his left hand know

O f what his right hand doeth , so , in the matter his career, it is a blank as far as his own notes of it are concerned . Therefore , i n this account of

Of memories , of anecdotes , work and play , of mi rth and sorrow (we do not always wear the cap and b e lls ) the literary form O f the modern “ I nterview is of all methods the best for ou r present purpose ; and by way of the encourage

O f ment which belongs to the e xample success , i t

’ has f o r i ts precursors , Medwi n s Conversation s

O f with Lord Byron , and the chronicles H enry

’ ” I rving s I mpre s sion s o f A merica . t M r . Toole agrees wi h the recorder hereof i n thi s view of h is Remini s cences . A combination

O f a n rrat ive and conversation has , for the reade r , the advantage of making h im more O f a party to FOR ON E N IGHT ON LY . 9 the business than is the case with the established autobiograph ical method ; he takes his place , as i t were , in the conversations , and is i nvited to part i c i pate in the dramatic incidents as they are narrated ; as I invite him now to go back with me to that autumn evening ten years ago , when , T together , we will see M r . oole in several cha racte rs o ff , not only on the stage but , not only as a popular actor , but as one of the most ingenious

u and ingenuo s of jesters . T oole— For One N ight Only I have said that I was destined to remain in that pleasant little town until the next day . I t seemed to me , when I went forth into the streets , as if all the county was there . The hotel had become suddenly crowded with guests . Carriages were setting down ladies and gentlemen at the

Assembly Rooms in a continuous stream . I wandered round to the back of the hall in search - O f the stage door . I could discover no entrance

O f the kind , and returning to the front , found the

O f hero the evening , himself, trying to pass th e f magic portals O the extemporised theatre . The programme commenced with a Short piece in which the star did not appear . I understood the situation at once . T oole had come quietly down to take his place in the entertainment at eight

’ O clock , and had just made the uncomfortable discovery that there was no way to the stage I O RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

except through the front of the house . Standing a s ide within the shadow Of the po rchw ay or w awning , I itnessed a little original comedy , i n

w as which M r . Toole engaged for his own especial e d ifi cati o n O , and whi ch enabled me to pen that pen -and -ink sketch with an anecdote—the very

Ibfi km DD

W A YELL OW TI C KET THI S Y .

t bes way to begin anything , I believe , if the story

i s only worth the telling . ’ P ” D O you say you ca n t let me in Toole was

saying , as I arrived upon the scene . ” Not without a yellow ticket , replied a hot and ex cited policeman— one of those big burly

countrymen who know their duty and stand by it .

- e e Toole glues his eye glass into his right y ,

1 2 OF . L . RE M IN ISCENCES J TOOLE .

T oole looks at his watch , chuckles quietly to himself, waits until the last of a family party has been ushered within the hall , and then returns to the attack . “ s I say , look here , he says , making a seriou

’ l O effort to be confidentia with the fficer , I don t

’ ’ mind telling you , b ut this ere Toole can t act unless I am there . “ ’ Oh , now you , mister , please don t go on ’ - h r n a b ot e i me . Bu t I m u st g o on a y ou Toole “ ’ replies ; I curls his hair ; he can t go on th e

’ s cu rls tage without I his hair ; I m his barber . “ H is barber ! Curls h is hair I ” e x claims the w janitor . H ow be I to kno you curls his hair P “ I f you ’ ll come outside I ’ ll Show you the ” scissors . Come outside How be I to come outside P You don ’ t want a yellow ti cket to come out

P v side , do you says Toole , a surprised and ery i i nnocent look O f wonder upon h s face .

s u Now , look here , m i ter , you m st stand — I aside Yello w ticket s th is way ’ ’ P ” Can I s tand a sz ae without a yellow ticket

n o w at asks Toole , looking h is watch wi th j ust a

O f shade an x iety on h is face , the policeman more flu ste re d than ever as he recognizes i n a group of t he very last comers a member O f the county 1 ” FO R ON E N IGHT ONLY .

bench , with his haughty wife and buxom daughters . “ T . Yellow tickets this way . hankee , sir ; this !” way , my lady thankee , my lady “ ’ asi a e I can stand without a yellow ticket , s ays Toole , when the last e x citing incident is at “ ’ an end , and you don t want a yellow ticket to come ou tsi de . And yet you want a yellow

n i d t icket to go i s e . Really it is the most extra ’ ordinary thing ! I t does m ake m e so w i /a The Simple -minded Officer looking at his ques t io n er i n a puzzled manner , inclined for a moment

- O f to get angry , seeks relief in his war cry “ Yellow tickets this way I at the moment that a burst O f applause comes swelling through the - half open doorway , and Toole is rescued by a tall , - military looking gentleman , i n faultless evening dress , and wearing a moustache and imperial that are dark compared with his white hair . This is

M r . George Loveday , his agent and friend , whose t merry eye takes in the si tua ion at once , and f f u n O . appreciates the it M r . Loveday at once provides h is chief with a yellow ticket , confers a

an d similar favour on myself, I follow the famous - comedian to his dressing room , where he is glad to welcome an old friend . Wh ile he is making up

C hawle s for in his latest London success , A

F ool a n d H i s M on e y , we compare notes about t he little unrehearsed comedy just concluded out l 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

side the theatre . I tell him of my scheme fo r

combining business with pleasure , and suggest that the I nterview Shall be of an an ecdqt i cal

character , whereupon he is rem inded of an inci dent i n which the most persistent O f practical

jokers , Sothern , was h imself the vict im .

” SOTHERN occurs to me at the moment , says “ e Toole , because I have only this w ek bee n

O ff \ seeing him to America , from Liverpool . Vell ,

’ he had played me a rather easy trick . I d idn t

think my tu rn would come S O soon as it did . Th is is what happened A friend and myself had engaged to meet Sothern on a little matter of - business at a chop house in the city , one of those

Odd Old places that always interest me , and which

’ I wanted to Show Sothern . I don t know any thing more amusing than a prowl about the ci t y ; t I lived in the ci y as a boy , and I ex pect I under stand the fun and humour O f it more than most

fellows on that account . Sothern was late . We were only going to have a chop or Steak and a

S O glass of wine , we did not order anything , but

thought we would wait until Sothern came . Both my friend and myself were attracted by a cantan ke ro u s -looking old gentleman in a dress -coat with a - high collar , and a pair of tortoise shell eye [ FO R O N E N IGHT ONLY . 5

glasses , who was not eating a chop , but devour ing it , going at it as if it had done h im an injury .

I t was not the thing at all , I know , but on the

Odd impulse of the moment , prompted by his

M R . SOT R HE N .

appearance , I stepped up to him at a critical Of moment his luncheon , slapped him familiarly ‘ on the shoulder , and said , H allo ! George , my are P dear fellow , how you 1 6 RE M IN I SCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . The old gentleman leaped from his seat very

i ndignantly , dropped h is knife and fork , and t asked wha I meant , how I dared to salute him in

that way . I apologized in the most gracef ul

O f Old manner poss ible , said he reminded me an

O f friend , hoped he would not think anything it ,

quite a m istake , and in due time I overcame his

evident desire to strangle me .

O f We adjourned to another part the room , b - -b and y and y Sothern came in . I nudged my f riend , feeling that my opportunity of revenge had

’ S othe rn s O f arrived . You know intense love fun ,

r his great animal spirits , an d his gene al anxiety

for exci t ement . ’ ‘ - O ld Odd looking fellow , I said to h im , the gentleman who has j ust commenced upon a second

’ I v e chop . a good m ind to step over , slap him

’ call on the shoulder, him George , and say it s

’ ’ years since I ve seen h im . H e s such an Odd looking fish

’ ’ I ll . do it , said Sothern ‘ ’ ’ N O o u . , I replied , perhaps he would know y ’ ’ all Not at ; he d never know me , answers

Sothern . ‘What a strange -looking O ld chap he is ! I

’ ’ don t think you had better do it , I said . B ut nothing would restrain Sothern when once an idea had taken possession of him . Just FOR ON E N IGHT ON LY . 7 as the O ld gentleman was conveying a dainty morsel to his capacious mouth , he was saluted by

Sothern with a hearty smack on the back , and an ‘ O f G ! exclamation H allo , eorge Why , it must ’ ’ be years since I ve seen you . The stranger could scarcely Speak for pas f ru fi an . sion . H ow dare you , you he exclaimed

Whereupon Sothern , in his pleasantest manner ,

’ began to make his excuses . Don t tell me , sir ; you did it on purpose ! I know it . I have had my chop here for twenty years , and such a thing never occurred before . Landlord , what is the ? meaning of it I will not put up with it . This is the second time I have been assaulted and called George ’ in this very room within ten minutes I I t occurred to us that it would be well to take our luncheon in some other restaurant . As we left we were presently joined by Sothern , and I am bound to do him the justice to say that , C although a little hagrined , he Shook his head and cried ‘ quits ’ as calmly as could possibly be e x pected under the circumstances , and I hope that is the greatest lib e rty I ever took with a

Stranger in my life . I made an opportunity to find out that O ld g e n tle m an o n a subsequen t occasion , and over a glass of a particular vintage

O f port wine , wh ich he always favoured at the

V OL . I . 1 8 N E O F . RE M I ISCENC S J L . TOOLE .

house in question , I made my peace with him , and laid the foundation of an agreeable ac ” I q ua i n t an ce ship .

' CURTAIN S up , please , M r . Toole , says the call

c t o ' re m ark boy , wh i h gives the actor tim e enough , ’ P ’ You won t go away , will you I ll be back very — ’ — soon unless you d like to go in front yellow ” ! T s a tickets this way hen , li tening for the p

R m i i s . e n Mr Frith , in his delightful A utobiography and ’ S othe rn s cences , pays an unconscious tribute to humour by f telling this story as Sothern had evidently told it to him . O O wn i n re course Sothern made a version of his , which he v e rsed the positions of the two leading figures in the little has comedy . Mr . Frith a pleasant reference to Mr . Toole , I u I with an illustrative anecdote , which venture to q ote hope that I Shall not O flen d my friend when I announce that — he is a practical j oker ; but his jokes are harmless not like — w some others that I have named and al ays amusing . I t is O f rai lwa o urn e told of him that he was seen , at the close a y j y, O f to be going through a performance with one his gloves , O f which , on a close bservation , appeared to be the stu fing it - with cotton wool , till it assumed the shape of a human hand . He then contrived to arrange it in front O f his coat so that it should appear to be one of his own , and he placed his railway ra ticket between the fingers . The t in stopped presently , and ’

d . the usual cry , All tickets rea y was heard Tickets , please , f O . said the guard , opening the door the carriage Take ’

. u mine , said Toole The g ard took the ticket, and the hand ‘ ’ as well . The guard was a robust person , Toole is reported k to have said , but he stagg ered bac in a faint, calling feebly f o r smelling salts .

Q O O F . L RE M IN ISCEN CES J . TOOLE .

I HAD a dreadful shock the other night , says b - -b - Toole , returning y and y to his dressing room .

’ I t i s , as you know , the property man s place to ’ Chawle s give me every night in a photograph , which is supposed to be the portrait O f my sweet

‘ C Wu

O \VA RD L . M RS . H PAU heart ; I get a differen t picture pretty well every

O f time , and I hardly ever notice it much , though

c . ourse I pretend to Well , the other n ight , just before I went on , I had read in an even ing paper

‘ 2

d e ath o f . of the M rs H oward Paul , wh ich made

P Although Mrs . Howard aul was best known to the general 2 1 FOR O N E N IGHT ONLY .

me feel sad , for you know what a good , clever - creature she was , and in that portrait scene shortly afterwards I found that the photograph pushed

public as the leading attraction of a high -class variety enter

tai n m en t . arranged and managed by her husband , Mr Howard P P U aul (a native of hiladelphia, nited States) , she was dis n i ti g u shed both upon the lyric and the dramatic stage . She D was born at artford in Kent , and made her first success as “ ” C Tne Be a r s O era aptain Macheath , in gg p , at the Strand , O 2 th 1 8 on ctober 4 , 5 3 , and appeared in the same part at the

Haymarket a year later, with great success . Soon after P M r. wards she married aul , and they appeared together in - P a tchwor k their well known entertainment of , following in S o /Zi a a n d A n n i e the wake of p , and preceding the German R m eed class of performance , since erged into the present more dramatic form of work which has for many years made “ ’ ” I n 1 8 6 . German R eed s a London institution . 9 Mrs P “ Howard aul returned to the stage , and played Lady ’ “ ” D P . Macbeth to Mr . helps Macbeth at rury Lane Later ’ T/z e G r an a D ue/l ess she appeared as the dashing heroine of , rivalling in the part its original French creator . Soon after an war ds she originated entertainment of her own , travelling through the provinces with a miscellaneous company that i n

. R cluded Arthur Matheson , Mr utland Barrington , and occa ll i n a . s o . y Mr George Grossmith , j unior She appeared with the two last-mentioned artists in the original cast of T/z e S oreerer O C at the pera omique, and afterwards went ’ Tli e Cri si s W . d s tour with company , playing Mrs John oo original part . She was taken ill during this engagement , and

only literally reached home in time to die . She was a singularly - A t/zen aeu m generous and highly g ifted woman . The said of her that she sacrificed for second-rate Objects an amount of natural vocal endowment rarely combined (at least in this country) with such genius for the stage as she undoubtedly have possessed , which might made her the Malibran of

E E . ngland , and , as such , an artist of uropean renown 2 2 O F . L . RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE

’ I into my hand was poor M rs . Paul s likeness .

c expe t I made a very serious face , did something

I had never done before , and the house roared

f u n with laughter . They thought I meant it for I certainly did not ; for a f e w moments I never felt more miserable in my life . I had been rather

s dull j u t previously , for I had been staying at the hotel where my poor friends Charles M athews ,

’

. and Brown , of the Prince s , M anchester , had died , and I had had a little memorial of Phelps sent me

’ that very day , and altogether , don t you know , I

Bu was very hipped . t And again he di s appeared ; again there was a

s demon tration . I wonder , by the way , if the country policeman had “ detected ” him by this time ? Presently there was a roar of laughter and then another . I smoked in the little room , ’ - sitting on a packing case , while the comedian s dresser was busy with his next change . The table in front of me was covered wi th make -u p — ’ materials the traditional ro u ge -pot and hare s

' - - foot , the lamp black , the camel s hair pencil ; and

’ u pon a n ail hung the jockey s suit for T/z e

S l ee / /i a ee se. p M r . Toole has played this farce

l ei on a r /e F r a n a i s s and p g , more time than any actor has probably ever played two pieces before . They have been in his programmes and t cons antly performed for nearly th irty years . The j udgment of actors in regard to parts that 2 FO R O N E N IGHT ON LY . 3

t suit them , or in which hey are l ikely to be

. successful , is not always reliable ‘ f ei When first I was O ffered the part in ,

“ Toole says , I refused it . I was a member of

“ ” “ M R . TOO L As S R S I N I C I O N RL F RA N A I S E P IGGIN PA E Q .

th the Adelphi com pany at e time . Webster read

’ t the farce to me , but , grea actor as he was , I don t

think he read farces well . I said , in the first place , t he part of an O ld man was not my line of busi 2 P . 4 RE M IN ISCENCES O J . L TOOLE .

ness , and secondly I knew noth ing about F rench , the latter e x cuse under the circumstances , I am willing to admi t , being rather a poor one . I suggested that Billington should play it ; but he ‘ D ’ was cast for Victor ubois , and Webster said , ‘ ’ You can t tell from reading how a farce will go . I daresay you will work it up into something

’ indeed I am sure you will . H e urged me so earnestly to play the part that I consented . I t went fairly well on the first night , and gradually grew into a great success . I added new business to it for ever so long , took advan tage of accidental laughs and gags , and at last brought it to what it is . I could at the outset have pu rchased it f o r

’ a few pounds , but I didn t , and up to the present time I have paid a fee for every performance of i t i t , and I have acted not hundreds but thousands of times . l ei and Tue S l eep/ee/i ase are in fact two of the

th . most popular of e farces which M r . Toole plays I t does make me so wild !” —one of his many — familiar gags is adop ted into the local vocabulary “ wherever he plays T i ttu m s . But sometimes another actor , playing the same part , will annex ’ “ ” s his contem porary business , as it is called .

M r . Toole had curious e xperiences of this when

c he vi s ited A meri a . H is theatrical cousins had repeated h is business and h is gags with com 2 P OR ON E N IGHT ONLY . 5

n r plim e ta y fidelity . To some of his audiences it seemed as if he were imitating their own popular w favourites . Th is kind of thing is not , ho ever ,

O . confined to America . I t btains i n all countries When the i nfluence of a good actor spreads as an

su e s inspiration , an d is accepted in the way of g g tion and method , such limited i mitation is to be commended ; but when the aim is merely to

’ reproduce another s manner , and to repeat words and business which are the outcome of the original

’ interpreter s careful study of a part , then surely the copyist lays himself open to serious c on de m n a

i t on .

VII I .

' TAL KING about certain actors who crib another s ’ ” — i t business and I don t think many do , says

C hawles Tne S l ee /e Toole , when is over and p “ ’ e/i ase is being got ready , I ll tell you an amusing

’ s tory . I ve been rather successful , as you know , ‘ in i nventing some catch sayings , such as , Still I

’ ’ am not happy , I t does make me so wild , and so

T/i e S te /eenase on . Well , when I first played ep - ’ at Sheffield , the stage carpenter hadn t placed the door and other things quite as I wanted them , and ‘ every time I wished them changed he said , Oh ,

’ S o - -S O sir , J ack and always had it th is way . I found to get all I wanted properly done I had to 2 6 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

a make myself very greeable , as indeed I hope I always do . The carpenter , a blunt Yorkshire w fello , took quite a fancy to me , and was very

O . bliging , even generous When the scene was s e t for rehearsal , he took me aside , and said , ’ Look here , M ester Toole , I ll j ust tell thee

’ ’ s f o i n d th ummat ; you ll not it in book , but Jack

’ S O - -S o t h and , whenever he come to top of stage , ’ ‘ does or put his head out of door , he d keep saying ,

’ m aé m e so w i ld ! N ow , j ust you do that , M ester ’ u Toole , and see how it will go ; j st you try it .

A S usual , when the night came , it did go , with roars ‘ ’ P ’ of laughter . Now , then , didn t I tell thee so s - aid the stage carpenter , as I came off ; and he is to t his day under the delusion that he has had a great ” deal to do with my success in life .

t SLU M M ING is a modern fashion , but bo h

N O I rving and Toole were always Slummers . thing delights either of them more than making

s s e x cur ion in to the back streets of old towns , wandering about in the haunts of the people .

s When they were le s known , this was easier than it is now , and resulted in many odd and curious e x periences . They are both great students of character , the one wi th a more grim a ppreciation of the weird side of human nature

2 8 RE M INISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . not m ind a bit of the reality ; I believe I am an

t w as excep ion , in respect of animal spirits ; I

O always of a cheerful disposition , and I ften feel quite as merry as t he rollicking part I am playing can possibly require , and enjoy the fun of it as much as my audiences . B ut , as I was saying a little while since , there are , of course , many pathetic instances of actors being entertaining and funny on the stage , when i n truth they are suffering the mental agony of grief and sorrow . D uty is duty in all b usinesses and professions . I don ’ t say that it is only upon the stage that men and women have to fulfil their engagements handicapped by some sudden or recent affliction but there is someth ing nevertheless add itionally pathetic , I always think , when an actor has to be funny on the stage wh ile his heart is at home with some great sorrow . “ I remember , many years ago at B radford , an incident that has always dwel t in my mind

’ tou c h ing th is phase of an actor s life We were

u rehears ing P a l P ry . A young man came on for

’ old Stanley . H e was nervous in his manner

s a and Shaky in his word . The man ger was

u rather ro gh with him , which was perhaps right and proper for the discipline of the company ; perhaps th is made me additionally considerate

with the young fellow . I gave h im all the 2 FO R ON E N IGHT ON LY . 9

encouragement I could , and at night h e played

n o t fairly well he was a little slow , however , and

The O f v . ery effective nex t morning , at a rehearsal

T/z e S l ee leenase fi , in which he was cast for the waiter , I was Sitting at the prompter s table , when

T H E E V . M R . TOO LE N R O U S ACTO R

I heard a voice at my elbow say in very subdued tones , I am afraid I was very nervous last night ’ I hope you will look over it . “ I looked up , and saw my friend of the pre ’ vio n s morning s rehearsal . I noticed that he was

now dressed in black , and that there was a crape band on his hat .

’ Oh , yes , I said , you did your best no ’ man can do more . 0 O F L 3 RE M I N ISCENCES J . . TOOLE .

He remained by the table in a curious , hesitating way , and then , almost in a wh isper ,

The and in a very apologetic way , said , truth is ,

’ S i r , my mother died the day before yesterday .

’ ’ I m very sorry , I said .

9 She was very fond of me , he replied ; and the incident dwelt in my memory as a very touch f ing and tender thing . I O ten thought of the poor fellow , and was glad years afterwards when the story had a pleasant ending . “ One afternoon , when I was going to the A C - delphi , through ovent Garden , a well dressed , - cheery looking man stopped me with the remark , ’ I beg your pardon , M r . Toole , you don t remem ber me ? I am the man who played “ Stanley " ’ so badly at B radford .

I w as quite glad to see the fellow . H e s eemed to lift from my mind what had always been a very sad memory . ’ ‘ Oh , yes , I said , I quite remember . Glad you look more cheerful than you did then hope ’ you have prospered . ’ ‘ Ye s ro , thank you , he said , but not in the p f s s i n N O e o . , I have a little business in London

D S i r s i r . now , oing well , ; married too , and all

’ right . ’ Pleased to hear it , I said . I was not u p to my best mark at B radford FO R ON E N IGHT ON LY . 3 !

’ for reasons , he said , his face Shadowing over a ‘ — little at the remark for reasons and there was ,

I thought , a bit of grim humou r in his closing ‘ remark , but all the same the manager fined me — - I ? ) two and si x for not being perfect in my words .

A N D thus the chronicler came to the end of that

- - an e c pen and ink sketch , which was to be more d o ti cal than biographical . Suggesting the idea of further chats in a similar direction , it may well

O f a u n stand as the beginning personal record ,

ln . conventional , I hope , treatment as in matter

O ld I n America they call an story a chestnut , and severe sticklers for novelty carry what they

“ ” u — call a chestn t bell , which they ri ng tinkle , — tinkle , tinkle whenever in society or elsewhere

- any gentleman indulges in a twice told tale . Out West the other day one Of these worthies found

st himself almost for the fir time i n a church , though he had a fair acquaintance with the best of

. all books I n an oratorical application of his te x t , the preacher began to t e ll the story of Jonah and - the whale , whereupon the new comer rang his 3 chestnut bell .

3 f “ Ri Mr . Joseph Jef erson ( p Van Winkle has recently explained the origi n of the word “ chestnut as applied to J RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . Should any reader of these open ing chapters - feel incline to imitate the American bell ringer , I will ask him to consider this explanation . There is an industrious friend of mine on this side O f the Atlantic who , from time to time , has availed himself O f several and sundry true stories which I have related in the course of certain j ou rnalistic

. n e w work H e has given the narratives dates ,

an d and , i n some instances , new actors , fresh con clu s i o n s ; and I am bound to say I think he has spoiled my original stories , though I daresay he

an old story , attributing its authorship to Mr . William Warren , - the well known A merican comedian . “ ” “ There is a melodrama , says Mr. Jefferson , but little w D known to the present generation , ritten by William illon , T/ze Br oken w ord t wo and called S . There are characters in i t— C Z avi er one a aptain , and the other the comedy part of C n P . ablo The aptai is a sort of Baron Munchausen , and in I C ollowa telling of his exploits says entered the woods of y , ’— when suddenly from the thick boughs of a cork -tree Pablo i n ’ terru ts w C . p him ith the words , A chestnut , aptain a chestnut ‘ ’ ‘ C I - I Bah replies the aptain Booby , say a cork tree A ’ P ‘I chestnut , reiterates ablo . should know as well as you . ’ - having heard you tell the tale these twenty seven times . P William Warren , who had often played the part of ablo , was - at a stage dinner a few years ago , when one of the gentlemen ‘ present told a story of doubtful age and originality . A ’ I chestnut , murmured Mr . Warren , quoting from the play , ’ - have heard you tell the tale these twenty seven times . The application of the lines pleased the rest of the table , and when the party broke up each helped to spread the story an d Mr

' Warren s commentary . And that, says Mr . Jefferson , ‘ what I really believe to be the origin of the word chestnut . R E FO O N N IGHT ON LY . 3 3

may imagine he has improved them . I n several cases he has put into the mouth of M r . Toole , language not at all characteristic of that gentle man so that when the reader comes upon a story

hell that would seem to call for the chestnut , I would entreat him to remember that the story T which M r . oole or myself tells him is the original s tory , and that all others are spurious . I t will be worth while writing these volumes if one only rescues from the slums of back -door journalism such anecdotes as have been distorted , vulgarized , and otherwise disguised by alien hands and u n imaginative scribblers . I use these phrases in a

Parliamentary sense , and would not for the world hurt the sensitive feelings O f any gentleman con n e ct ed , however remotely , with either English or American journalism ; but when you see you r own story flung about , here and there , in a battered and mutilated Shape , gradually drifting into the gutter , with probably an improper innu endo tacked upon its innocen t tail , and its point applied to something altogether foreign to it , you may be excused f o r being vexed . A t the same I time , would not have referred to the subject - except in self defence ; but , in referring to it , I am T tempted to observe , as oole would remark , I t is a sort of thing one hates , and a man who will do it is a wretch ; not that I wish to say so , for

V OL . I . D 3 4 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

he may be a dear, good fellow in other ways . - I n this matter of self restraint in the co n de m n a T tion of others , oole is a stu rdy example of generosity . H e is no sooner hurried into a bit of severe criticism of some person whose conduct , public or private , has offended him , than he straightway “ takes it back to quote an Ameri — can i s m as I would these few remarks about the chestnut bell if the e x planation did not strike f me as due to myself, to my riend , and to the reader .

6 . 3 RE M IN ISCEN CES OF J L . TOOLE .

- thousands in the lease of h is dwelling place . Tu rn down Orme Square from the Bayswater — Road i t is easily found by its rather O bsolete wh ite eagle , su pported on two columns united like the Siamese twins ; an eagle which may have begun moulting about the period O f the visit of the Allied Sovereigns , and has protracted the

. T . process ever since hat eagle , like St Peters burg Place , Moscow Road , Bark Place , and similar names , speaks of fortunes made in the Russian

an d trade early in the century , i nvested i n Bays Th - water house property . e drolly melancholy ’ bird suggests to M r . Toole s visitors the retired

T/ze S e/i ool or T er s coachman in f ig , who had

’ d ru v a Rooshu n ambassador and two Lord

M ayors , and attunes the mind for appreciating the bright quips and pleasant cranks , the over

flowing fun and humou r , awaiting you when the front door is opened and you receive the cheeriest ” of welcomes from the heartiest O f hosts .

The l Vor ld , in its picturesque fashion , was thus introducing to its readers one of its C ” w elebrities at H ome , at about the time hen the ch ronicler of these reminiscences was sketch

ing for other pages , at home and in America , “ ” that Portrait i n Words , wh ich , having developed

n o w into a chapter of stories ten years ago , is growing into a series of anecdotical conversations . AT OR M E SQUARE . 3 7

M r . Toole had removed to Orme Square from a not less cosy habitation Situated on the brow of H averstock H ill , where he revelled i n a back garden sufficiently large to grow flowers , and to have the suburban distinction of a summer-house - and a grass plot . I remember his telling me , in

M R R B . F . O SO . N

that very garden , that Robson frequently visited him there , on Sunday mornings , and that he had strongly advised his fellow -actor to take a house fi d ” . ett with a garden H e was g y and restless , “ Toole had said , sometimes on the stage , I fancied , but always off, and I noticed that after we had - sat i n the summer house for a time , with an 3 8 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

occasional prowl on the grass , a sniff at a gilly

O r O f flower , a bit London Pride , he would settle down , like a man who is resting , grow quiet and reflective , and we would have a calm and enjoyable chat . I know nothing so sooth ing as a garden , nothing that calms the nerves so much as pottering - about among flower beds , especially when you have had a hand in their cultivation , if only to the extent of orderi ng the plants from the florists .

I T is summer when I find myself i n O rme

Square , a bright J une morning . I have walked along Oxford Street , past the M arble Arch . The roadway is crowded with traffic that has a holiday appearance compared with the veh icular bustle

of the early months of the year . London is the pleasantest and the most wretched town in the

world . On a dark , wet day , with the mud of m countless wheels churned into paste , it ight well become associated in the m ind of the F rench

traveller with suicide and murder . But on a sunny - day in J une , i t is a gay , picturesque , soul inspiring

city . On this summer morning in question , Oxford Street merges into the Bayswater Road with a ’ merry clatter O f horses hoofs and the wh irl of f O . every description wheel Omnibus , barouche ,

o y n Vict ria , famil carriage , ha som cab , commercial AT OR M E SQUARE . 3 9

van , and the daring bicycle , roll along in pleasant

N O accord . cabman tries to run down another when the sun is bright and the roads are i n good ’ Bu S condition . drivers and cabbies v ie with each - other in the brightness of their button holes . A troop of guards gives the traffic a telling touch of colour , and the music of a coaching horn is heard ‘ above the rush and rattle o f the general traffic . The trees in the park are decorated with their earliest leaves . Children are trooping through the - M arble Arch in company with well dressed nurses , who pause to answer the smiling recognitions ’ of her Majesty s household warriors . The fine houses fronting the park are decorated with

O f flowers , and some them have put forth their - outer blinds . The little paradise of the successful actor in Orme Square is not the least inviting of the many pleasant houses right and left of it . The windows - are open , the flower boxes are full of radiant colour , and the forecourt is white with hearthstone - polish , and yellow with tulip beds . I t is the sum mer following the West M idland trip , and my host , for the twentieth time , has complimented me upon the pen -and -ink Sketch that followed “ ” A r o os the one night only . p p of this , we had already discussed the notion of a volume o f re m i n is n ce ce s . 0 OF L 4 RE M IN ISCENCES J . . TOOLE .

I f you were ever to write my life , he said ,

that would be the way to do it . P ” Yes I replied , more or less interrogatively ,

but I Should want the run of your papers , diaries , and letters . H e had nothing in that way , he “ said , but G eorge had lots of newspaper cuttings and things . For years after th is conversation , and literally at i ntervals of years , u ntil the latter

1 8 8 6 re end of , we talked of anecdotes and m i n i sce n ce s until I at last bou nd myself to a strict but liberal taskmaster in the great trade O f newspapers and books—Tillotson by name— to begin th is work at a certain date ; and then it w as that Geo rge woke up to the necessity of looking over his papers . At Sheffield we made “ an appointment to meet in town , and you shall have everything I have got with the greatest ” pleasure i n the world . The few weeks between that time and our appointment to meet quickly G slipped away , but I n ever saw eorge Loveday again ; he died not suddenly , for he had been ailing during several months , but death at all

Off times is unexpected , and his taking was a great shock to Toole , and a great grief to “ others still nearer and dearer to h im . A good fellow , a faithful steward , and a true T friend , oole wrote to me i n a notification of his death . 1 AT OR M E SQUARE . 4

l George L ov ed ay had for many years been T ’ oole s righ t hand , managing h is business affairs ,

1 —T o R OF T H E L A T E G EO R GE LOV E DAY . TH E EDI TO TH E “ ER A . S I R —Our , memories are shorter , perhaps , in matters theatrical m I t than in ost affairs . is true we have a word of praise for ’ the actor we don t very well remember , and for the play we saw ’ as youngsters and didn t quite understand ; but for what hap i n pens our own time while we ourselves are busy and alert , —’ ! I well twas yesterday, dear heart we had quite forgotten see that George Loveday was manager for Mr . Toole for some — ’ years, died much respected , and that s all . Many can relate much more of the Loveday brothers (George and Henry) than I C , and have known them longer ; but in the hristmas bustle h I t e matter may get put aside . May remind your readers that

was . before George Loveday manager for Mr Toole , or his I brother Henry for Mr . rving, they were managers on their own en tr e ren eur fi ddlers ? I t account, operatic p , and was the two brothers Loveday who years ago first introduced F a ust in E E n nglish to ngland . George managed the undertaki g,

Henry fiddled and beat time . Henry , however , can speak for himself still . But what should concern us a little now is that George

Loveday, just gone , was the pioneer of the present school of acting-management the school which replaces the not-too civil gentleman who was generally “ somewhere about ” the theatre, and when not toadying his manager or keeping an appointment at a neighbouring hotel , was exercising his sluggish brain as to whom it was politic to put on or to take off the free list . George Loveday was not of this kidney (some credit to him , considering the period at which he started) , but was a quick , shrewd , courteous man of business ; in the front of the fli o ce . theatre a genial host, in his a busy brain Handling a property so valuable as Mr . Toole, he brought to bear upon it a keen and original intelligence . With his precious burden he plunged into diminutive towns which had never dreamed of MI N I E { E S C N C E S OF L . J . TOOLE . travelling with him not only as agent but as friend , devoted to his interests , and to the last i n affectionate relations with h im . P rior to his engagement with Toole , he and his brother , M r .

H . J . Loveday , had been managers on their own account . They were among the first to introduce

English opera to the public , both excellent anything in the form of public entertainment beyond a reading - h z . by a half audible vicar, or an our with a peripatetic wi ard “ ” He almost smothered these places with Toole is Coming , - until , in self defence , as it were , the inhabitants rose as one — w he . O ut man , and went to see what Toole did hen came of one astonished town went Loveday into another, never waiting for a revulsion of provincial apathy or the exhaustion of “ ” -i -n fi r the bucolic purse . But he returned with his Koh — again and again , converting what were speaking theatrically w z s amps into pastures ; and we , many years afterwards , gra e there now . The work which this sort of game necessitated told upon him

. I very severely He was gouty by inheritance , and have heard that he has often been transferred from the railway - “ ca rriage to a bath chair . He knew Bradshaw by heart .

We all do now , but there was a time when Bradshaw was a — synonym for mystery and madness i t was then George ’ L oveday s alphabet . ’ ! l oor fellow H is handsome head , his pleasant smile , his - m . Y immaculate shirt bosom , will be much issed ears ago he “ w as go od m atu red ly nicknamed the Prince because of his good looks . The reason might well have gone deeper . He was a prince of good fellows at home and abroad , always

n . encro s , courtly , and sincere I d am , sir, your obe ient servant, R TH R W E P RO . A U . IN ’ ma a . R C/z ri sl s D 1 8 8 . St John s Wood oad , y , 7

OF L . 4 4 RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE .

— so We knew him as he was , true and steady, b e So tender, where the best might well hard ’ n A t a friend s call so ever stro g and ready,

That none might overcount our dear regard .

For him at least, we said , the sun of summer ’ Should lighten up the funeral s dark array ; D To him should eath come as a radiant comer , W hen the bright world makes early holiday . So spake our wisdom but a wiser said it ’ I n h words low whispered through the winter s c ill ,

Awake the ears that hear, and yet can credit

The living message , quick for mortals still . When the dull earth lies brown and shrivelled round you An d hO e - p herself seems for the time half dead , And the warm summer that caressed and crowned you

Such short time syne, has vanished overhead ,

When the cold stars look palely on the clearing ,

A nd the white moon but shivers all alone,

And the brief day, in long night disappearing , P aints her grey canvas in a monotone ,

Old When and new year part in sharp abruption ,

So yet things mortal and corrupt shall be, n Till this corruptible wear i corruption ,

This mortal put on immortality . No fitter hour for the disprisoned spirit

To burst its bondage and its freedom gain , And from the Testament of old inherit

The great immunity from loss and pain .

Something we felt of this ; and through the sorrow f Something of comfort in the whisper ound , A nd of the past a future seemed to borrow r For him we laid , untimely , in the g ound . AT OR M E SQUARE . 4 5

- - Dead -n half a century Old ! A mere derision

To little bodies made of little clay ,

But what to Him , in whose majestic vision A thousand years are but as yesterday ?

Learn from our lost who can , one for another, w The generous moral of the ill to bless ,

And gather all that may , brother to brother,

The lesson of his watchful kindliness .

Little we know but what we know is certain ; ’ The revolution Of D ecember s wheel Behind the black but ever-rising curtain

D oth but the promises of May reveal .

D Of So mystic eath came in her disc glory, The m essage of the snowdrift sent to bring u s— - To the winter memory of a story, — To him the priceless herald of the spring . a n uar ti z ERM ER V L E j y o . H AN M I A . But I am taking the reader far beyond the date of this chapter , and find it imposs ible not to do so , Since I am writing it literally with the sound of funeral bells in my ears . H ad not this work been announced and the date of i ts publication l fixed , I Should have been inc ined to postpone it , under the depressing influence of the solemn cancelling of my appointment with George Love day ; but time and tide , and printers and news papers , must go on ; and we will therefore try and pull ourselves together , as we do in the playhouse for the comedy that follows the more serious scenes , and so get back to Orme Square on that sunny summer morn ing ten years ago . 6 4 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

T H E w indows were open . A thrush was

Singing in an adjacent tree . A sweet perfume of flowers came i n with an occasional soft warm T breeze . here was an artistic litter of manu scripts , books , letters , and ornamental inkstands , - - paper knives , blotting pads , and photographs , on ’ - the writing table of the host s study . T - oole entered i n dressing gown and slippers , and , never having smoked in his life , it was characteristic of him to be also wearing a smoking

O f cap . There was an indication grey in his thick dark curly hair , bu t he looked years younger than h is age , his eyes bright , and his face ruddy with health . H is manner , as you know , is free and u nconstrained , and he is one of those pleasant fellows who seem to carry about them an atmosphere of high spirits . I t is a face of Singular mobility , and full of that kind of power

— a - which com mands success well knit forehead ,

t s rong chin , grey eyes , a large mouth and a long T upper lip . oole would have succeeded in almost any line of work he might have undertaken , which

i n above all things would requi re pluck , push , d ust r y , sincerity of motive and an appreciation of the vagaries of public taste . B ut his instinct directed hi m rightly when it took him to the AT OR M E SQUARE . 4 7

theatre , where , added to these qualities , he h as great mimetic power and a supreme sense of humour . “ ’ I don t O ften come down in my dressing “ gown , he said , but the truth is , Albery has been here reading a play to me and he came a little early . By the way . he was telling me rather ’ a good story against h imself. H e s a wonderful chap to go about getting shaved , always seems to be going in somewhere to be shaved , has a mania for it . I t was at M argate the other day , and the barber was a cockney and fond of the ‘ ’ t o w n P theatres . J est come down from he ‘ ’ ‘

e . . inquir d Yes , said Albery Seen th is yere ’ ’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ H alb r P n e w e s . piece of y Yes Well , he s making a pretty fool of hisself !’ ‘Who P ’ asked ‘ ’ H alb . e r : Albery Why , this yere y he s a pretty

hi n t rod u ci n t dramatist , a g Cremorne on the s age , ’ and making hout it s from the French . I calls it ’ a swindle . I t s a swindle if it is French ; an d

’ ’ it s a swindle to say so if i t ain t ; but everybody

’ H i n li sh haw f u l knows as Cremorne s g , and a nice

hi n t ro du ci n O f affair , too , to get a g it to hour

wives and families . I Should like to kick that ‘ ’ ’ H alb e r y You d better shave him , said ‘ ’ Albery it wi ll pay you better . And the M ar gate cockney does not know to this d ay whom he

so was criticizing and lathering freely . 8 . 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE .

I t rem inded me of a rebuff I once had . I was doing a double turn for a benefit at a little theatre , and arrived partly dressed for the ‘ ’ Th ’ D . e odger doorkeeper was a new man , didn t ’ T know me , and wouldn t let me in as oole ; so I ‘\ ’ T ’ ’ ‘ ’ said , Vell , I m oole s dresser Ah , that s a ’ ’ oss of another colour ! why didn t you say so P ’ afore and in I went .

BUT talking of stories that rather tell against

’ the narrator , I don t know anything much more amusing than the incidents O f my last two birth days . My son Frank , as you know , is studying

n fi ld for the bar . H e said Lewis W i g e had invited the Lord Ch ief Baron and the Attorney -General

O f for I reland , who were both fond theatres , to sup at his place in M aida Vale , and that he h oped I would join them . The night mentioned w as my birthday , and I reminded Frank that as a rule I generally supped at home after the theatre on my birthday ; but he said W i n g fi e ld was anxious to do him a turn at the bar , the Lord Chief Baron and the Attorney -General were both

O ld friends of h is , and it would be a great thing to have the benefit of their influence . W i n g fi e ld afterwards called on me and said f ‘ something to the same ef ect , and of course AT OR M E SQUARE . 4 9

’ F rank s interest was paramount with me , and I accepted . “ I had had two performances , one at the

an d Crystal Palace one at the G aiety , and I was ’ both tired and hungry w hen I got to W i n g fi eld s

— a house lovely place he had in M aida Vale ,

ae with a fine studio , and all i n the choicest sthetic style . At the entrance to the studio there was a small room , very comfortable , but on this occasion — ’ rather dark W i n g fi e ld s artistic idea of tone

f T . and ef ect , of course . here was a nice fire

A coloured lamp or two were burning dimly , and there were lots of curtains . “ When I arrived , I found F rank already there . W i n g fi e ld introduced me at once to the Lord

- T he Chief Baron and th e Attorney G eneral .

Baron was sitting in a low chair by the fire , and - the Attorney General , a fat gentleman , was talk ing to Frank , but in very guttural tones . He was rather a pompous person , as men with ‘ ’ big corporations often are , and he carried his

l affi n Fa st a weight as if he were proud of it . H e - was not , I thought , over polite to me , but as

Frank seemed to be getting on with him all right ,

I did not mind . H e need not , however , I thought , have turned h is back upon m e after saying how do you do , as if how do you do had stuck in his throat and me with it but the Lord Chief Baron

VOL 1 . . E F . L . 5 0 RE M IN ISCEN CES O J . TOOLE s eemed as if he noticed it and tried to make it u p to me by being very pol ite , only the worst of the Baron was that he had an awful cough ; one Of those cough s w hich takes a man right in the — middle of a remark and breaks him down a gasp ing , choking cough which Shook his frame and made me feel very sorry for h im . H e was an - odd looking man , th in and spare , in a long coat which came to h is feet , had th in Spare hai r , a bit

- he of wh ite whisker , and wore a velvet skull cap - was a learned looking chap , and a pleasant fellow to talk to , no doubt , if it had not been for that awful cough . ‘ ’ ‘ ’ e s Yes , y , he said , your son (cough , ‘ ’ ‘ cough) , is going to the (cough , cough) , bar ’ ‘ y e s ! , yes , we must (cough , cough) , help him

' an d be fo re I could thank h im he went off into something nearly approaching convulsions . I suggested a lozenge from which I had mysel f found benefit .

I S cou hff co u hff e tche w your lozenge ( g y, g y, ‘ i n flue n cou hff any good for an ( g y , ‘ ’ co u hff z g y) a cold . N othing ’ s any good for that but a good ’ ‘ dinner , said Old Grumpy w ith the big corpora tion and the bad manners . You know my weak ness for studying oddities of character ; well , for

n the fi rst few min utes , tired and hu gry as I was , I

M O F L . 5 2 RE IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE . been in thi s purgatorial room I suppose ten minutes , but it seemed an age .

The Baron rose up from his seat presently , not without some difficulty , and tried to say some ‘ thing about having seen me act : E njoy the ‘ “ u theatre (co gh , cough) Very much , your Paul ” ‘ e t chew e tche w Pry capi ( , cough , ) tal

’ I don t disdain a compliment ; never knew an actor who did ; but I was so worried and

’ depressed w i t h this O ld gentleman s cough and

’ s the other s upercilious grunts , that I began to

s think of lipping out of the house somehow , I was so m iserable . “ Suddenly W i n g fi e ld said something in a w - ‘ hisper to the Attorney General , who said , Yes , ’ ’ yes , capital , and began to laugh ah , ah , not like

s the monk of old , but like a heavy villain who had got the hero of the drama i n a hole . Pre ‘ ’ se n t l . y the ah , ah , grew a little more cheerful whispered a second time in the stout

’ A t torney s ear Capital ! T he funniest thing I — — ’ ever heard ah , ah , ah must tell the Baron . ~ As the Baron struggled to h is feet , Wing field d rew my attention to someth ing at the

re other end of the room , and all at once I

i v c e e d a whacking blow on the back . I turned roun d to see a sight that really terrified me , for I thought that under the influence of despair and disappointment I had gone suddenly crazy . T A OR M E SQUARE . 5 3

There was the fat Attorney -General and the slim

-i n - Baron , hand hand , curvetting round me like a brace of maniacs , and yelling in the most discord ‘ - - - -dow- - - - ant tones , Whack fol de row fol lo de riddle

’ - - - - raddle whack fol de row dow fol de rol de ray . And as they sung and danced they banged me familiarly on the back . “ I n a whirl of wonder and amazement , I tried to retreat , and got as far as the stairway that led to the studio , when suddenly the curtains were

O ld withdrawn , and there I saw my friends Lowne , G eorge Loveday , and one or two others in a group , roaring with laughter, my dear boy Frank

Splitting his s ides . I then turned towards the two old legal lum i naries ; they both confronted me , and in one voice ‘ calmly said , J ohnny , dear fellow , we wish you many happy returns of the day A nd only then did I discover that my friend the Attorney -General D was avid J ames , and the Lord Chief Baron ,

s Tom Thorne , who thereupon wi hed me many

the happy returns of day , and thrust upon me a couple of beautiful remembrances of the time . T I never was more completely sold . hey acted Splendidly . Even if I had had any sus

i c i o n p , I could not have thought of J ames and

Thorne as the impersonators of legal power , because they were at the time playing in Ou r

Bo s y , and I had hurried up from the theatre , and O F . L . 5 4 RE M IN ISCENCES J TOOLE .

’ W i n fi e ld s yet they were at g when I arrived , and looked as if they m ight have been there for a week . They would not , however , have been so successful , I think , if it had not been for Frank , who was one of the conspirators against me , and who knew , the dear fellow , that I should enjoy the fun as much as any one of them , when once the thing was over . I need not say that Wing fi e ld gave us a capital supper ; but I was rash enough to say that I would bet anything they would not sell me on my next birthday , and every body said they should think not indeed— once bitten twice shy .

I T will be interesting in this place to state that

W i n fi e ld the H on . Lewis g , well known i n literary , t t ar is ic , and journalistic ci rcles , is the third son of

P w r c u r D r the late Lord o e s o t . eclining the Oppo t u n i ti e s that belong to a younger son in the army

and navy , the learned professions , and diplomacy ,

he ran away from College , went upon the stage , and made a tour of the I ri s h provinces with great

s uccess , the company including M r . Addison , his

clever daughters Fanny and Carlotta , Fred Rob

so n D . T , Fred ewar , and the two Webbs hey

played the legitimate drama and burlesque , M r . l “ i n g fi e ld being very successful in eccentric AT OR M E SQUARE . 5 5

comedy . I n due time he came to London and played with Walter Montgomery at the H ay “ ” market . H e was the Roderigo , with M rs . “ D Kendal as esdemona , I ra Aldridge playing “ ’ “ the M oor to Montgomery s I ago . M r . W i n g fi eld had acted a diversified round of characters , and was on the eve of signing a long engagement for Australia and America , when his mother intervened , and he settled down at

A ntwerp for three years as an art student . H e n ce f o rward his career was none the less exciting than it promised to be as an actor . H e joined - i the Prussians in the Franco Pruss an war , half artist , half surgeon , and had many adventures ; afterwards became war-correspondent for the

D a i l Tele r a n y g p , was offered the F rench Legion of H onou r for his services in the American A m b u lan ce e , and during the Commune was the ac re T m dited correspondent of the i es . Later he has written novels and plays . H e decorated and mounted R omeo a n d j u li et for M iss M ary Ander son at the Lyceum . H is last appearance on the “ ” stage was as Orlando in A s You L i lée [ t at the Calvert benefit i n M anchester , when Lady “ Theodore M artin took the part of Rosalind ; ” a M iss Kate P ttison , Celia ; M r . Tom Taylor , “ “ Adam and M r . H erman M erivale , Touch ” stone . D uring the last few years he has travelled pretty well all over the world , having made long 5 6 RE M IN ISCEN CES OF J . L . TOOLE . — journeys in China and J apan an eventful life and a merry one .

” I I E N d \V my next bi rthday came roun , continued my host , I was not acting that night , and Arthur

\V n dham Stirling , Robert y , and one or two friends , had been dining with me . About twelve

’ o clock some of them were g oing home , and I - was saying good night to them i n the hall , when a cabman came up to the door and

’ said , M r . Toole , I ve called for that yere seven and -six I ’ - -s i x That yere seven and , my man , I replied , P ’ what yere seven -and -S i x ’ d ru v O m e For the bother night , when I you

’ and you d got no change , and said I was to com e ’ o r f it . ‘ I ‘ G o along , I said , you must not try that kind of th ing on me ; I never allowed a cabman

’ to go away unpaid .

’ ’ I don t know about that , the man

’ ’ replied , I wants my money , that s all I knows . ‘ ’ ‘ ’ n s o ! You wa t y ur money I said , and that s

’ all you knows ! I f yo u are impertinent you ll have h ’ ’ ’ t e . police , that s what you ll have At this moment another cabman , very much muffled in the traditional cape , stepped from among a cluster of cabs that had assembled , I AT OR M E SQUARE . 5 7

supposed , for the convenience of my guests , and without any invitation , joined i n the conversation . ‘ ’ ’ Why don t you pay the man his money , he said and , to embarrass me all the more , my wife came into the hall and whispered in a loud voice ,

Yes , J ohn , pay the man and let him go ; I daresay ’ it is quite correct , and that you have forgotten it . !’ Forgotten it I exclaimed , I fear a little indignantly , I could not possibly have forgotten

’ such a thing . ’ su ku m st an ce M y mate remembers the , said the cabman , j erking h is thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the Jehu in the capes .

v Remembers it , y of course I does said the ‘ other . You took the gent hup at the Garrick C ’ i m lub , you drives and another gent , a taller than ’ i m Alb e rm arle , and he pulls you up in S treet , and the tall gent he walks round into Grafton Street , and then you ’ as the order to drive to Orme

— v Square remembers , y , I could be sworn on it at any police -court in London !’

This rather bothered me for a moment , the mention of the clubs and the knowledge that I had occasionally dropped a d istinguished tragedian at his chambers in Grafton Street . Seeing that I hesitated , my wife again suggested that I shou ld pay the man . B ut that made me obstinate again . I could not bear my guests to have the faintest suspicion that I had actually been trying to bilk a F L . RE M IN ISCENCES O J . TOOLE .

cabman , and they were i n the hall by this time , every one of them—several ladies among the ’ number , my wife s friends , having come down - fro m the dressing room with their cloaks on , ready ’ to go home . Pay h im , J ohn , and let h im go , my wife wh ispered , and somehow the tone of her

S O advice strongly suggested I was in the wrong , ‘ that it quite upset me . I will not pay h im and

’ let h im go I t is an attempt at imposition .

AS I e x pressed this final determination , a hansom drove into the square and pulled up on the s cene .

’ ’ V s y here B ill Mathers , said the first cabman . ’ ’ fi v e H e ll remember it , I know , cos I borrowed ’ bob of him on the strength of it . Whereupon B ill M athers dropped down from h is hansom and said , I s it about the gent you — P d ru v from the G arrick the seven -and -six affai r ‘ ’ ’ Yas , said the first cabman , and That s the

’ ticket , remarked the brute in the capes .

I t is an impertinent attempt at swindling , and

’ I will not be imposed upon , I said , when a new comer arrived on the scene . ‘ P ’ What is it , Johnny asked the new comer , ‘ was W i n fi e ld who no other than Lewis g , J ust

’ passing by , couldn t believe my ears when I heard

’ o u P y talking about police and swindling , what is it But before I could ex plain the man in the capes thrust a parcel into my arms , and the hansom

6o . . RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L TOOLE remembered a certain defiant remark on my previous birthday ; I had forgotten it ; b u t I keep with pride and pleasure the handsome gifts , a desk h- and a punc bowl , which the two clever cabmen thrust into my arms at the height of my rage and bewilderment . I t turned out that the first cabman was the t genuine ar icle ; they had coached him in his part ,

w Ou r Bo s associated ith the phenomenal success of y , which was originally produced under their j oint management at the P e rk n Vaudeville Theatre . Mr. James played y Middlewick ”

. C ham n e s and Mr Thorne was Talbot p y , both very notable u r [J o s performances . O y not only brought them fame and for z ov e r tune , but it reali ed something twenty thousand pounds D u for Mr . ck , a provincial manager , who bought the country D rights for five hundred pounds . Mr . avid James made his ’ first app e arance on the stage at the P rincess s Theatre during the management of C harles Kean . He achieved his first real T/l € [f ei r -a t-Law 1 8 6 success in a revival of in 5 , sustaining the ” Z eki cl m part of Homespun , his natural , unaffected anner coming as a surprise to the critics , who had previously only seen him in burlesque . Mr . Thorne first attracted the atten ’ i n 1 8 6 2 Tom s L i e tion of the public in a comic play entitled f , in which he impersonated a number of comic characters . He afterwards became a member of the stock company at the

Strand , and latterly he has done notable work at his own theatre in a series of revivals of old comedies , his latest success “ ’ ” ’ i uchan an s Tom being l arson Adams in Mr . version of

o/zes . l l is . j former colleague , Mr James , at the same time has ’ a C dded strength to Mr . Wyndham s company at the riterion , “ ” and his Alderman I ngot in D avi d C a r r i e/é has justified the promise he gave in the first serious part of his earliest d ays . AT OR M E SQUARE . O 1

r D and Ve y well he played it . avid had been seated on the box of a four -wheeler by arrange T ment with the driver , and horne had for the first time i n his life driven a hansom cab , which he did with a dash that would have deceived anybody — and his make -u p was fi rs t -rate com ing round the

at corner the right dramatic moment , while in the background , like Mephisto in the play , was their ” i n fi l W e d . former confederate , Lewis g

VII I . f “ W E O . were speaking Robson , I said You knew him very well ?

Yes , he replied . And admired him as an actor P ” Tremendously , he replied , with much energy “ of manner . I used to see a great deal of him

D u in blin , long before he came to London . H e was a popular comedian i n Dublin when I received

. my first engagement there H e was at the Royal ,

I was at the other theatre . H e was a special t M w favourite i n Boots a e S a n . Whatever the

manager at one theatre put up , the other did , and I was playing Boots a t t/ze S wan at the same time

as Robson . I got to know him very well . I

w a used to go and have tea with him , and he s

very kind to me , often gave me hints , and took

an interest in whatever I did . I was with him 2 P . . 6 RE M IN ISCENCES O J L . TOOLE w hen he received an O ffer from old Farren to go G to London . H e had played at the recian before

D Of he went to u blin , but never at the west end ’ f London . Farren s of er was for the Olympic , and

I went to the station with him and saw him off.

H e had a wonderful talent , and was a very remark

T i n - able actor . here were flashes his mock trag edy

t . tha were magnificent , overpowering I some times thought he lacked repose ; not that I would venture to criticize him even to that e x tent , he w a s so great a genius . I think if he had done a ” t li tle gardening it would have done him good . Then my host repeated the incident of H aver stock H ill , wh ich i s recorded early i n this chapter , and drifted into other matters which I propose to hold back until the chief narrator in this collabo ration is i h a frame of mind to S i t down and tell me the story of his life . M eanwhile it is pleasant

“ “ ” to hover , as the Butler would say , around ou r subject , and collect together the good things which need not wait for place or preferment .

YO U told a capital story at the Theatrical Fund ” dinner last year , I suggested . “ About the Cratch it piece at the Adelphi ?

1 i i he sa d nterrogat vely . 6 AT OR M E SQUARE . 3

I an sw e re d Yes , . I t is a fi rst -rate story ; I told it to D ickens

u shortly after it occurred , and he was quite to ched

fi n e - by it . What a hearted , kindly , merry gentle man he was ! H e once told me he had at one time almost made up his m ind to be an actor . I said it was a good thing for some of us and a splendid thing for literature that he changed his mind . H e seemed to possess everything that goes to make success on the stage , in comedy , especially high class comedy ; and I never knew any one with such a keen eye for character , with such a quick appreciation of a joke . While he was talking he was fishing among his papers for the Cratchit story . ’ O Ah , here it is in print , don t ften get my stories into the dignity of print , except when George drops one into the ear O f a critic or a friendly editor ; you can read it for yourself. I was not going to be denied the pleasure of hearing him tell the story , and I returned him the reprint . “ A good story is never old though print

“ gives it a familiar kind of look , he said . I t

‘ ’ w as when I w as playing Bob C ratchit in

Tne C/z r i stm as Car ol i at the Adelph , under M r . ’

Webster s management , and every night at eight , for forty nights , I had to carve a goose and a 6 4 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

- plum pudding . M r . Webster provided a real

s - goo e and a real plum pudding , which were served smoking hot for M rs . C ratchit and the seven

C ratche t ts little , of course including Tiny Tim . “ The children always had enormous portions

v given them , and all ate heart ily e ery night but what really troubled me was the conduct of the ‘ ’ ’ little girl who played T iny T i m . T hat child s appetite appalled me . I could not help noticing the extraordinary rapidity with which S he consumed what I gave

S he her , and looked so wan and thin , and so pitiful , that her face used positively to haunt me .

I used to say to myself before I began , Well ,

Tiny Tim Shall have enough this time , at all ’ s event , and I piled her plate more and more each evening , until , I remember , she had on one occa sion nearly half the bi rd , besides potatoes and

- apple s auce . I t puzzled me to know how she could even carry it away to the fireplace , where s he sat on a low stool , in accordance with the story , much less eat it . To my amazement she carried it off and cleared her plate as quickly and as eagerly as - ever , pushing forward for plum pudding with the

t . . o hers I grew alarmed , and spoke to M rs C ’ Alfred M ellon , who was playing M rs . ratchit , respecting this strange phenomenon . AT 6 OR M E SQUARE . 5

’ ’ ‘ ’ I don t like it , I said ; I can t conceive where a poor , delicate little thing like that puts the food . Besides , although I like the children to enjoy a treat —and how they kept on enjoying it for forty nights was a mystery , for I got into such

“ T T I M W H O T T OO S . INY , A E H E G E a condition that if I dined at a friend ’ s house and goose was on the table , I regarded it as a — I T im personal affront said , referring to Tiny , ‘ ’ I don t like greediness ; and it is additionally

re fi n e d - repulsive in a looking , delicate little th ing like this ; besides it destroys the sentiment of the

V O L . I . F 6 6 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . — si tuation and when I , as Bob , ought to feel most pathetic , I am always wondering where the goose

u and the pudding are , or whether anything serio s in the way of a fit will happen to Tiny Tim before the audience , in consequence of her unnatural

’ gorging .

M rs . Mellon laughed at me at first , but even T t u ally we decided to watch iny Tim together . “ We watched as well as we could , and the T Ti m moment iny was seated and began to eat , we observed a cu rious shuffling movement at the

-fi re lac e stage p , and everything that I had given - her , goose and potatoes and apple sauce , dis appeared behind the Sham stove , the child pre tending to eat as hearty as ever from the empty plate . ’

W . hen the performance was over , M rs Mellon and myself asked the little girl what became of the

food she did not eat , and , after a little hesitation ,

frightened lest she should get into trouble , which

we assured her could not happen , she confessed that her little Sister ( I Should mention that they - were the children of one of the scene shifters) , waited on the other s ide O f the stage fireplace for

the supplies , and that the whole family enjoyed a hear ty supper every n igh t out of the plentiful T portions to which I , as Bob , had assisted iny

Tim .

68 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

room at the theatre in K ing William Street . I n leaving Orme Square for the present , I feel that I canno t do better j ustice to its pleasant domestic at m osphe re than by quoting the concluding passages

“ O f Celebrities at H ome , in which the family senti ’ ment of the actor s home is so delicately suggested , the reality of its domesticity so deftly recorded . Without presuming to touch deeply upon private life , we may be permitted to say that the subject of this paper is essentially a domestic man , and so devoted a husband and father as to be generally accompanied by h is family when his pro f e ss i o n al engagements necessitate more than a

Short absence from London . When M r . Toole visited America , for example , M rs . Toole and his

’ s o n and daughter , and the lat ter s governess , were added to the professional fellow -travellers it was necessary to take and after we have Shaken hands

n that afternoon , with a merry parti g j est , the

e x e ri though t occurs , how widely different the p ence has been from much that one has read of comedians o ff the boards . H ypochondriacal and gloomy creatures occasionally , whose fun an d animal Spirits left them with their stage -dress ; o r ro fli ate s dissolute p g , whose irregularities were

a n d a proverb , whose homes were a disgrace , the remembrance of their careers brings into strong relief the cheerful brightness of the happy house 6 AT OR M E SQUARE . 9

we have left , which might be singled out as a typical example of a prosperous E nglish middle class home , in which the happiness of its master centres The steady , intelligent young fellow working away creditably for h is destined pro f es si o n ; the charming little girl who is as the

’ apple of her father s eye , and who is the first auditor of many a playful stroke of humour which afterwards becomes famous ; the abundant evidences of the thoughtful and affectionate care with wh ich the comedian ’ s tastes and wishes are studied ; and above all his own happiness , enjoy ment , and pride in and with h is family , and h is passionate yearn ing for home when he is away all linger pleasantly in the memory when one recalls that merry afternoon with Toole , and the ceaseless outpour of amazing stories , illustrated by choicer comic acting than the stage has seen , wherewith it was enriched . 0 OF L 7 RE M IN ISCENCES J . . TOOLE .

S U N S H I N E A N D S H A D OW .

A R — ’ Mr . eception at Orme Square . and Mrs Toole s Silver — P — I ’ Wedding leasant hours after midnight Mr. rving s first experience as a public reader on his own account ’ ” Toole at D unfermline A N orrible Tale in chapel ”— Lo ! the poor Indian ! Complimentary groans Toole ’ s age—Michael Garner on the stage and off— Old — ’ Garen te and the bandits David James s Whitechapel — romance Hollingshead and the birthplace of P odgers — L ow salaries and high art Actors and their friends — Artistic society The shadow .

A .

T H E pleasant Spiri t of the closing picture of the previous c hapter follows me in my last sunny

2 th memory of Orme Square . I t was on April 7 ,

1 8 . . 79 , that M r and M rs Toole celebrated their

Silver wedding . Over a hundred friends accepted the invitati o n of the host and ho stes s to an evening

reception . The guests were representative ladies and gentlemen , some of them already celebrated in

a the world of Liter ture and Art , others who have since achieved fame and prosperity . Each of them came with either a bouq u et of flowers or a gift of 1 SUN S H IN E AN D S HADOW . 7

silver plate , or both , and each might have won dered where the hostess would find room for another bouquet , or another less perishable sou venir for quite early in the evening every side board , shelf, mant elpiece , table , seemed to be gay with flowers , or white with silver . Some of the tributes of love and esteem were accompanied with pleasant conceits in verse others were signalized by serious and touching lines , such , for example , as the silver token from M r . Clement Scott . When the rooms were crowded with guests , it was sug gested that the poet Should read his verses , where upon he recited the following stanzas with excellent effect

T “ o J O H N LAW R E N CE TOO L E O N H I S SI LVE R WE DDIN G .

A Silver Wedding Johnnie, is it true, ’ For fi ve-and-twenty years in chains you ve sported ? m Ti e , the Avenger, stays his pranks with you ,

And makes you younger than when first you courted .

The best of fathers to the kindest son , O n wife and daughter rays of sunshine shedding P aterfamilias and friend in one , This is the crown of Johnnie ’ s Silver Wedding

n A Silver Weddi g for a heart of gold , Hark to the echo of the voices round you

Brother and friend in one sweet nature rolled , — We find you true as we have ever found you .

Take then , upon this day of perfect bliss , My humble gift—may you and yours outlive it I ts greatest value to your friend is this — That he has lived to know you and to give it ! ? O F . L . 7 RE M INISCENCES J . TOOLE

le d TH IS recitation to others , recitations to ballads , and ballads to Reminiscences but the Remi n i sce n ce s came later in the evening , I m ight say

O dd earlier in the morning , for the hundred guests w had dwindled down to a dozen , hen men began to t alk shop and compare notes about their varied

s e x perience . You who know how evening recep tions in artistic society usually end need not be told that the last two hours are invariably very plea sant , that , in fact , you have waited for them ; that

i n they include , the way of refreshment , the cigar you have been dying to smoke and that the little

Of company will then consist , most likely , a hand ’ s ful of the host oldest friends and yours , as they did on this occasion . Among the m I remember l . G ross m i th f o r M r George , Bow Street reporter

“ London buries this week an interesting and somewhat remarkable man in Mr . George Grossmith , the lecturer and reader . Sixty years of age , the deceased gentleman began life r r n as a reporter o n the Reading M e eu y . Through the frie dly Ti mes interest of Mr . Walter he was transferred to the , and became the Bow Street reporter o f that journal . He never made a public appearance on a leading London platform , though he often lectured at suburban institutions ; but in the country he held for many years , and up to the day of his death , the very foremost place as a lecturer and reader . He devoted himself D chiefly to the interpretation of ickens , and in that line he did D ‘ better than ickens himself. His Lecture on Lecturers was SUNS H IN E AN D SHADOW . 7 3

Ti m es the , and lecturer to all the best of provincial institutes ; his two sons , the eldest of whom was just scoring his first successes in M essrs . G ilbert and ’ Sullivan s Operas , the youngest beginning to paint promising pictures ; M r . Henry I rving , who

M R R R M T T H L T R R . . O OSS E C GE GE G I H , E U E

was in the firs t year of his management Of the

Lyceum Theatre M r . Arthu r Cecil , who had been

E also very popular, and throughout provincial ngland he was admired and respected . An intimate associate of the late D he George awson , had in London a large circle of acquaint a u ces and friends . His modest little house on Haverstock 74 RE M IN ISCEN CES OF J . L . TOOLE . making a special advance in his art in the character ” S t i n I D e lom ac . of Baron , think in ip y ; M r Lionel Brough (the survivor of a clever trio of brothers) ;

M r . John H ollingshead , author , journalist , and

T . manager of the Gaiety heatre M r David James ,

T s . Ou r Bo . M r homas Thorne ( y ) , M r John Billing ton , and several others . One ’ s memory begins to be dimmed in regard to matters of detail even after ten years ; but there

O f are incidents of the night , scraps stories and

n ot characteristic anecdotes , which i t is difficult to

T O f recall . alking the hopes , ambitions , and enter prises of h is early life , prompted thereto by the conversation running i n that d irection , I rving mentioned his first attempt at turning an honest penny as a public reader at a little town near

n Edinburgh . I t was duri g an engagement he was

H ill has echoed to the merriment of many a pleasant reception . George Grossmith had the privilege of living long enough to see his two sons distinguished and prosperous . His eldest boy is well -known as first among the clever troupe of actors who P i n a or e made f famous , and he has no superior as a drawing roo m ente rtainer . His youngest son is Mr . Walter Weedon G w ’ rossmith , hose portrait of his father was hung in last year s

Academy . Mr . Grossmith was presiding at the Saturday weekly dinner of the Savage C lub when he was attacked with apoplexy , and died before he could be removed to his own W house . alter was with him . George was sent for, and came ’ from the stage in T/ze P i r a tes of P en z an ce to attend his father s — dying moments . Mrs . Grossmith arrived too late . London

C N ew Yor k Ti m es 1 0 th 1 8 8 0 . orrespondent , May ,

6 7 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . on the other side of the street to watch the audience

s rush in ; he trolled some time , the hour struck for the entertainment to commence , but not a soul had arrived one person , I think , put i n an appear a nce eventually and received his money back , and the enterprising impresario and h is star returned to E dinbu rgh , saying very little by the way , and rarely afterwards mentioning the bitterness O f their disappointment . “ ’ T he Town H all wouldn t hold them now , ” H enry , remarked the host . H ollingshead

’ would take the risk , and try it for a week , wouldn t P ” you , John

“ ” “ Yes , said the judicious one ( Practical

John the Press had christened h im) , and make I ” i t a certainty for the Reader , money down

“ I T rem inds me , said Toole , of a kind of failure I had at D unfermline ; not e x actly a failure , but one of the most curious experiences — a s an entertainer what they would call in the ‘ ’ classics a rum go . I remember telling D ickens all about it , not so much for the story itsel f, as an illust ratio n that he had n o t e x aggerated hi s report of t he C o mm ittee of the B ri c k Lane Branch of the U ni ted G rand J unction Ebenezer Temperance

Society . V SUN SH IN E AN D S H AD O\ . 7 7

I t was duri ng my first engagement at Edin

O n burgh . A gentleman called me from D un f e rm li n e , said he would like me to sing at a concert in that town on a certain day . He had seen me act and must have heard me sing my

’ ’ N o rrible songs , A Tale , and so on ; and I con cluded I had hit him , particularly when he said he

O Of could ffer me a fee five guineas , and make things generally pleasant for me . Salaries , as you know , were not tremendous in Edinburgh , and these little outside engagements were agree - able tit bits between the acts , as it were . H e was a nice sort of gentleman , very complimentary and evidently desirous that my engagement should be made as comfortable as possible . ‘There will be no piano or band for aecom

. n e ed n a panying you , M r Toole , and ye dress i n

i e costume ; j ust come as ye are , and g me the ’ ’ O names the songs ye d care to sing , so that I can

’ put t hem in the programme .

H e spoke with the slightest bit of dialect , the bit that makes the voice and language of a Scotch man so pleasant to the ears of a Southerner .

’ ’ I f o u re y willing , I ll jest Sign the engage ’ ment the noo , he said .

I was willing , he did Sign , and I went . When I got there I found t he concert was in a chapel , one of those hard conventicles which I 8 . . 7 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE . always think must make worship rather a cold

O f business , but of course that is a matter taste . I t was in the early evening the candles i n sconces

s on the wall j ust lighted , the formal pulpit rather

Shadowy , the hard pews containing a scattered

O ld audience of men and women , who looked as i f they had had a hard time of it in this wicked

world , and who would take a deal of rousing into enthusiasm about anything except in the way of denouncing the depravity and S i n of this mortal

s life . M y pirits went down to zero . I looked at

a prog ramme that was handed to me , and found that the occasion was the annual soiré e of a Total

Abstinence U nion , and I afterwards learnt that

the U nion had been split up by dissensions , and

' that one -half was giving a rival soiree in another f part of the town , and that special ef orts had been made in the rival entertainment to attract the

w as public . M iss Rainforth the star at the othe r

place I was only one of the stars at this . There

was a kind of platform , someth ing that would

raise the performers a little above the audience .

The pulpit was evidently not going to be used . ‘ ’ N o rrible I felt rather glad at that , because A Tale ’ in the pulpit would have been a little more ‘ ’ ’ out of place than A N o rrible Tale sung from one of the pews . I was awfully bothered , wonder ing what sort of an affair it would be , and my D SUN SH IN E AN SHADOW . curiosity began to get a little the better of my

asco fears of a fi . I noticed sitting beneath the pulpit a Red I ndian , and by his side a something m b between the M ulberry man and a o orator . T urning to the programme , I saw that they were ‘ ’ Stars of the evening , beautiful stars , and my spirits went down again when I noticed that the

’ meeting was to be addressed , and all that sort

f e w of thing . After a words from a gentleman , who rose as the chairman of the meeting— whether it was a short prayer or what I could never make out— tea and cake and oranges were served in the pews , and to a few solemn younger people near T h the platform . e gentleman who had engaged me moved about on tiptoe ; everybody seemed afraid of disturbing everybody else . At length the first speaker spoke again ; this time on the benefits of total abstinence , and then introduced

S o - -S O - Brother and , the mob orator gentleman who had been sitting under the pulpit . He wore no collar ; his coat was closely buttoned about his throat his hair was long , and a pair O f shabby horn eye -glasses were dangling - from a faded ribbon at his top button hole . H e told the most awful lies , I think , I ever heard . I remember in particular he dwelt upon a tragic narrative intended to Show that in whatever shape a man approached whisky , or whatever he had M . 8 0 RE IN ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE .

s to do with it , he was ure to come to grief and sorrow and death A drunkard went into a cottage one day , where there was a keg of whisky on the Shelf. H e tried to get at it , and in doing S o knocked down a gun which went off and killed him . Then he knew a mother who had been tempted to give a little child whisky for a cold ,

s only a teaspoonful , but that fir t taste of the

fiendish liquor was the seed which grew and grew ,

h c and led finally to perditio n . T e h ild eventually m urdered its own mother .

“ Think of any ridiculou sly ultra -tragic notion which might illustrate the horrors of drink , and nothing can be too tremendous for you to imagine in the mouth of the grim collarless orator who addressed that wonderful Dunfermline temperance society .

- who N ext came the N orth American I ndian , , to my e xperienced eye , seemed to be nothing

H o u n d sd i tch more than a gentleman from , attired in the costume of the heroic savage . H e spoke the English language with a very remarkable

a s di lect , something , I suppo e , bet ween Choctaw and Bevi s Marks . H e was a wonderful I ndian ; had a tomahawk and the whole business . The audience took every th ing very seriously made no demonstrat ion of any kind ; groaned n o w and then , but only in a very subdued way 8 1 S UNSH IN E AND S HADOW . and when the chairman rose and announced that

The M r . Toole would now Sing M elancholy

’ V illiki n s D H istory of and his inah , not a smile

an illumined a single face . They all took the n o u n c e m e n t w seriously , lookin g for ard , no doubt , to some further e xamples of the perils and dangers

s and sin of wh i ky .

I never felt more wretched in my life . I was

O f b us i n e ss very young at this kind , at any kind of

business , for that matter , very young as a star . But I had always been accustomed to audiences D that laughed in the right places . unfermline on this occasion took ‘ The Melancholy H istory of ’ V i lli ki n s and his D inah with sighs and remarks of

I as deere , deere They only regarded the story

another illustration of the horrors of whisky , and ‘ ’ when Vi lliki n s was a-walking in the garden all D round , he see his dear inah lying dead on the

s all ground , and a cup of cold pi on down by her

’ oi llet d ux s S he side , and a stating twas of pi on

’ s died , they heaved a Sigh that I afterward tried to

i f t he mitate as an additional ef ect for tragic ending ,

but I could never touch the depths of that sigh , though at the time I sighed too i n sympathy for I came to the conclusion that I had made an — awful failure the failure of my life . I was young

and sensitive , you see , and modest ; I sat down t wi hout a hand , nothing but groans and sighs .

V L . O . I G 8 2 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

The I ndian had another turn , and the chair man then announced that M r . Toole would sing ‘ ’ ’ N o rrible A Tale . The very announcement — was received with groans groans of interes t and approbation , not the groans H ollingshead is — I suggesting to G rossmith know you , John

’ ’ N o rri ble Well , I sung the Tale , and it was received with sympathetic thrills of horror . The fate of that unfortunate family was followed with intense interest , but without the faintest shadow of applause . without a smile , if I may exclude the in ternal mirth evident on’ the faces of the I ndian

s and his oratorical pal ; the I ndian , a mo t pro n o u n ce d denizen of Whitechapel , was convulsed

u with la ghter , if the working of his mouth and eye s and the almost apoplectic flush of suppressed t force , or apoplex y , tha came through his paint were any criterion of his feelings , and the orator turned his face to the wall . I th ink that my unmistakable confusion and disappointment pro R bably amused them more than the song . e

fle c t i n u g pon it the ne x t day , I fancied I had detected a glimmer of humorous consciousness

n c about the busi ess in the face of the hairman . I cannot help thinking that he had by th is time

’ Spotted the secretary s unwise zeal in hi s engage ment of M r . J . L . Toole I only know that all the ‘ ’ ’ impossible horrors of A N o rrible Tale with its

8 M . 4 RE IN ISCENCES OF J . L TOOLE .

- for a small tea party . I remember the scene as if it occu rred yesterday , although it is over twenty 2 I w a . i sh ye rs ago I could find the programme ,

I believe I have it somewhere ; but , of course , I never saw any announcement or anything about it ” 3 until I was on the spot .

’ Looking over one of Mr . Toole s albums of autographs and I m D u n er mli n e M on t/z l curiosities , ca e upon a copy of the f y Ad ver ti ser O f 1 1 8 January 3 th , 5 4 , with the following advertise ment set forth in double columns upon the front page

L O R E A N NUA S I E . The D irectors of the Dunfermline Total Abstinence Society beg to announce that their Annual S oi ree will be held in the M a ate C Old yg hapel on the evening of Handsel Monday , D O - 1 61h . inst oors pen at half past five , chair to be taken at ’ six O clock .

. E s The meeting will be addressed by J Critchley , q , super n t i n ten d e of the Glasgow Total Abstinence Mission ; Mr . G E O f eorge aston , agent the Scottish Temperance League ; n d O wella P - in all probability by owell , a North American

C . I ndian , who is expected to appear in Native ostume

The music will be conducted by Mrs . Hartley and Mr . John E Bishop , of dinburgh , and

O M R . . . O LE J L T , C C R E The elebrated omic Vocalist , of the Theatre oyal , din w burgh and Glasgo .

d . & c . Tickets , 9 each , to be had ,

Full particulars in programmes . I I t is desirable to state in this place that a great portion of R these eminiscences have , prior to the present form of publica w tion , appeared simultaneously in many leading ne spapers in E d an d n . ngla d , I relan , Scotland , Australia , India , America I t is in this way that much of the current literature of these 8 SUN SH I N E AND SHADOW . 5

A LITTLE jest at the e x pense of a guest having

been referred to , Toole recalled , as an example of

I n days first sees the light . the present case the authors have revised the whole of the chapters and added to them very con si d erabl y, these two volumes containing at least a third more D matter than the original articles in the newspapers . uring the course of the serial publication the chronicler has received

many kindly suggestions , and here and there the narrative has

elicited comment and remark in the press , mostly of a very D complimentary character . The unfermline incident has , how

. D u n er m ever, called forth both comment and protest The f li n e ou r n al i n j , quoting the above chapter, refers to it in a leader-note as f ollows “ ’ — N D F . M r . R . OO L E S L R E I E R M L E M . J L . T FAI U UN I N ’ - D J . L . Toole s first attempt at concert singing in unfermline

was a complete failure . He was announced as the star of the H a mlet evening, and yet , played as a comedy , would be

nothing to the pitiable appearance he made . Mr . Toole came to tell D unfermlin e teetotallers of the olden time all about ’ Vi lli ki n s D D and inah , but , alas , it turned out that poor inah ‘ ’ had had a preference for twenty drops of laud an u m rather

. D than whisky The twenty drops proved too much for inah ,

. I t and they proved too much for J . L T . the great comedian had only had the ‘gumption ’ to substitute ‘a cup of hot ’ ‘ ’ Of whisky for a cup cold poison , he would have been met by rounds of applause instead of sighs and no end of blank D staring . Who knows but it is to his failure at unfermline that

. 0 Mr . Toole owes his success in life N man could build up ’ Vi lli ki n s D a position in life upon such trash as and inah , ’ ’ N orri ble nor yet A Tale, and it was perhaps the melancholy D D end of inah in unfermline that led Mr . Toole to see the necessity for diverting his talents into other channels . Wise men and women learn from failures , and is it too much to 8 6 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . the treatmen t he had received at the hands of his

o f friend I rving , an incident of one . h is early starring engagements .

D assume that the teetotallers of unfermline showed Mr . Toole that he could never attain to anything as a big-boot singer of ’ N o rrible tales is it too much to presume that the abstainers D of unfermline were the means of inducing Mr . Toole to leave V illiki n s alone and go through the country and act those ‘ w f charming little stories of J im and the rail ay o ficials , which are adorned by morals that sink deep into the hearts of men ’ ? D un ferm and women The story of Mr . Toole s failure in w i n - line ill be found our issue to day . Let the man and woman who can profit by failures read it ; let the man and w oman who cannot build upon ruins , study the little story R eal glory Springs from the silent conquest of ourselves A nd without that the conqueror is naught

But the first slave .

E ven i n Ti mes The g , of Glasgow, on the other hand , takes the a incident seriously to heart , decl res that the teetotal lecturer “ la . M r E te . referred to was the George aston , a manly and

truthful Scotchman , in regard to whose warning a corre “ ” -“ n . spo n d e t signing himself St . Mungo says Does Mr

Toole not know that it is hardly possible to lie , in giving instances of the devastating power of drink ? and is he not aware of the fact that a broad brush must be used in the early days of all reforms ? Even i n his own honourable profession the refined wit and delicate pencillings that will please the educated theatre -goer of the city would be entirely

lost on a country audience , where strong melodrama or broad

burlesque is required . The story of the mother who gave her

child a teaspoonful of whisky , and so made it a drunkard , only

proves that Georg e Easton was a man before his time for Mr . Toole is surely not such a Ri p Van Winkle as not to know

8 8 . RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L TOOLE .

O ld bably . playing an man , and as it was my first

s vi it to the town , and we were going on by the - mail train that night , I had a fancy not to go away and leave them under the impression that I was this very old gentleman . I found that J ones was a decent sort of fellow , and I said to I rving

S hou ld u st that before I went I j give him my card , and let hi m know what a m istake he had made . B - -b y and y , when our cab arrived , we said good night to our casual acquaintances , and taking M r .

o n e S as id e J , I handed him my card , whereupon he O ‘ !’ said , Oh , indeed in a very offensive manner , turned upon his heel , and walked away .

s I said to my friend , as we drove

’ away , that s the most impertinent fellow I th ink ’ I ever met . Whereupon Billington and I rving

went i nto fits of laughter , and confessed that th ey t had warned M r . Jones hat I was continually

s pa sing myself off as Toole , and that he was to be quite prepared for my handing him a card and ” continu ing the imposition with him .

T H E hos t then suggested that he had once D heard avid James tell a capital story , a bit of

Whitechapel romance , which he was sure no one

e G are n te lse in the room had heard , about one , a 8 SUN SHINE AN D SHADOW . 9

famous pantom imist , and Harry Carles , a clown . James was pressed to add the story to the even

’ ing s collection , and after some excuses that it

V M S TE LL S T H S T R F L D GA R E N T E DA ID JA E E O Y O O .

i t was too long , and he was sure he had told before . he gave us the story , which with his permission I now repeat . N L F . . 9 0 RE M I ISCENCES O J . TOOLE

C Old arente , as they called him , was a t - famous Eas end pantomimist , and a friend of

s - H arry Carle , the well known English clown , who had s et tled in I taly G are n t e had taken several E nglish panto m i m i st s as attractions on his Continental tours .

w as Among them a certain E ast E nder , who on his return related to his admiring friends many strange and curious adventures . H e had the gift

s of imagination , and his h earers mo tly had every de s ire to assist him in making h is points . I n a - Wh itechapel smoke room , favoured by a select

hi s and regular company , he had a chair of own , and was alway s willing to narrate h is Continental

s - e x perience , and his friends were never tired of i listening to them . There was one Story n par t i c u lar whi c h they more especially enjoyed . They always d rew h im promptly for this for the benefit of any new friend , and however often he related i t O ld they never called it , and the prologue of the d raw was often in itself amusing enough . O ne of the company would remark ‘ You P ’ o kn w I taly , mate

Ra rt he r he wo u ld an swer .

’ ' P \Vo n d e r f u l country ‘ ’ I Should think it w as ! P ’ You were there with O ld G are n t e

I was , mate ; and so on , until at last some

2 O F . L . 9 RE M IN ISCENCES J TOOLE .

’ Ta r a tar ta r ata r ta r a tar a a regular bandit s march , t t r n z li u m Ta r a ta r ta r ta r ta r at a r /z r u m /z u . T r a , , , .

— Tkr u m Za r a /a S s/i s/z ss/i sk. (imitating the

- Ti m ou r well known march from , cymbals , drums , ‘ ’ li ste n i n and the rest) . We was not more than ten minutes when they comes round a bend of the ’ A rl s a- p , a reg lar army , all glittering on prancing

’ O a- sses , with flags and banners waving , and i n front a band of at least fifty performers , with silver - trum pets , and cymbals and Side drums , and the entire rig out . I t was a grand sight , in them

’ ’ s O a- ran ci n potless mou ntains , th e sses p , and all of ’ em with saddlecloths embroidered with gold

’ a - and Silver , and the army comin on behind the

’ a-flashi n band , with sab res in the sun , and

’ ’ march in orderly as if they was Hi n g li sh Orse — Guards , but , of course , differently dressed 5

S im t ars turbans and y , and gold lace , and j ewels

’ O on the bridles of the sses ; and , well there , su ch a turn -out as would have been a honour to

Ti m ou r i ke any country , and to tell you the truth ,

’ ’ Ta r ta r Ti mou r weren t in i t with em , grand as were when I see it in its glory . And the band

— Ta r a ta r comes blazing on , i n all its Splendour , t a r ata r ta r a ta r a tk m d r m Tli r u i n r u k u . Ta r a ta , r , l a r a ta r ta r a l a r ~ta r ata r ta r a ta r S s/i s , k, ssksk

T/z r u m G are n te Old says , H ide , boys , hide ,

a . n s ys he H e k owed what they was , and what AN D SUNSH IN E S HADOW . 9 3

’ we d got to expect . Well , we hides like a Shot , we v am o o ches behind a rock but the heagle eyes of them bandits , they was on us , make no mistake ,

’ they d been on us no doubt all the t ime ; and ’ “ ” they dooced soon auls us out . Halt ! halt ! says the ch ief, first in I talian , and then in “ “

li h . H i n s . g Right about , he says Forward ’ ” cav e I for the bandit s And they turns , and

’ O ff w as a- la i n we marched , the band p y as before , and Old G are n t e a-trying to hide the bag under

’ t his cloak , but it weren t no go ; besides , wha was the good of the bag when our lives weren ’ t ’ ? larst worth a hour s purchase Well , at we

’ ’ come to the bandit s cave . Here one of the listeners would ask what sort of a cave it was ; the narrator expected questions , and was always prepared for them .

“ ‘ ’ ‘ Oh , the regler thing , he would say , the ’ — regular bandit s cave blood and bones and all

— u that sort of thing about T rkey carpets , Silver - — shields , drinking cups , and gold tables the ! regler thing We was i n a pretty funk , I can

’ G are n t e s tell you , wh en all of a sudden brother ,

’ who d been a -hyeing the bandit -chief a long — ’ — time and I d begun to noti ce i t all O f a sudden

fli -fla he looks the ch ief in the eye , turns a p p, ! ! ’ and shouts , Oh here we are Why , it s H arry ’ Carles I And blest if it wo rn t ! I t was H arry 9 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

’ Carles , the clown as had guv up the Show business and settled down into a bandit -chief ; and here

w as ! he with all his army , on the march Well , I

’ needn t say as they not only spared ou r lives , but they was awful good to Old G are n te as an O ld pal

’ of the chief s ; they let him keep his bag ; and ’ what is more , a lot of em dismounts and they ’ O o ff Ta r a ta r puts us on their sses , and marches , ta r ta r ta r ta r t/z m /z Tkr u m T a tar a a r u t r u m . a r , , , — ta r ata r ta r a ta r t ta r t r r /i s s ksk. , a r a a ata S s /i , s I ’ T/i r u m . right to the bandit s palace , where they

u s . entertained Well , I fails for language to tell you how they entertained us . E very kind of — lu x ury , champagne well , we could have swum ’ — i n it if we d wanted dancing-girls with coins a

s hung round their necks , and Turki h trousers ! above their ankles , and Lord such eyes they had ! And it was more like a dream than any thing earthly ; and as for the palace in a general

Ti m ou r t/i e Ta r ta r way , the palace of was a fool 4 t o i t I

Several correspondents have asked me for the music of the few bars of the march which Mr . James hums when he tells ’ I . this story . append it scored for the piano by Mr Toole s ’ /z d ore/ze tr e e e s . / Mr . James makes a great point of imitating the trumpets , cymbals , and drums .

6 9 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

5 R A M . JOH N H OLLINGSHE D related s ome of his experiences as a dramatic author , and Toole gave

“ us an account O f H ollingshead getting me to ” s s play his fir t piece through sheer persi tence . I think it was our friend E dmund Yates who

5 o w Mr . John H llingshead is best kno n to the present g eneration as the first lessee and for many years manager of the Gaiety Theatre ; but his training was journalistic , and he has within recent years published several volumes of selections z f from his contributions to the maga ine literature O his time . He was for ten years the dramatic critic of the D ai ly N ew s and during its mos t popular days was a member of the regular

’ / l ' or ds ll stafl of H ouse to d I V . He wrote afterwards for A t/z e Yea r Rou n d Good Wor d s Cor n ki ll M a a z i n e , , and the g . Mr . D ai l N ews Hollingshead was succeeded on the y by Mr . Moy

Thomas , who tells a characteristic story of the christening of ’ one of Hollingshead s boys at Marylebone church . Toole and

Thomas were the godfathers , and on being asked what his z z profession was , Toole seems to have pu led the sexton . C omedian he exclaimed , when he was entering the names “ in the parish register , never had nobody here of such a pro ” fessi on ! ? I t as that How do you spell it was , no doubt

Mr . Moy Thomas who in a kindly preliminary notice of the announcement of these Reminiscences in the D a ily N ews —“ said Years ago it was rumoured that Mr . Toole was pre ‘ ’ paring a book of A necdotes and Wise Sayings of his friend R R and colleague the late Mr . obert omer , second comedian in —an h his time at the Adelphi actor who , if he had not muc wit himself, was at least the cause of wit in other men . That ,

the . n everthe however , was fable of a sly joker There must , ’

R . b ok . o less , be anecdotes of Mr omer in Mr Hatton s , or it w d ill n ot convey to future times an a equate notion of Mr . ’ ” - Toole s unrivalled story telling faculty . SUNSH INE AN D SHADOW . 9 7

fi rst introduced me to J ohn , and the introduction was for the purpose of my reading , or having

Tke Bi r tk laee o P od er s . read to me , p f g N o budding author ever followed up a popular young comedian with su c h energy and patience

Tke Bi r tk as H ollingshead . H e had written

la ce o P od er s p f g for me , and meant me to play i t ; and in the end I did play it ; I ’ Should never have had any rest if I hadn t .

A wonderfully pushing fellow , friend John , and i t only Sh o ws that it is sometimes a good thing for both actor and author when the latter is

Tli e Bi r tk l o pushed by the former . p aee f P odg er s turned out to be all the au thor thought it , a capital piece , very amusing and , what is ’ more , it hit the public . Lionel Brough 6 told us some of his ex periences

6 d P Lionel Brough , come ian ; was born at ontypool , Mon hshi re r o th 1 8 6 u m ou t . , March , 3 , being the fo rth son of Mr w - Barnabas Brough , and a younger brother of the ell known ‘ ’ comic authors, The Brothers Brough . He was educated in l the Grammar Schoo , Manchester , and under Mr . W . Wil

P h l . liams , of the riory Sc oo , London H is first employment fii - the o ce . was in humble capacity of boy to Mr J . Timbs, in ’ I llustr ated l on don N ews O D the ffice, in ouglas Jerrold s time . Subsequently he published the firs t number O f the D a i ly Tele ra lz g p , and for five years he was connected with the r t r xll o n i ng S a . Going to Liverpool with other members of the Savage C lub to give amateur th eatrical perform ances in aid of R n the Lancashire elief Fu d , he achieved so decided a his

V OL . I H 8 . . 9 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE

i n the way of early struggles , and the miseries of provincial lodgi ngs and I rving was just as frank then as he is to -day about the difficulties of cul t i v at i n g art on th irty shillings a week , especially when an actor had to fi nd his own wardrobe for

hi s c character parts , and own hose and su h like t rifles , wh en costume pieces were not d ressed by the management . ’ s s Other stories followed , illu trative of the actor

s s l ife i n the day of tock companies , and of the probation considered necessary for a claim to act

r oles in leading . Salaries hardly enough to keep body and soul together were mentioned without

e malice . The only approach even to hos tile rit i c i s m O f in this direction , was the remark one “ gentleman , who said , and on thirty sh illings a week they e x pected me not to get into debt , and made it a grievance when they heard I had a ’ t ailor s bill Each e x perience of provincial pro

’ b at io n w a s an u nconscious tribute to the narrator s sincere prosecution of his art ; it was a story o f tri o n i c success that he was offered a regular engagement by

. . hi s Mr A Henderson , and accordingly made first professional ’ appearance at the Prince Of Wales s Theatre at Liverpool in 1 - 8 64 . Since that date he has played the principal low comedy characters in London and all throug h the provinces . He " ’ ’ S /i e S too s to C on u er re presented I ony Lumpkin , in p q , for

U z o o . pwards of nights . Mr Brough was manager of C ovent G D arden Theatre for Mr . ion Boucicault during the season in ” ” Ba l i ! a n d i B ou . which j was produced . Men of the Time

I OO . RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L TOOLE .

’

REFER to my dear boy s death , the bereaved father writes me , i n a few lines , say that in the saddest affliction of my life I was supported by a ” good wife and an affectionate daughter . Frank Lawrence Toole had inherited all the generous i nstincts of h is father , was singularly

s amiable , had passed his examination for the bar , “ ” and would have been called in due course . A football accident at Eton , however , long forgotten , had engendered aneurism of the femoral artery , wh ich developed seriously towards the end of the

1 8 th O f year 79 , and terminated fatally on the 4

December . The bereaved parents received touch ing le t te rs . an d telegrams of cond olence from all parts of the world . The Prince of Wales having been a constant inqui rer after the boy ’ s condition during the later days of his illness , wrote his

s t father i n ympa hetic terms at the close , showing a most delica te friendly feeling for the actor in whom he had S O long taken a kindly personal i nterest . Frank Lawrence Toole , who died at

2 s the age of 3 , live in the hearts of many friends who knew and ad mi red hi m for those fine qualities which are none ' the less masculine when they are accompan ied , as in his case , with an unaffected AN D I O I SUN SH IN E S HADOW .

O f simplicity taste and manner , and a fervent love

O f acc om of home . H e was a young man varied

li shm e n ts p , musical and otherwise but above all this he was a lovable youth , an affectionate son , and had all the qualities which go to make a good

u and usef l citizen . I find it difficult to leave the

u subject , mournf l as i t is , without a more ample and worthy tribute to his memory ; but the shadow which fell so heavily upon the life of my collaborator in these Reminiscences will have been made sufficiently apparen t to the general reader ; and the notes with which I am dealing belong to a public career , and may not be expunged u nder the infl uences of a private sorrow . O L . . 1 0 2 RE M I N ISCENCES F J . TOOLE

A F TE R A N I N T E RVAL O F N E A RLY

T E N YEA RS .

— — A sorrowful vacation The R eminisce n ces resumed Notes — — from Aix-les-Bai n s At home in William Street Sir “ — r. C D D A Walte Scott , harles ickens , and the odger E — postprandial reminiscence of dinburgh Stanley , the — R Scotch actor , poet , and preacher ags and plush — — T wi g I deas for public entertainments Toole at — — — home Irving in the fi re -light Books and albums A — Marlborough House m en u The comic appeal of a — “ ” famous light comedian Bu z fu z and Mr . Serjeant — Ballantyne Beginning this presen t work in downright earnes t

U N DER the shadow of his great sorrow , M r . Toole for several months disappeared from public life .

son Seriously ill when his died , he sought health and change of scene abroad . H is medical adviser eventually insisted upon a return to work as the only remedy for both mind and body . H e removed

‘ from O rme Square to Albert Gate , and went back to work at hi s pretty theatre in K ing William

Street , where he met with a cordial welcome at the hands of his old friends , the public .

1 0 I F . L 4 RE M N ISCENCES O J . TOOLE .

“ G they carry me , he writes , like uy Fawkes ; I was a li ttle better ye s terday and felt I must do something , so I put my head out at the top and made a face at one of the carriers and a small I ' audience , but they none of them laughed ; s uppose they pitied me , I must have looked like a lunatic ; I felt like one , and therefore subsided ” once more i nto Guy Fawkes . Later , I had — letter s from Geneva . I t is very beautiful the ” “ lake , he wrote , but as I sit looking at it , and

i s the sun setting in the west , as the poets say , I would give something to see the Strand and have

re a chat at the club in my own language . H e

n e w turned from Ai x a man , and his delight at getting back again among his friends was some thing very pleasant to contemplate .

o f T OOle if an thi n I t could be said , y g happened to take him from us , as was said of Garrick , that " his death eclipsed the gaiety of nations , was a journalistic comment of the day when it was reported that his illness was serious ; and the a ffectionate welcome he met with at his favourite club , the Garrick , touched him deeply , as did the warm th of the reception s that greeted him on the professional to u r which followed .

’ i s W I I . L I AM a Street , Albert G te , close upon the AN F EAR ' N I AFTER INTERVAL O N LY T E YEARS . O S

direct line of Western traffic , and N umber Seven f a O . teen commands full view it I n the season , the splendid highway from Piccadilly is thronged with life . Even in this unfashionable month of

August , with the fallen leaves beginning to chase each other in the wind , Albert Gate is busy , and a constant procession of wheels pas s es along the road towards H ammersmith . The hall O f N umber Seventeen opens upon a

fine staircase , and into a suite of rooms which belong to this narrative of gossip , chat , excursions and rem iniscences . They are the rooms in which

hi s M r . Toole receives friends .

Before we enter , with our host , let us glance at the souvenirs wh ich decorate the hall . A bust of “ o f Shakspere , and one M acready ( given to me

the by Lowne , who was a friend of great trage ” s dian , say Toole) , a few engravings , and a large model of the M aypole I nn , immortalized by the ” “ t story of Barnaby Rudge , are the mos notice able things . The M aypole is a clever realization t of the pic uresque inn , with models of the leading characters of the novel grouped i n front of it , the whole under a glass case . I t was a feature of the dining -room of the H en and Chickens , at B irm ingham , says my host .

D ickens saw it there and greatly admired it . I tried to buy it , but the proprietor would not sell it I . . O 6 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE .

at any price . H e came to a kind of agreement

r with me , however , that if ever he pa ted with it I should have it . When he retired from the He n and Chickens he sent it to me U nfortunately , D ickens was dead when the model came , and my chief purpose in desiring to buy it was frustrated I wanted to give it to the author of ‘ Barnaby ’ — Rudge . I am not a great reader never have much time to read books except those belonging to the parts I play ; but I have experien ced intense D enjoymen t over the wonderful stories of ickens . What always delights me with h is work are his perfect s tudies of character ; to me this Side of his

i s T o art the most fascinating . have known from hi s own lips that he approved of my efforts to realize some of his creations on the stage , has ” always given me the greatest gratification .

VVI I I L E we are talking we have passed into the anteroom of the library , where a pleasant fire is

’ n - bur ing , and the host s arm chai r , wi th a reading

c d lam p pla e conveniently above i t , is drawn cosily w s i thin the warm th of the hearth tone . We stroll th rough the room , into the library , and thence

o - T he i nt the dining room , and back again . walls are - full of pictures , the dining room devoted to

1 8 0 I o r . . RE M N ISCENCES J L TOOLE . by \Vai n w rig ht which belonged to Charles

\Vai n w ri ht Mathews ; g was a murderer , not the

Whitechapel criminal , h is namesake , and not even blood relations unless murderers can be called

The s uven i r blood relations . Mathews o was the work of this fiend in human Shape who insured

’ s people s live and then poisoned them . H e was I a critic , believe . My ex perience of critics has been of the pleasantest , and the worst I have ever before heard of a critic is that he has poisoned the public mind against an actor— generally a — c rushed tragedian o r stabbed an artistic repu

a i n t t o . I never heard of any other crime laid at t he door of a critic e xcept in the case of Wain

i s wright . Perhaps that why M athews treasured this picture .

But Wainwright was also an author , I believe , and a friend of Bulwer and Charles Lamb . We ” 1 must look h i m up .

The D a i ly Teleg rapk in an editorial article on the career C of ooper , the forger , vignettes in a few graphic sentences the character and career of Wainwright ; we need g o no further for an explanation of the interest which Mathews took in the drawing by Wainwrig ht which Mr . Toole bought among other ’ sou ven i r s at the sale of the famous comedian s effects . St udents of criminal history may , perhaps , maintain that if William R C ingold ooper be acknowledged as King of the Forgers , the title of Emperor of that ilk should be accorded to the infamous “ Wainwright, surgeon , essayist , artist , and critic , the Janus Weathercock of the Lon don M ag az i n e ; the eon/r ere of North 1 0 AFTER AN INTERVAL OF N EARLY TE N YEARS . 9

T his is a statuette of Bouffe , the famous F rench actor , presented by the actor h imself to

b e M athews . The little figu re of Esmeralda D - longed to ickens , and the wine coolers on the Sideboard were among the interesting relics I ’ ” bought at the Gad s H ill sale . ’ I feel that the owner s b ri e f d esc ript i o n s of these treasu res are sufficient Without any further indi

O f S O cation them , the more that they suggest incidents and recollections of the past which give t hem at the moment their greatest value to both recorder and reader . H ere is a picture O f myself as the Dodger painted by whom do you think ? Keeley l H a e sw e lle . 1 8 H e did it in 5 4 , and in the next room there is a specimen of his landscape art of

C C Talf ourd : cote , ampbell , and harles Lamb ; the friend of D . m Bulwer, and ickens Wainwright, indeed , might clai imperial rank in the domain of infamy , for he was a mur D derer and a seducer as well as a forger. uring a long series of years this astonishing villain continued to betray innocent young girls , to insure their lives for large sums , and then to poison them ; but, so crafty were his tactics , so keen his caution , that the crime of murder could never be brought home to him ; and at last the insurance offices , yearning to be ff rid for good and all of this monstrous caitiff, o ered to forego the capital charges if he would plead guilty to a transportable felony . This he did , and , being sent to New South Wales , i -o - was liberated after a t me on ticket f leave . For awhile he earned a struggling livelihood as a miniature painter at Sydney , but he died at last in abject misery and abandonment . 1 1 0 M or . L RE I N ISCENCES J L . TOO E . — last year an admi rable painter ! I sat to H ales ‘ ’ Oli ver Tw i st welle for the Dodger of , in the trousers I st ill use in the part ; they are a fi rst

rate property , really old from age , no patches , no

artificial rags , the dilapidations the real work of

time they were given to me by Robert Wyndham , T of the Edinbu rgh heatre , when first I played ‘ D ’ the odger there . They had belonged to 2 d M urray , who had the theatre before Wyn ham , a f clever ellow , but though he was manager , he played minor characters ; he wore those trousers for a small part wh ich he played in a version of the H ear t of l l/[ i dlot/z i a n Scott saw him and was very complimentary about h is performance ; M ackay was the great Scotch actor of the time

he was in the p iece , but Scott seemed to be e specially pleas ed with the realization of the little 3 part played by M urray . The trousers were old

2 Mr . W . Murray was famous both as actor and manager . “ D ibd i n E . C . . Mr J , whose Annals of the dinburgh Stage is a notable contribution to the history of the drama , mentions “ 2 0th 1 8 0 his first appearance , on November , 9 , as The ” ’ C L over s Vows ount in , among the landmarks of Scotch theatrical history “ Murray ’ s connection with the Edin burgh stage was probably o f more importance to it than that ” of any other man who ever lived . 1 8 1h Writing to his friend Terry , on the of April , Scott 000l [ f o says Murray has netted upwards of 3 . on r R oy to be sure the man who played the Bailie made a piece of acting equal to whatever has been seen in the profession . For

1 1 2 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . and he mentioned the name O f Scott with some ” thing like reverence . “ The age of that fine property in the way of trousers is considerably over half a century I suggested .

They are eighty years old if they are a day , ” as my friend Jones , of Leeds , would say , he “ replied . At Edinburgh fou r or five years ago ,

had s when I occasion to make a peech , I told them what was a fact , that I met i n Princes Street / an old Scotch friend who said he hoped I was putting my money away for a rainy day , and

time , and yet extremely desirous to interfere with him as an hi m adviser . The tone in which he seemed to give up as a lost man after having provoked him into some burst of High — ‘ — I ! R ab R ab . land violence Ah , was quite inimitable I ” do assure you never saw a thing better played . The fol ’ I t lowing is also from Scott s pen . is an extract from a letter to Miss Joanna Baillie , and although written two years later — “ than the former extract, is best inserted here Mackay is going up to London to play ‘Bailie Nicol Jarvie ’ for C I a single night at ovent Garden , and beg you of all dear loves to go and see him ; for taking him in that single I I saw character , am not sure ever anything in my life possessing so much truth and comic effect at the same time .

I n sb o t t I n . I , ever saw a part better sustained pray f you to collect a party O Scotch friends to see it . I d oub t whether the exhibition will prove as satisfactory to those who do n ot know the original from whom the resemblance is

t . I E aken observe the nglish demand , as is natural , broad ” ’ f n at i n l caricature in the depicting o o a peculiarities . Dibdi n s ” Annals of the Edinburgh Stage . E 1 1 AFTER AN I NTERVAL OF NEARLY T N YEARS . 3 recommended me to take example by the thrift O f the Scotch people , who , while they lived well and

a treated their friends , were a careful race . I s id I did not th ink there was a Scotch man who was more careful than I myself, and I was sure he was not S O careful in the matter of trousers . ? H OW did I mean he asked ; I said I was still wearing a pai r of trousers that were given to me five and thirty years ago I

T H E reader will forgi ve the ch ronicler i f he pauses “ ” here to remark , in a rather long stage aside , that the occasion of the speech in question was a complimentary supper given to M r . Toole by the

Pen and Pencil Club , Edinburgh , under the pre

D r . s id e n c . . y of A ndrew Wilson , with M essrs J - M iller Craig and W . G . Stevenson as croupiers .

I n s response to the toa t of his health , proposed in genial terms by the Chairman , M r . Toole , as

Tke S cotsm a n reported in , replied as follows (the reference to the trousers being cut out in no doubt a judicious and necessary condensation of t he comedian ’ s rambling remarks) H e was deeply touched with the great compli ment which they had paid him b y being there that C night . H e thanked the hairman very heartily

V L . 1 O . I 1 I I O F . 1 4 RE M N SCENCES J . L . TOOLE and sincerely for the genial way in which the toast had been proposed , and for the way in which the audience had received i t . Recently he had been the guest of t w o of the most brilliant orators

Lord Rosebery and the Prime M inister . H e was no politician , but he had partaken of their hos

it ali t p y , and he only wished he had a little of their

' O f i f the power oratory . Bu t y would allow him just to ramble on in hi s own way he would feel

s a little more at h is ease . (Cheer ) H e stated that hi s first engagement i n Edinburgh w as at the Theatre Royal i n Princes Street , where the

General Post O ffice now was , with Robert Wynd

O f ham , the father h is dear friend Wyndham who was sitting there , who made his first appearance i n

Edinburgh before him , for young Wyndham was

: two months old when he (Toole) arrived . ( Laugh ter . ) I t was a great pleasu re to see h im so much esteemed , and to see him occupy the proud place - of c o partner with his friend M r . H oward in one of the most charm ing theatres . H e spoke of having played with one of the sweetest and — gentlest of ladies in E dinbu rgh M iss N icol . H e had the good fortune o f be c oming acquainted with

a n d . M r . Russel , of very often meeting him H e a lso bec a me acquain ted with the late President of D the Pen and Pencil Club , Si r aniel M acnee , and

s M r . David Robert , the great artist , who proposed

1 1 6 . RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE

wanted to feel his pulse . M r . Toole then gave some anecdotes of his acquaintance with I rving ,

Sims Reeves , and other actors , and i n closing , referring to the chairman ’ s remarks about his being a Scotchman , he said he sometimes tried

Scotch stories among h is friends in London , but he always left O ff telling them when he passed

Carlisle . H e , however , remembered the lines

‘ Fareweel D Littlej ohn , owen , and Blair , ’ w ’ ’ I ll never sup kail i ye ony mair .

( Laughter . ) H e concluded by again h eartily and Sincerely thanking them for the honour they had - done h im . H e would regard this as a red letter day , or rather night , in his existence .

“ O H , by the way , continued Toole , here is a picture by M ontagu Stanley , a celebrated Edin burgh actor . H e was an admirable Crichton , poet , painter , preacher . H e is buried on the Clyde . — He was with M urray was , in fact , h is great star . I n tho s e days the popularity of a stock actor was a matter of great importance to a manager , especially when the local star was content to remain in the provinces , and had no hankering after London . Stanley was of great value to AFTER AN I NTERVAL OF N EARLY T EN YEARS . I I 7

M urray ; but he made up his mind to leave the stage and go into the Church . Long before he told M u rray O f this determ ination he had given his confidence to some Church friends . H e did not like telling M urray , because he knew it would trouble him . More than once he delayed entering t upon his new du ies , because he Shrunk from giving h is friend pain ; but M urray had become acquainted with his decision . The secret had not been kept , and M urray was much annoyed that Stanley had taken h is confidence elsewhere ; so when at last Stanley felt the time had really come when he could keep the announce ment back no longer, he found

n ot M urray prepared with a very kind reply .

Going to leave the stage , are ye said M urray . ‘ ’ ’ I m n Well , it is about time , thinking ye ve do e all ye can i n the drama The c ut was keenly felt by Stanley , but after a time the manager told him how he had been tempted to say the unkind thing , and how he did not mean it , and so the old friendship was renewed . Stanley became famous ” as a preacher .

4 “ th An engagement with Charles Kean opened on April 9 , 1 8 8 2 8 th Of 3 , and concluded with the season on the the same h month , w en Montagu Stanley made his last appearance on ’ ’ ‘ ’ K an s e . any stage , playing Laertes to Hamlet Believing that the life of an actor was not consistent with a relig ious life, he sacrificed his profession to his conscience . After leaving the stage he gave lessons in drawing, elocution , fencing (at 8 1 1 . . RE M IN ISCENCES OF I . L TOOLE

By thi s time w e have returned to the cosy little “ ” O ld - front room , with its arm chair , its heavy

or t i er e p , its glowing fire , and the hum of out

“ i side life and bustle , the everlast ng music of

London . T he painting you were noticing in the dining

’ room , A Wet Day at Greenock , is by Atki nson “ G ri m shaw e , of Leeds , continues my host , and here is a sketch of M iss Woolgar and myself in

which he was very expert) , and in playing the flute, besides following his favourite pursuit of painting, to which he latterly d evoted himself entirely . He died of consumption in the Isle

th 1 8 . of Bute , May 4 , 4 4 He seems to have been of a very gentle and lovable nature , liked by all who knew him , and b e though , for obvious reasons , mixed very little latterly with - his fellow actors , they all respected him as a good , conscientious man . Stanley seems to have been a sound , judicious actor, who never offended , and , as might be expected from a man of n n reading and cultivatio , his renderi gs were sensible and n scholarly . A t the same time he had his faili gs , among which could be reckoned coldness and stiffness in action . He n was also inclined , occasionally , to substitute oise for real d i sa passion . There is no doubt , too , that with his growing p proval of the stage his acting did not improve , for it is scarcely to be supposed that he could throw himself eon a mor e into

n . O n e what he did at best from necessity , and not from liki g R ’ of his best parts was obert Macaire , in which the mixture ” of broad farce and melodrama seemed to suit him exactly . “ ”

Di i n . E C . bd The Annals of the dinburgh Stage , by James

1 8 8 8 .

1 2 0 O F L . RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE .

The door was opened by a gorgeous footman . ‘ P ’ N O Master in we asked . , he is not , said the ll u n ke y, with a disdainful stare at our rags , and thoughts , no doubt , of the policeman round the ‘ corner Not i n I T ell him h is two brothers l from the V\ o rkhou se called to see him T hat

fl unkey , I expect , would look down on h is master ever afterwards .

H ere is a portrait of M acklin , who played

’ Shylock , as you know , when he was a hundred years O ld ; here is a picture of VVidd ico m b e and

. s M rs Glover ; and thi is an interesting work , an ‘ ’ unfinished portrait of Stephen Kemble as Falstaff, by Clint . Sir Joh n M illais admired it immensely the other day ; said it was very clever . On you r

O f right is a photograph Pau l Bedford , myself, and Billington , done by the instantaneous process , the first time they did photographs qu ickly . Paul had p osed himself by the m antelshelf and did not hear the artist s ay it was all over ; so we let h im remain standing until he was tired . At last he

‘ ’ said , Oh , bother this , dear boys , I m cramped ; when is the focussing going to finish ? ’ ‘ I t has

’ been finished and the picture taken long ago , we

s said . H ere is a character portrait of Charle

M athews in the first part he played in London ,

- and the quaint looking little boy , dressed like a V ’ D e V i ld e s clergyman , is original drawing of AN F T E N I Z I AFTER I NTERVAL O NEARLY YEARS .

’ O f Mathews , reproduced i n the Life M athews , D by Charles ickens , Jun . , and about wh ich C harles M athews says— but here ’ s the book and ’ here s the chapter :

’ My father s n i c kname in his early days had “ been , in allusion to h is very thin figure , Stick , rather an ominous appellation for an actor— I was

n therefore , as a natural co sequence , dubbed “ ” Twig , and as the cottage had been taken

f o r mainly my health , it was honoured by the f “ distinguished title O Twig H all . I t was a mere “ — a nutshell , noth ing more real cottage not a cottage of gentility , pronounced , upon the d authority of the poet , to have been so ear to the “ a devil , whose favourite vice was pride that pes ” hum ility but a little rural snuggery , and it became the resort of many witty and accomplished

O ff people , who there threw their town manners ,

a and gave w y to the merriness of their hearts .

Of course I was too young to enjoy thei r wit , but I appreciated their gaiety ; and who knows how much this early as s ociation with pleasant people may have helped to give a cheerful tone to the rest of my e x istence P I t has been said that “ just ’ as the twig is bent the tree s incl ined , and I certainly must have got a twist or two , here at starting , likely to i nfl uence the direction of my C subsequent growth . With Geo . olman , Theo " 1 2 2 0 1 . L . RE M I N ISCENCES J TOOLE .

o — d re H ook , J ames and H orace S m ith the —D authors of the Rejected Addresses ubois ,

Liston , Charles Young , Charles K emble , the l beautiful and accomp ished H arriet M ellon , after

D O f wards uchess St . Albans , and many other such celebrities of the day for playmates , it would have been a mar vel if I had not been a little

O f t tinged with the colour hei r minds , and led by their e xample to take a joyous View of life . “ ” s s T Be ides the familiar obriquet of wig , I was “ ” o f as almost as generally spoken the little parson ,

O and as an appropriate birthday ffering , one of ou r waggi s h friend s presented to me a complete little ’ — parson s su it of black old -fashioned square

-fla ed - cut coat , long pp waistcoat , knee breech es

s worsted stocking , shoes and buckles , white — 8t e . bands , attired in which I was lifted on the “ dining -table to d rink the healths of the T o m Th pany . e drawing o f m e in my clerical costume

D e \ 1 8 0 by Vilde bears the date of J une , 7 , wh ich would make my ag e at that time j ust three years

c a s as and a half, whi h I f ncy may be afely taken

I ? ) my earl iest a ppearance i n character .

WH EN I have marked the above passage for future reference , Toole thoroughly wound up for

1 2 M I O F . L . 4 RE I N SCENCES I TOOLE .

“ For my part , I replied , I felt rather like a

s — man in posse sion , making an inventory hope the reader will take a higher view of the result .

You have certainly taken possession of me , said my host . I never before felt so competent to go on talking about myself ; you are such a - ’ fi rst . rate audience , that s the reason , I suppose

B ut while I think of it , that notion of the show man reminds me of a fancy I have O ften had of giving an entertainment something after the style — of M athews Toole a t [f am e I thought of a - pretty drawing room stage , nicely furnished , taking a hint from Albert Smith ’ s platform at the Egyptian H all I used to enjoy going to Smith ’ s afternoons . I would have m ade the theatre a continuation of the stage , as it were , so as to give the idea of afternoon tea , and then I would have come on and told the audience stories , or given

s them sketche of character , or humorous bits of experience ; I would have had no costu me

Tr i n a a sort of pleasant , chatty , Sketchy , y g l l/ a i tr c f g s a y af air . I thought of it all agai n the

a t w as o ther day Ai x , and when I there I did it in my own m ind , arranged my stage i n K ing

’ W a - illi m Street , had a pretty back cloth of the

o a l r esco sa lon Sav y mountains , a nice f kind of w furnish ed down to the footlights , a few flo ers , a palm or two , and al l in taking style ; and I gave 1 2 AFTER AN I NTERVAL O F N EARLY T E N YEARS . 5 my visitors sketches of the odd people I had met at

Aix , the bathers , the loungers , the roulette players , th e tourists , and the whole thing ; and it was a great success . I applauded myself, and enjoyed i t very much . What do you think ? Could I make a real audience enjoy it P “ I am su re you could , I said . I think you m ight go round the world with such an entertain

— a ment little music , say , thrown in “ I DO Oh , I would have some music you remember the story of the fellow whom Thackeray had chaffed getting even with hi m over h is lecture ? ‘ on the G eorges I went to your lecture ,

’

T . hackeray , he said . I ndeed I hope you liked

’

? . it Oh , yes With a piano I think you will

’ ’ be able to make the thing a success . I don t think I tell the story correctly , but Thackeray was a very sensitive man . I can imagine the piano being anyth ing but a harmon ious s u g g e s tion . I met h im once or twice , and heard him

’ Sing h is Little B illee . “ Toole at H om e Referring to your idea of , I said , do you know that before he came to London

s and made his first succe s here , I rving had though t of arranging a dramatic entertainment in which he would be the sole performer ? ” No I don ’ t remember that he ever mentioned

it to me , replied my host . 1 2 6 . . L RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L TOO E .

The idea was a good one , and it is interesting

to recall it . H e had even gone so far as thinking

o u t R eadi n s i n tke the title , which was to be g

F i r el z /z t S tor i es to/d i n t/ze [ n len ook g . or g , or

s omething in that direction . H is plan was to have th e stage or platform furnished as an old

interior , a library say , with an inglenook , a fire

burning on the hearth , the lighting cleverly arranged to suit his work ; he would have told

h is audiences weird dramatic stories , possibly with

s mu ic off the stage . and other effects ; but he would not have confined the entertainment e n

as tirely to t ragedy , he would have had daylight well as fi re lig ht in the O ld room ; his design was to have an original framework written to suit the

various p ieces , recitations , and stories . !” And a capital notion , too exclaimed my

“ host , if he had done it he would have made a

’ h it With it ; I am glad he didn t , or he m ight

never have had a theatre , which would have been a bad th ing for the Stage ; he would have

n had a hall , though ; it was ever anything more than a matter O f time and patience with I rving ; he was always looking forward , if not with entire

. confidence , always with hope and courage We h gave an entertainment toget er i n Glasgow ,

I rv ing and I , years ago , in aid of the sufferers — from a Great Bank failure two hours of Tra g edy

1 2 8 RE M INISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

oo l . handed over nearly 8 to the fund . By the ‘ ’ way , when I first played B uzfuz in the trial scene at the Gaiety , I was very anxious to have a correct wig and gown , and asked Serjeant Ballan

’ y s t ne advice about the matter . H e replied by ’ sending me his own serjeant s dress , the wig with a little patch in the centre , the little Silk coat , b ib , and gown complete . I was to use them until such time as I could have them properly copied by my T costumier . hey came to me in a ti n box , looking very serious and legal . On the first night that I wore them Serj ean t Parry sat at one end of the stalls and Serj eant Ballantyne at the other . The next day I received a very kind and complimentary note from Serjeant Ballantyne , asking me to — accept the robes and wig a gift I hope I duly l appreciated . I t was as thoughtfu as it was

’ gracious . I can t tell you how proud I felt . A nd

’ - here is G rimaldi s snuff box . I t was given to me

’ by Grimaldi s successor , Tom M atthews , who has long l ived in retirement at Brighton . H e had bequeathed the relic to me i n h is will ; but one day when I called on him he gave it to me . You s aid you wanted to see my two albums of auto g raphs and Sketches ; come into the Library .

VII I .

MY host has told us that he has not time to read 2 AFTER AN INTERVAL OF N EARLY T E N YEARS . 1 9 much beyond the literature connected with h is - work . I find on his well arranged bookshelves T the works of Shakspere , D ickens , hackeray ,

Lever , Scott , Bret Harte , Wash ington I rving ,

Macaulay , some presentation copies of recent novels , the lives of many actors , copies of a few

m i sce l choice books of plays and travels , and a lan eou s collection of standard and current works such as men buy and collect for reading and not f r o show .

The Albums are five handsome volumes , full of autographs ancient and modern , accompanied here and there with Sketches , caricatures , engravings , many of them valuable , all of them interesting ; but for the purposes of these papers it is only desirable to mention what may be called its epis

olar t y treasures . One of the first letters in the collection is as follows

Marlborough House , Pall M all , “ 1 st an n ar 1 8 8 2 . 3 7 y ,

D M R T — s EAR . OOLE , The Prince of Wale desires me to beg you r acceptance of the acco m panying pin as a sou ven i r of your visit to Sand 5 ringham the other day . H is Royal H ighness

5 “ R — TH EAT I CA L S AT SAND R I N GHA M . The secret that his R oyal Highness the Prince of Wales had specially requested another i mportant dramatic performance for the amusement of

VOL . I . 1 3 0 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . directs me to take th is Opportunity of repeating what he has already said as to the great pleasure which your performance gave both to the Princess

\ a re of Vales and himself, and how much it was pp

c i ated . by them , as well as by everybody present

Believe me ,

Yours truly ,

FRANCIS KN OLLYs .

After th is comes the following , from the same addres s

n his own personal a d private guests has been admirably kept . This time the scene was moved from Ab ergeldi e to Sandring ham , and that popular comedian , Mr . J . L . Toole , was asked to arrange a pleasant evening ’ s entertainment with the aid of ’ his company from the Folly , hereafter to be called Toole s ,

Theatre . Last night , everything having been satisfactorily and z diplomatically organi ed by Mr . J . L . Toole and his clever

. cOm an manager, Mr George Loveday , the p y came over from E h Bury St . dmunds , w ere they had been acting, and appeared on a bijou stage which had been erected at Sandringham

House as a surprise to the Princess and her assembled guests . Ou r Clerks T/ze S tee lec/zase J ci The pieces selected were , p , and on a r /e F r a n a i s P p p , all favourites with the rince some twenty

odd years ago at the Adelphi , and a most enjoyable evening

was spent , thanks to the vivacity and humour of this excellent d comedian , who had here a fine field for the isplay of his

I t . ability . was said by all present that Mr Toole had never had acted so well before , and certainly he has seldom such an I t appreciative and enthusiastic audience . is not improbable that this will not be the only performance by special request ’ ” —D ai l Tele ra /z 1 8 8 2 at Sandringham . y g p , January , .

1 2 OF L 3 RE M I N ISCENCES J . . TOOLE .

E T REE N S . ’ C Otelettes d A n eau g . ’ al Alleman Mauviettes d e. R E L YE E S . ’ P aI E stra n oulardes g o . r i Boeuf Ot . R T O I . ai san s F .

Gélinottes de Russie .

Asperges .

E T R E M E TS N . P P lum udding . P d e a ain Mandarin la C hantilly .

a a oli i n Glace la N p ta e .

T i n hen come letters from Horace Seymour , T viting M r . oole to breakfast with the Right Hon .

W . E . Gladstone at Downing Street ; Savage C lub festival menus , social and friendly letters from the D uke of Beaufort , Lord Rosebery , Lady - B urdett Coutts , the Duchess of Bedford , Frank

Hale sw ell Holl , Keeley , D u Maurier , Whistler , T Long , enniel , Q uain , Ballantyne , J ulius Benedict , G S ims Reeves , Byron , ilbert , Buchanan , Yates ,

T alfou rd C I rving , Burnand , , Charles Reade , harles

D ickens , Bancroft , Frith , M illais , Leighton , and ’ many other equally familiar names , wh ich are in

7 On e of the letters which Mr . Toole most pri z es and ’ the prayer of which , with Mr . Hollingshead s assistance, TEN 1 AFTER AN INTERVAL OF N EARLY YEARS . 33

’ the owner s estimation O f far more value than “ the letters Of men ever so illustrious that are not

he was delighted to grant, is the following characteristic epistle

Belle Vue Mansions, Brighton , M 1 A u ust O 8 . g , 73 Y E R OOL E — ? I f M D A T , Were you ever in a mess you 1 never were can explain it to you , having been in several ; ’ I 1 n ow indeed don t mind confessing to you that am in one , n who and , stra ge to say, you are perhaps the only man can m u e . Y o get out of it need not button up your pockets , it ’ ! ’ isn t a pecuniary one . Only fancy after thirty years prae 1 tice and experience have made a mistake in my dates , and for the first time in my life find myself engaged to two managers at the same time . Now they say a man cannot v I CAN on e ser e two masters, but if they will come after the ’ other, only one at a time, one down , t other come on ; but to play at Bristol and the Gaiety on the sam e night (and keep ’ I I n it up for a week) , don t see my way to accomplish . a moment of enthusiasm 1 engaged to begin with Chute on 2 th 1 September 9 , and had scarcely done so when Hollings head rem inded me that 1 was booked to begin with him on that date , and that it could not be altered . Conceive my dis ’ ’ — . C so may hute holds fast can t be altered , does Hollings ’ ’ —dea r . B E LOV E head can t be altered Now, Toole Toole , D — ’ ’ Toole can t you stay a week lon ger at the Gaiety ? C AN T O 6th I you let me begin there on Monday , ctober (as thought 1 did) and get me out of my dilemma ? Can ’ t you make this sacrifice to friendship and put three or four hundred more into ? your pocket Virtue is not its own reward , but an extra week OW — — of fine business is . N Toole adored Tooley the best of — — — men fi rst of comedians most amiable Of your sex burst ‘ — D o into tears throw your arms and sob out , with me as thou wilt—play me another week— pay me another three hundred ’ and be happy . Breathless with anxiety, yet swelling with 1 OF L . 34 RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE . w i ritten to me ; as he says , one l kes to keep these tokens of m en one has known , and there is something very tender , I th ink , in the look of a letter from an Old friend who has passed away ; I am not at all morbid , quite the reverse , but I sometimes find myself in the mood to spend an hou r among such of my letters and pictures as have become relics of those who are gone and whom one knew 1n t 1m ate ly one can never get up a very deep feeling of regret about people one has not known , however much one may admire them ; ” but let us go back to the snuggery . And begin your reminiscences in downright “ d a earnest , I said , from the y that our friend

Blanchard first met you in the country , a little boy ” down from London for a holiday .

“ Very well you a r e a fellow to drive ahead I

I magine you are giving that At Home , I “ s uggested , and the first story is an account of your early life , how you went upon the stage ,

P I . hope , must await your answer ity the sorrows of a poor ‘ ’ m an Yes old , and even telegraph , rather than keep me in ’ - l suspense . What s a week to an able bodied ow comedian ? C hild ’ s play ! Why you ’ ll be wanting to throw in morning I performances as well to keep you from rusting . t really is ’ c/zan ce — I ll a for you avail yourself of it and bless me , and ou w bless y , and Hollingshead ill bless us both , and Chute w ill bless us all . “ With my intermediate blessing, ever faithfully yours , T H EW . S . C J . MA

F 1 36 RE M IN ISCENCES O J . L . TOOLE .

C D D . H I L H O O D , B O Y H O O , MAN H O O D

A little London boy in the country—Truant and playgoer in ” —E - — the city ast end and city theatres Toole as Antonio, ” E Da erwood — Jacob arwig , and gg First appearances ’ on the regular stage -C lerk in a wine-merchant s Offi ce ’ — The murder of O C on n or Sergeant Ballantyne and — ’ C harles Kean Toole s first appearance as a professional actor— From D ublin to Edinburgh— A bad omen turns — — —M r out well Hard work Farewell as a stock actor . R n —D — and Mrs . obert Wy dham ublin wit First appear — ’ ance as a professional actor in London St . James s and — — the Lyceum Ou tour as a star First meeting with I rving — A compact .

I T was towards the close of an Autumn day , in the year writes that most genial and aecom “ li sh d e . . . p of critics , M r E L Blanchard , when

s w pa sing through the village of Shorne , here I had been exploring the green lanes of the neigh b o u rhood , that I fortuitously witnessed the follow

s —A S i x ing cene little boy , scarcely years of age , was the centre of an admiring group of urchins , who seemed in a most exuberant state of delight 1 CH ILDHOOD , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD . 3 7

at each fresh com icality of the entertainment , which seemed to consist of an imitation of the - sounds of a farm yard , with a few dexterous voices thrown in .

M R E L BL R . . C . . AN HA D

ld d i scov e r I t was over before I cou . the reason for the merry peals of ch ildish laughter which reached me , but in a few moments the extremely juvenile monologist recommenced his performance , 1 S . 3 8 RE M IN ISCENCE OF J L . TOOLE . without being aware that another person had been added to his audience . A dexterous arrangement

’ of h is pinafore , a twist of h is ch ild s cap , and a small stick snatched from the hedge , and there w as the m iniature figure of an Old man tottering rather than toddling about the little garden , the

few words u ttered in simulated tones helping to identify a resemblance w h ich evidently kept the d iminutive spectators in no doubt as to the fidelity T of the l ikeness . hen came a change of face ,

re - another adj ustment of the pinafore , and an

s . altered tone , with a word and a wh i tle by turns T his was quickly accepted as the faithful por

OF . L 1 4 0 RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE . not give you the names of the urch ins I daresay if I could i t would be shown that , as by dint of my natural proclivities I have grown up i nto a comedian , the u rch ins i n question have developed into playgoers , who more particularly appreciate comedy . I should not wonder that the giggling little damsel is now the mother— perhaps the

P— of -a- grandmother , who knows half dozen other giggling l ittle damsels , who have all i nherited

’ an d their mother s appreciation of genuine fun , that they are among the most constant frequenters ’ T of Toole s heatre . I t is an advantage to be a comedian , because one can be arrogant withou t

’ s eeming to be so , one can compl iment one s self as if one were only joking ; the low comedian ,

O f more espec ially , c an say all kinds things which he really means , but wh ich he knows will be taken ff as badinage , cha , fun , everything but what it is ; there are many true words said in the way of make -believe but you wish me to be serious and P I will for we have to come to a serious point , eh — I my birth , my childhood , my start i n life might

’ ”

t/z r ee . say serious points , but I won t

WAS . C I born i n St M ary Axe , i n the ity

n 1 2 1 8 2 of Lo don , on M arch th , 3 , a younger B 1 1 CHI LDHOOD , OYHOOD , M AN HOOD . 4

Of son , and therefore , as in the case the aris

t ocrac . y , had my way to make I always think i t i s rather unfair that the eldest son should be born to the title and estates , while the younger has to be content with a choice O f the professions .

H owever , there is a certain amount of freedom in

W i n fi e ld the position , and , like my friend Le wis g ,

I went in for the Stage .

B ut I am anticipating . As I said before ,

I was born in the city , and will now add that I lived in the city , played marbles in the city , went to school in the city , played truant in the city , saw my first play in the city , and my first public dinner , and that to th is day I love the city with

— a all my heart strange , powerful , queer , dear

Old O dd place , full of nooks and corners even now , although the architects and builders have been trying to wipe out its most cherished landmarks

ever since I was a boy . C T M y father , as you know , was the ity oast

—a M aster , position quite equal i n importance , I

Was used to th ink when I a boy , to that of the Lord M ayor— I know that one of the great public

’ banquets , at which I assisted i n the ladies ’ a gallery , ppeared to be entirely my father s affair n obody else seemed to have anyth ing to do with i t ; everybody appeared to do exactly what he told

was them , whether it to speak , to sit down , to 1 2 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

cheer or to sing songs and glees , I ncluding

‘ ’ God save the Queen , wh ich they did sing with all their m ight , the ladies join ing i n the chorus .

I f I ramble somewhat about my early re collec

S I I E RI DAN KN OW LES

w u n co n v e n tions , you must not mind ; it ill be t i o n al , as you say , and what I forget at the moment

I shall pick up later on . I remember seeing Sheridan K nowles play in T/z e H u n c/céack at the T City of London heatre , wh ich was more or less

1 44 RE M IN I SCEN CES OF J . L . TOOLE .

between the Pavilion and the Garrick . E . F Saville was the famous ‘ Jack Sheppard ’ of the f i O Fau . period . H e was a relative H elen c t I always went to his benefit , and at that time a benefit meant something to the star : h is admirers f gathered round him and made much O him . Billy ’ Rogers was also a favourite at the Pavilion ; he T h was the low comedian . e doors were opened at six in the evening , the performance commencing - at half past .

I am afraid that occasionally , when I went t home at night , I did not always give qui e a correct account of how I had spent the evening . I am afraid I occasionally said I had been out with

M arston , a youthful friend of mine , and I believe that I used the names of other companions as my imaginary hosts , and even referred to the amount of jam they had given me for tea , and so on , pardonable fictions I hope , intended rather to save my parents from wo rrying about me than to cover up any grave Sins . I n these days I had not seen

- H o n n e r a VVe st end theatre . M rs . was celebrated ‘ ’ Tke H u n c/i oack as Julia in , and M iss Vincent occupied a foremost position i n domestic melo

sb ald i s n d rama . O to had the City of London

Theatre , and years afterwards he managed the Victoria ; finally h e became lessee of Covent

Tko S t r a n er Garden . I saw him in g , wh ich was 1 CH ILDHOOD . BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD . 4 5

Often played in those days , and thought to be very ” touching and pathetic .

A WORD about the Victoria while I think of it . T I t was originally called the Coburg heatre , after - Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg , who became

C . K ing of the Belgians . I t failed as the oburg

After being closed for a long time , it was done up ,

and reopened as the Victoria , the very year I was

born . I t was not of much note when I was a boy ; I never heard of it until I was quite a play

goer . The lessee was prosecuted for playing

Shakspere , the prosecutor being the lessee of D rury Lane , whose patent rights , I believe , gave h im certain privileges i n regard to performances m of the works of the i mortal bard . S tanfield , one - of the greatest marine painters , I suppose , that - ever lived , began his career as a scene painter at

the Victoria , and it was here that M r . Peter dea ‘ ’ M . P . u t Borthwick , , made his as Othello ; the result did not encourage him to join our

i mmortal profession . H e became celebrated in

fi rst - other ways , was a rate speaker , enjoyed a

’ successful public career , though not as Othello . “ But to resume . Before I went on the stage

I played in public , and my first part was at the

VOL . 1 . 1 6 o r 4 RE M IN ISCENCES J . L . TOOLE .

L e ad e n hall Susse x Hall , Street . I belonged to 2 the City Histrionic Club . The members paid for the hall . We gave a performance on ce a quarter . The audience was large — there was nothing to pay . On my first appearance , the programme opened with the trial scene from the M er cka n t of

Ven i c e . We had all agreed that none of us Should appear in costume ; evening dress was to be de ‘ ’ i u u r g e r . But ou r Shylock deceived us . H e turned up in the Jewish gaberdine , and with a

- u . regular make p I t was too late , or I th ink we ‘ ’ s hould have cut him out of his part . As Antonio I was e x tra bit t er on him when he gradually got the M erchant into trouble , and perhaps h is breach

R R . I Mr obert ayner , honorary treasurer of The ngoldsby D C ” ramatic lub , calls my attention to the fact that Mr . Toole a m em ber a c u i was also of that society , and he encloses me tt n g from a local journal (the S out/i L on don M ai l) from which I make the following interesting extract The history of the I I ngoldsby C lub is a very eventful one . t was founded by d P . . . . m C O Messrs J G Neel , Willia ink , and Bunker, on ctober

2 1h 1 8 6 0 . I n 5 , its very early days it was fortunate in possess

a . ing m ny members of great future promise Mr . James Albery ,

Two [ Poses a . . . D of f me ; Mr J J illey , the part author of

Alexan der t/i e Gr eat . Mr Sydney Naylor, the pianist ; Mr . ’

W . R . P illiam Holland , the people s caterer ; Mr Strong , J . . ’ . C M . I . and late Mr Wyndham , of the riterion Theatre , and — others , were all members and promoters while Mr. J . L . Toole was a member for the first fifteen years of the club ’ s ex i ste n c e E z , and also Miss li a Cook , the poetess , then residing ” in Walworth .

1 8 . 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE

of en iu s tokened , in certain unmistakable touches g , the future Royal Academician .

O N a certain memorable be n efi t-night at the

Pavilion , I was taken behind the scenes . There was an actor who used to give im itations of popular favourites . O n th is occasion , as Fate nt ’ t would have it , he disappoi ed the theatre , didn

’ turn up , couldn t get away from h is other place ,

ah or was ill , or someth ing or another ; but his sence , making an ugly hiatus in the programme , n N s . O W cau ed a good deal of exciteme t beh ind , ’ E l hi n s to n e s . I remember , it was p benefit A ‘ ’ man came up to me and said , Why don t you go on and take Taylor ’ s place ? you are quite equal to I t and it would be giving Elph instone a great lift I shrunk back at the bare idea of it but the man was very complimentary and press ing , and Elphinstone himself was good enough to say he would be obliged to me if I would go on , since he heard I should fill the bill with efficiency , or word s to that effect . I felt my head swimming

s a little , not only with fear, bu t al o with a desire to go on , and do all I knew . At last , boy as I was , I did it ; I wen t on after an explanation , and gave them one after the other most O f the imita BOY I I OOD . 1 CH ILDHOOD , , M AN HOOD 49 tions 1 had been in the habit of giving at our l ittle club , and whenever my companions desired them . The imitations went tremendously , my unknown friend who had proposed I should go on said Taylor was n owhere i n comparison with my

’ M R LE F I Rs r Too s C N S . . APPEARAN E O TH E TAGE realization of the peculiarities of the E ast -end actors ; I was delighted ; all the fear I had felt disappeared once I was before the footlights . “ At that time I was a clerk in a wine -m e r ’ f chant s o fice . A day or two after my appearance

n at the Pavilion , some one came into the counti g 1 5 0 . . . N RE M I N ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE

house and said they had seen me on the stage .

Challenged by one of the firm , I was in such a

i n . funk that I den ied it , but a weak kind of way t Af er that first taste of the real footlights , I began

‘ to d ream of becoming an actor in earnest .

The first time I played to a regular audience ,

w as 1 8 2 in a regular way , at I pswich in 5 , and i t w as under the name of John Laver . One of our clerks at the wine merchant ’ s had gone on the s tage , and was at I pswich . H e took an interest

u i n my ambition , and suggested that I sho ld go down and appear in the lead ing man ’ s benefit as ‘ ’ I s D a e r wood . f t Sylve ter gg I would consen , ‘ he said , he and his friend H ill could get me an

’ appearance . I did consent , said at home I was

s O ff going on a vi it to some friends , and I wen t

o l to I pswich . Kean occasi na ly played the part ‘ ’ D a e rwo o d s of g g , and gave imitation , as you know .

M y I pswich ex perience was very sat isfactory .

c o n rat u I scored , received the compliments and g lat i o n s of the leading man , a heavy and impressive t ragedian ; and I retu rned to London more than ever determ ined to give up being a clerk i n a ” - ’ w ine merchant s o ffice .

’ BY w a w as t - the y , when I tha wine merchant s

’ t he w O C o n n o r clerk in city , I kne , whom the

1 2 5 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

f nothing O any moment . S mith had chaffed his acting or something , and Kean was mortally ’ Ke an s offended . Ballantyne and a friend of , who had never heard of the quarrel , were talking

! I , N 1

M R . S ERJEANT BALLANTYNE .

- to Smith in the coffee room of the Garrick . Kean

watched them with a tragic eye . When Smith

departed , Kean , folding his arms i n a melo

d s u ramatic way , trode p to h is friend and e x ‘ claimed , Richard , my old friend , the friend of C I I I LD H OOD . 1 , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD 5 3

my boyhood , I could not have believed that you would have con s orted with that viper ! “ Odd There are many stories told of Kean , such as the ballet -girls coming to the wings and weeping at his pathos for the sake of his notice and certain little rewards ; and on one occasion he is said to have addressed himself in bitter terms to an old s uper whom he had seen applauding ‘ ! Ryder , Wretch Thou who hast eaten of my

’ bread thou who livest on my bounty , how could st thou be base enough in thy ingratitude to applaud that man Some of these things are no doubt e xag g e ra

u o f tions , tho gh Charles was particularly greedy applause , as I fear we all are . I t is necessary to

’ us ; at least we think so . I f an audience doesn t applaud your big scenes, or laugh at your fun , you have reason to believe you are not pleasing them , and , of course , that must be very depress ing— not that I speak from ex perience in that m atte r I

WELL , after my I pswich adventure , I played at the Walworth I nstitute . We were amateu rs my friend Lowne was one of us , he is a serious D city man now . One n igh t ickens came , and was very complimentary . Forster has mentioned ’ D the incident in his Life . ickens more than once F L 1 5 4 RE M IN ISCENCES O J . . TOOLE .

referred to the occasion in his kind way , years afterwards , when I came to know h im well and to better understand the great genius he was .

O . M R . C HARLES DI LL N

Soon after the W a lworth success I took a

D . holiday , and went to ublin Charles D illon had heard of me having done

1 6 5 RE M IN I SCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

mentioned . I stayed two seasons with D illon at D ublin , where M r . Robert Wyndham , of the T Edinburgh heatre , saw me and offered me an l engagement at 3 . a week , which I accepted . On

th 1 8 the 9 of July , 5 3 , I made my first appearance on the E dinburgh stage as H ector T im id in the

Tli e D ead k t play of S o . I had travelled from D ublin , and arrived in Edinburgh in the after

’ noon , very tired and weary . I put up at M ilne s

H otel in Leigh Street , and after a rehearsal went to bed , fai rly worn out . I left instructions with the landlady to call me and bring me a cup of tea at a certain hou r , which would give me plenty of time to get to the theatre but s he forgot her instructions , and I was still sleeping soundly when a messenger arrived from the theatre to inquire for me . The curtain was up . I was in a terrible frigh t . I sprang ou t of bed , dressed , rushed to

— ful tragi -comic reproduction of her own creation which she had been led to believe by a kind friend of R obson ’ s would — turn out a farcical caricature that She could not refrain from there and then presenting to the great actor the flattering tribute of her gratification and admiration . She came round accordingly at once , escorted by that most courteous of gentle m e n E and most urbane of noblemen , arl Granville , who joined the lady in overwhelming the shy man with well -merited com R i m n ts . pl e When we had obson to ourselves again , he cried — t like a child par ly with pleasure , partly with distress at his r n ne vous awkward ess , which he said must have made me look ” R ld 1 8 8 . . e O like a fool eminiscenc s of an Bohemian , 3 1 CHILDHOOD , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD . 5 7

the theatre , and was j ust in time to scramble upon the stage and take up my cue . I n entering , I stumbled over a mat and almost fell , and th is so worried and upset me that throughout the whole piece I was nervous and wretched . N ext day , however , I was agreeably surprised to find the critics unanim ous in their praise of my acting , specially pointing out how ‘ appropriate to the character of “ H ector Tim id ” was the uneasy

’ manner and faltering gait of the young comedian .

the Everything , you see , had happened for best , even the carelessness of my landlady , my accident ,

all my nervousness , and my disasters . While I was in Edinburgh during this e n “ a e m e n t g g , Sam Cowell was at the Royal , singing

“ ’ I st 1 8 0 R ober t M aca i r e P July , 4 , , the part of ierre , head w ea . C waiter , by Sam Co ell , from the Th tre St harles , New — E Orleans his first appearance in urope . According to a 1 8 sketch of his life published in 5 3 , his mother was one of ’ E ’ Murray s sisters , Sam Cowell being the dinburgh manager s n ephew ; his sister married Bateman , the American actor and n manager . Cowell was an exceedi gly clever comedian , and his musical abilities were considerable . He sang negro songs as ‘ he had heard negroes singing them out west . His Jim along ’ ’ Yaller C Josey , Busha Belle , and Clara line were inimitable

. O n E performances leaving dinburgh , a few years after this , he at once stepped into good positions in London and the provinces , latterly devoting himself exclusively to comic sing Eb sworth E . ing He married Miss , of the dinburgh company , and his daughters , Sydney and Florence , becam e in time great

E . r 1 th 1 8 6 favourites in dinburgh He died March , 4 , aged 1 5 8 RE M IN ISCENCES OF 1. L . TOOLE . h is well -known and popular songs between the ‘ ’ acts . I used also to Sing Billy Barlow , intro d u c i n g fresh verses satirizing the follies O f the

O day , and ften getting in some local h its which

x i went immensely . I gained considerable e pe r ence in E dinburgh , not only through the constant change of bill , but from acting with the Stars who i 5 visited the Scotch capital . M iss Helen Fau c t

E Dib i n . . C . d . only 4 3 Annals of the dinburgh Stage, by J

1 8 8 8 .

5 Fau c i t 1 8 1 Helen (Lady Martin) was born in 9 , the Fau ci t f . o daughter of Mrs , an actress remarkable ability . Lady Martin has both acted and read in recent years for charitable objects , and still retains much of that charm of manner which distinguished her acting in the z enith of her d éhut C t popularity . She made her at ovent Garden Thea re “ ” th 1 8 6 The on January s , 3 , in the character of Julia , in ack [f un chh and achieved a distinct and popular success . From ” “ ” that moment , says the current volume of Men of the Time , “ m she took rank as a leading actress , and became the ost ’ r a important member of Mr . M ac e dy s companies during the production of his Shaksperian revivals at C ovent Garden and Fau c i t D ru ry Lane . Miss H elen was the original representa ’ L tto n s L ad o L on s M on e tive of the heroines in Lord y y / y , y ,

he Sea Ca ta i n R i cheli eu D uchess de l a Va lli er e T p , , and the

’ R S tr a or d Blot on the S cu tcheon in Mr . obert Browning s fi , the , ’ ’ ’ r t a P tr and Colomlze s Bi hd y in Mr . Westland Marston s a i ci a n s

a u hter The f l ea r t a n d the World M ar i e de M er a n i e D g , , , and ’ T rou hto n s N i n a S or z a in Mr . g / ; and in many other plays . ‘ ‘ ’ r Her rende ing ofthe Shaksperian characters , Juliet Beatrice , C ’ ‘ ’ ’ C ’ onstance , I mogen , Hermione, ordelia , Isabella , P ’ ‘ R ’ ‘ ’ ortia , osalind , and Lady Macbeth , has been highly Fauc i t commended . Miss Helen obtained great success in

1 6 or . 0 . RE M IN ISCENCES J L TOOLE .

the great cities of the provinces . I have played as many as eighteen different parts in a week during my early e x periences as a stock actor, some of them new studies entirely those were the days when an actor had to work like the proverb ial n igger ; it made th ings easier for h im later in h is career , of course , but it was hard work , and no m istake I have often been studying another part while I have been playing a new one , and many a time , after rehearsal in the morning and acting at night , I have gone home to sit up studying a part for rehearsal the ne x t day . After abo u t eighteen months of this severe ff practi cal training , I was o ered an engagement

’

the . at St J ames s Theatre , under the managemen t c of M rs . Seymour . M u h as I l iked Edinburgh , I was glad to try my luck in London . The engage

t men was not a particularly attractive one , the part i n wh ich I was to open being neither low comedy nor high comedy , neither funny nor serious n or - was it , that I could make out , a character part in wh ich there was much to be done . B ut I went to

London from Edinburgh , and without taking any

’ formal leave . I opened at the St . James s on ‘ ’ 2 n d 1 8 T o m October , 5 4 , as Pepys in Taylor

’ R e ad e s The i l and Charles play of R va .

The play was not a success . T here was something ’ wrong with it ; what , I don t know . George Vanden . 1 6 1 CHILDHOOD , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD

T o m . hoff, M eade , and M iss Glyn were in the cast I had the farce of My F r i en d [he M aj or pretty well

a all to myself after the piece of the evening . A s f ’ f sherif s o ficer , disguised as a friend , I got along

e n all right , and the next morn ing received very cou rag i n g and complimentary notices in the papers . T here are ac tors and authors who say they don ’ t read criticisms of their work ; I do , and I confess that I have often benefited by hints and suggestions ‘ ’ i n that way . I afterwards played Pierre in a

f H on ou r he oe e Ti i i es . piece called f , at the St ’ James s , and later filled a season with M iss Lydia

T The S a n i sh D an c r s hompson in p e . I don ’ t know that I was altogether quite satisfied with these first efforts in town I did not seem to have had an opportunity of playing the kind of parts I wanted , nor was I associated with what might be called a su cce ssf u l management . I had several offers to remain , but the openings did not attract me , and I went back to Edinburgh and

V ’ V n m s m rejoined M r . y dha stock company in y former position . More hard work , more acting

n e w O o r with stars , more appearances , fresh pp t u n i ti e s of playing what I liked . I was very happy but in another year w as once more tempted to the metropolis , this time by a flattering proposal D from M r . illon to join h is company as i ts low comedian . I had had satisfactory experiences of

VOL . 1 . 1 6 2 RE M IN ISCENCES or J . L . TOOLE . l\I D r . illon in Dublin ; he was my first manager , and I felt great pleasure in receiving his offer and also i n accepting it .

“ When it was known that I was now goi ng to leave Edinburgh for a long and importa n t engage

the ment in London , public , my personal friends ,

- my fellow actors , and M r . and M rs . Wyndham organized for me a farewell benefit , wh ich was quite a big event at the close of the season .

e Anx ious to please the audience , I arrang d a very varied and comprehensive programme , which included my fi rst appearance as ‘ Paul Pry I

’ played Bottom in a scene from The M i ds u mmer

’ ’

N ht s D r eam . F ig , and im itated M rs lorence s ‘ Yankee G al ’ with her characteristic ballad of

’ s n S ing o g , Polly , won t you try me Oh M r . and

. F M rs lorence , especially the latter , had made a great h it i n England in a similar li n e of business to that of M r . and M rs . Barney Williams , whose portraits are in the G arrick . The Florences are both admirable comedians , and play with all thei r

foer oe former to this day , and look almost as young as they did— well I will not say how many years

’ ago . Florence s popularity has never waned in

A merica in public or private , and he is one of the best of good fellows on both sides of the Atlantic , as you know .

Bu t to return to my farewell at E dinburgh , as

1 64 RE M IN I SCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

6 received so m uch kindness from them . I t takes time to get at the Scotch people ; they are not

The greatest assemblage that ever greeted a benefit ’ in this city was collected together at the Theatre R oyal last evening to bid farewell to our popular comedian , Mr . J . L . m n Toole . But a few inutes elapsed from the doors bei g O pened until every part of the house was crowded with the ad — m i rers of the young and versatile performer the gallery and

pit with the lovers of that broad farce of which Mr . Toole is a master—the boxes and stalls with the critical audience which think him greater still in developing the higher forms of the

8 a . z drama . 0 great w s the crush that Mr Macken ie and his band were compelled to beat an early retreat behind the

scenes , and their places in the orchestra , although more closely crammed and filled with the critical eli ee which

frequent the stalls , were not less harmonious than the unseen

musicians . “ Heavy as the amusements of the night might be to Mr . ' li ht to z Toole , they were g a sympathi ing and enthusiastic

. I f audience The programme was fresh , varied , and long .

Mr . Toole appeared in none of the comedies in connection with which we believe his name will be chiefly associated in

this city , it is doubtless from a desire , on this the last night of E his engagement in dinburgh , to supply something new as well

as most widely acceptable . Hence he appeared for the first ‘ ’ P P r w time as aul y, with complete success , and like ise ’ Your a er initiated a farce entitled L if e s i n D ng . I n addition

’

D onzesuc E con om . to this he appeared in y , where with Mrs ’ z Wyndham s assistance , he vividly reali ed the old ballad o f ‘ ’ ‘ ’ Grumle - M i d John y ; as Bottom , in the play scene from ’ ’ su mmer N i ht s D r eam the Y g , and as ankee Gal , in which

character he rendered the quaint ditties of Mrs . Florence with

. E singular felicity ach separate appearance was a triumph , and when he doffed the professional costume to say a few l - farewell words , the oud and long protracted cheers , with the 1 6 CHILDHOOD , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD . 5 impulsive in thei r friendships ; but when they know you and you know them , when confidence t in each other is mutual , they are the staunches friends you can have . You said , talking on th is subject the other day , that good people are very much alike , and show their friendship very much in the same way , whatever their country ; and I suppose th is is true but Northerners seem to be more serious people than Southerners , and more suspicious ; they are apt to entertain doubts of the sincerity of Southern people ; they need to prove you and then comes the other side of their

r - characte their firmness , their lasting powers ;

r they never desert you . N O do any other friends

o u whom y can call friends , so far as that goes . w The Dublin boys have al ays been true to me , and I have many treasured memories of Dublin . There is no other city in the U nited K ingdom D i s . that brighter , gayer , more lively than ublin Perhaps a little of the gloss has been taken off it during the political agitation of the past few years ,

i t w as but as I knew best , it one of the most

o - i n g ahead , rollicking , jovial cities I ever was everybody with a share of the native wit of the I rish people— nobody with anything so pressing bouquets showered upon him by the fair occupants of the —E di n l) ur h D ai l E x boxes , constituted quite an ovation . g y

r ess u 1 8 6 . p , A gust , 5 1 66 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . to do i n the way of business that he could not take his pleasure . When I went starring there , it was customary to make a two -weeks ’ engage ment , but only to advertise one , the second being announced as in consequence of the success of the

first . A t the end of the first week I was leaving - T the theatre by the stage door . here was the usual crowd of youngsters begging for coppers , ‘ and one , more pressing than the rest , said , Ah ,

’ d arli n t ! M r . Toole , mi , give us a copper D idn t

’ ’ I get you the re -engagement by applau di n ye ?

I t was not a funny speech , the farewell remarks I made on the Edinburgh stage , it was an expres sion of gratitude for kindnesses I had received , and an assu rance that I felt my invitation to act in London to be largely due to the favours I had received at their hands ; I thanked everybody , management , colleagues , every part of the house ,

an d bo xes , pit , gallery , orchestra , the only laugh

I got was in reference to the musicians . When alluding to their places being taken by the audi ence and thei r transference behind the scenes , I said , for once they are not i n the orchestra , but

’ are behind with thei r services . I t was to me quite a solemn ordeal , th is saying farewell , and I - felt it keenly ; i t was no make believe , and in m any respects I have a kind of sensation of home when I go to Edinburgh ; and what a lovely city

1 6 8 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

at a banquet at the Balmoral H all , Edinburgh , by

1 2 o f hi s 0 leading citizens , i n recognition services to the community during a long career as a thea ” t ri c al G manager in that city . Sir Alexander rant ,

I n re Bart Principal of the U n iversity , presided . spon se to the very complimentary speech in which dh Mr . W n am he proposed the toast of the evening , y “ : G said Sir Alexander rant , my lords and gentle

—T o men , say that I feel embarrassed would ill express the emotion with wh i ch I rise to endeavour to acknowledge even in very inadequate terms the h ighly eulogistic manner in which you have bee n pleased to propose the toast of my health , and at the same time to thank my n umerous friends present for the warm and enthusiastic manner in . — which they have been pleased to receive i t an enthusiasm which I fear proceeds more from the warmth of their own hearts than from any legitimate desert on my part . I must confess that my earliest theatrical aspiration was directed towards Edin burgh , and in order to prepare myself for any con t i n e n c g y that m ight arise , I thought that the proper th ing to do under the Circumstances was to study the character of ‘Young N orval ’ in the tragedy

D ou las an d of g , wh ich I accordingly did , selected at the same time a wide field for the operation , for I com mitted the words to memory among the

n cloisters of Stonehe ge , in the middle of Salisbury . 6 CHILDHOOD , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD I 9

Plain . (Applaus e ) I think it was somewhere about the years 1 8 3 6 or 1 8 3 7 that I first made my appearance in the good old town of Salisbury but

I was not very successful , for the local critic of the day stated that he did not think the young gentle man who appeared last night in the character of ‘Young N orval was ever destined to set the

T ham T r r es o n . . was v e se ve e fire (Laughter ) his y , considering , as Sir Alexander has stated , that I

20 1 f or paid the manager . the right to make a fool of myself for one night . (Renewed laughter . ) I , however , worked steadily on , undergoing at times all the vicissitudes inseparable from the early career of most professional men , till after many years of probation , I found myself announced to appear at B irmingham in the character of ‘ Romeo ’ to th e

’ J uliet of M iss Ellen Tree , afterwards M rs .

Was Charles Kean . Th is perhaps the most success

w as ful engagement I ever played in my life , for it

a there I first met my wife . (Laughter and p

l u p a se . ) Subsequently I had the honour of appearing before Louis Philippe at the theatre in ‘ T u ille ri e s the , enacting the character of Colonel Freelove to the Lady Elizabeth ’ of the celebrated

Plass A D a a ter Madame y, in the comedietta of y f the Wedd n i g . At length my time came for appearing in Edinburgh , and never shall I forg et the impression made upon me when I first beheld 1 . T . 70 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L . OOLE

th is magnificent city . Comin g as I did from — — Glasgow , where it sometimes rains (laughter) I could scarcely fail to be impressed with the sight

. before m e The Castle , with its green slopes , the

Scott M onument , Calton H ill in the distance , with w the fine old town , as it were , keeping atch and ward , fel icitously illumined with a spring sunshine , f i lled me at once with admiration at the brilliant sights before me , and with awe to th ink that I was so soon to appear before an Ed inburgh audience , distinguished at once for its high culture , great i ntellectual refinement , and critical acumen . I made my first appearance on rather an ominous — day the I st of April (laughter) in the year

1 8 4 5 , which date counts so far back that my friends

’ frequently joked me , and said I was out i n the 4 5 —(laugh ter) —~th e Character wh ich I played being ’ ’ S ir Thomas Clifford to the J ulia O f Mi ss Helen

’ Fau c it Kn o w le s s H u n ch , i n Sheridan play of the hac/e , and I believe that on the whole I was tolerably successful . I then labou red hard in my vocation , and upon th e secession of M r . M urray from the

Theatre Royal some kind friends insisted , much t agains my will , that I should undertake the management of the Theatre Royal , assisting m e at the time not only w ith money , but what was , if

u possible , of eq al i mportance , their hearty goodwill - and co operation . S i nce then their kindness has

1 2 O F L . 7 RE M I N ISCENCES J . TOOLE .

(now M rs . Bancroft) , who on that occasion

’ made her first appearance in London . D illon s

Be l he or a p g was a fine romantic piece of cting ,

M R BANC R O FT .

strong , picturesque , and pathetic . I liked the piece , and the leadin g man . M iss Wilton , a ’ 7 clever , merry little actress , was the boy H enri ,

7 “ At the Lyceum I recall C harles D illon ’ s fine performance ’ Bel he or I in p g . sat that evening by my mother s side, and in C I I I LD HOO D . 1 , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD 73

’ The and afterwards Perdita , in a burlesque of ’ ‘ Wi n i er s Ta le R adi z a or the R o a l M i l/é called , y m ai d , by William Brough , which followed the

Bel play of pheg or . M iss Wilton had come to

London from Bristol and Bath , where she had been the bright particular star of the local bur l s e q u es . M any other prominent actors and actresses were favourites in Bristol before they T came to London , notably the errys , both Kate l E l n Ri ol . e . n ds and , M rs K endal , the two g , M rs

' Labouchere as M iss H odson , M r . and M rs .

C . Arthu r Stirling , the latter as M iss leveland

I was two seasons with D illon , and between wh iles , when the vacations came , used to go star ring , more particularly to Edinbu rgh , with a small company of my own . I t was here that I first met I rving about the year 1 8 5 7 but I did not see much of him at that time I was only playing a very brief engagement .

I met h im later at M anchester , where our fri end

at ship commenced . H e was the leading man M an

the touching scene between the mountebank and his son , we little thought that the pretty girl who made us cry by her ’ pathetic acting as the boy Henri , in which she first appeared in London , would be my future wife . A t the beginning of the new year I saw her for the second time as The little fairy at ’ ” r d n d or — a Mr. the bottom of the sea in Con a a d M e . Ban ’ croft s narrative in Mr . and Mrs . Bancroft on and off the

Stage . 1 74 RE M IN I SCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

C hester and was very much liked . H e was always a very studious and careful actor , always made remarkable and complete studies of his characters . There w as nothing conventional about what he did . H e seemed , so to speak , always to have got inside the part he played , and to have learned something new about it not new in the sense of e b ing simply new , but something belonging to the part that other actors had not f ound out . H e used to go up to Calton H ill i n Edinburgh at all hours to study , and somehow this was considered

O dd , but he was a little odd , that is to those who

’ did not know him . Talking of H enry I rving , a ‘ ’ person said to me in M anchester , Oh , he s mad , ’ “ ” mad as a hatter ; he s going to play H amlet ! ’ one of these days Whatever part he played , little or big , he always made it stand out , dressed i t Characteristically , made it up artistically , worked out every d e taiI' an d suggestion that could possibly

i n s ru m n al i n belong to it . I was partly t e t i n

’ d u c i n g him to go to the Princess s , where he made his first appearance in London in a piece

To f l a called y i l . When I rving was a lad he recited at Crosby

s H all , London , and I u ed to recite at S ussex H all ; I often wish we had known each other then . Byron was very fond of I rving , had a great opinion of him ; I rving m ade a big mark as Bob

1 76 RE M IN ISC ENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . w a y in which he has marched to the front , and the gentle , gracious , unostentatious way in wh ich

D ow/1 . n This led to a London e gagement, when he came out ’ ’ D ori cou r Belle s at the St . James s Theatre as t in the ’ I n D m 1 8 6 Sl m l a em . g ece ber, 7, he proceeded to the Queen s

Theatre , and subsequently acted in the provinces from time to I n 1 8 0 time , as well as at various London houses . May, 7 , he transferred his services to the Vaudeville Theatre, where he ‘ ’ ’ D Al er appeared as igby Grant in Mr . b y s comedy of the Tz oo R oses 00 , which character he sustained for 3 consecutive

. r 2 0th 1 8 1 nights His subsequent appearance , Novembe , 7 ,

Bells . was at the Lyceum Theatre , in the , founded on M M ’ ’ rck n - hatri an P E m a n C s popular novel of the olish Jew . He l ’ after wards represented the principal characters in Mr . W i ls s

Cha rles I . E u en e A ra nz 1 8 R dramas of and g , 73 , and ichelieu ’ ’ L tt n s in Lord y o play . His representation of Hamlet at the O 1 st 1 8 Lyceum Theatre ( ctober 3 , 74) produced a great sen sation among the playgoing public , and opinion was at first much divided as to the merits of the performance , but it is now generally admitted that by his rendering of this and of other Shaksperian parts Mr . Irving has placed himself at the

E . H and el 2 00 head of nglish tragedians was played for nights , ac the longest run of the play on record . He appeared in M bel /z 2 th 1 8 Ol/zello 1 8 6 as , September 5 , 75 , in in 7 , and next ‘ ’ u Philip in Lord Tennyson s drama of Q een M a ry . After

M r. wards Irving played his Shaksperian parts in the provinces ,

. I n 1 8 . I in Scotland , and in Ireland January , 7 7 , Mr rving R i char d [ I added to his Shaksperian repertory by playing ] . at the Lyceum . I n May of the same year he undertook the dual ‘ L esur ues D The L on s M ai l characters of q and ubose in y . O n 8 1 8 8 r dle Van derdechen June th , 7 , he played the title in , a ‘ poetical drama by W . G . Wills . The withdrawal of Mrs .

Bateman from the Lyceum gave Mr . I rving supreme control I t over the theatre , of which he had long been the mainstay . n D 1 8 8 ope ed under his management on ecember 3 oth , 7 , when CH ILDHOOD , BOYHOOD , M AN HOOD . I 7 7

he has kept there . H e might have been excused , ‘ ’ as the world goes , if he had put on side and f even orgotten some of his friends , but he is just the same kind , generous fellow . H e always was careless about money , lavish in h is hospitalities — give -you -all -he -had kind of hospitality whether it was a banquet worthy of a prince , or in h is early days a chop and glass of ale . H e has not altered one j ot , except if it were possible to be a better fellow in his well -deserved prosperity than he was when he would occasionally curtail his courses at dinner in order to buy some little property for some new part , or to procure some book he wanted to read , i n the way of his work .

‘ o f H ml 1 he played the part a et for 00 nights . The most ’ remarkable incidents of Mr . Irving s management have been the production of Othello (in which he alternated the parts of

. E The M erchan t The Moor and Iago with Mr dwin Booth) , o Ven i ce M uch Ado a bout N othi n The Cu Twel th M ht f , g , p , f ig ; F a ust l and , all of which have been p ayed in conjunction with

E . I Miss llen Terry A public banquet was given to Mr . rving ’ th 1 8 8 at St . James s Hall on July 4 , 3 , shortly before his departure with the Lyceu m company for a theatrical tour in the United States . A second visit to America was paid in

1 8 8 . I 4 , and before its close Mr rving delivered an address to — the students of Harvard U niversity on the art of acting an event equally remarkable in the annals of the University and of the stage . He gave a similar lecture, by the invitation of - V C . N ew E the ice hancellor (Mr Jowett) , at the xamination

O 2 6th 1 8 8 6 . I n 1 8 8 6 Schools , xford , on June , the summer of I Mr . rving and Miss Terry again paid a visit to America , ” returning to London in September . Men of the Time .

VOL . I . 1 8 . . 7 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE . You see a tragedian has to go deeper i nto the mysteries of life than a comedian who sticks to his own line not that I rving is not a com edi an of the first class , as he is a tragedian ; I should th ink " ’ i n le hi s D h e is , look at his J g , Jeremy , his igby

Grant but as I was saying , the tragic muse takes an actor into lines of literary and poetic study from which the low comedian ’ s line of business is ent irely free I rving was always after queer old books , or bits of costume , or curious daggers and swords I suppose each line of business on the stage has its own special advantages , but I have often though t that the tragedian scores as against the low

Fo r i n comedian when there is a bad house .

‘ H anz let stance , in , if the melancholy Dane sees there is a bad house it rather helps than inj ures

all h is act ing . The melancholy Dane becomes the more melancholy when he sees a miserable account of empty boxes , and that is all the better for his acting , his melancholy is all the more natural ; but the low comedian who has to make the audience laugh , it is very hard for him ; he finds no assistance i n the bad house ; it lowers his

o ff spirits , and he lets his jokes as if they were damp fireworks , and he knew they would fizzle ,

’ s and that just what they do . You think I had better get back to my London engagements ? Where was I when I

1 8 . . 0 RE M IN ISCEN CES OF J L TOOLE .

H E AT T A D E L P H I .

— — ’ Engaged by Benjamin Web ster Wright Toole s first appear — ance at the Adelphi Webster a great actor, but not — su fficiently appreciated The I Vi llozo Copse I diots who would laugh at a funeral — Queer notions about acting “ ”— Caleb Pl ummer A policeman in d i ffi c ulti es Stephen D igges ”— Stories of Paul Bedford— Edmund Kean at Bath— Wright and Bedford in Lancashire—The — man in the hob -nail pumps Bob Keeley and Miss Wool ’ i n an et P r i d e— W ombwell s gar j Buckstone , show, and — “ Edmund Kean The magnanimity Of the R oscius of ” the World Leah and the Batemans Joe Bright .

’ AT the close of D illon s management at the

Lyceum , I went on a starring tou r in the provinces .

One morning I received a letter from Mark Lemon , ed itor of P u n ch and the au thor of many plays and ‘ innumerable songs (i ncluding , by the way , Bob Simmons ’ s telling me that C harles D ickens had strongly recommended me to M r .

Benjamin Webster , of the Adelph i , with a View to

O f the management f ering me an engagement . I

s l afterward had a long ta k with Lemon , in town , P 1 8 1 AT T H E ADEL H I .

upon the subject , and agreed to join the Adelph i

’ Company as Wright s successor . I t was not until I had been warmly advised to do so that I con sented I dreaded the comparisons that might be made between myself, a young actor , and Wright ,

M R .

established favourite and a very Clever come - dian . Wright had retired through ill health , but m to my chagrin , not to say alar , I heard he was coming back just as I had signed my engagement for the line of business that had belonged to him .

I t was conceded to me , however , that there should 1 8 2 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

be an amicable d ivision of parts . The position troubled me at the time ; I admired Wrigh t as an

w as actor , and too modest , I hope , to desire to put myself in competition wi th h im so long as he was

o f capable acting . N o strain or friction arose between us or the management , and poor Wright did not remain long . Within a few weeks of h is reappearance he was compelled again to withdraw .

H e went to Boulogne for rest and change , and 1 died there .

was E W Then there dward rig ht , the king of comedy , farce , ‘ ’ N ed R and burlesque ; Jolly , as obert Brough used to call

w . him , hose very face was a fortune in itself to a comic actor Every surviving middle -aged playgoer must remember him with heartfelt gratitude for the many hearty laughs he made every one enjoy who ever had the happy privilege to drink him in ’ d with eye and ear . Even with one to succee him so excelling

oi s comi ca . . in every line and shade of the as J L Toole , the remembrance of his Muster G ri n n idge will always stand out m i n in bold relief. I t is really not too uch to say that his i mitable performance of the part C ontributed most materially to clothe the Gr een Bushes with such wondrously enduring I u n verdure . Even as I am penning these lines see his approachable Paul Pry rise before me in the mirror of my ’ ‘ mental vision , his marvellous Marmaduke Magog , Tittlebat ’ ’ D Swi veller Titmouse , his ick , his Bill Lackaday the Found ’ ling , and ever so many more of his humorously grotesque

z . I characteri ations have seen many, many actors in the course of my long career , and a great many of them on the w I best terms ith their audience ; but never , never met with one who could safely venture to take such astonishing liberties E with the public as dward Wright habitually did , and was

8 1 . 4 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE .

S i ta l elds l Veaoer p fi , and he did a strange thing in the character when the Q ueen went to H er ’ I . t was Majesty s Theatre a S tate Visit . Billing ‘ ton played B rown . The Royal Beefeaters were

’

Q . on the stage , ranged under the ueen s box

‘ ’ Simmons , you know , in one scene is troubled about where he shall put his hat . Wrig ht looked about here and there , and finally hung it on one

e of the halberds of the Beef aters . The face of

’

w as . the man was a study so Wright s , of course The Beefeater maintained his state j ust as stolid and firm as if nothing had happened . The Q ueen laughed heartily ; so did the Prince Consort . An incident occurred during the illness of

M u n ard y , second low comedian at the Adelphi ,

’ which speaks volumes for Wright s kindly nature . I t was the custom of the management to stop an

’ actor s salary if incapacitated from acting through i llness or for any other cause . I was ill once , and could not act for three nights , so can speak from

u n ard . experience . M y was ill for ten months

M oreover , he was poor , and h is salary was of very serious importance to him . Notwithstanding the rule of the theatre , he received h is salary every w hi s f eek , and after long af l iction , when he could

r Once more retu n to h is duties , he thanked one of the principals , M adame Celeste , and asked her to express his gratitude to M r . Webster for gene P 1 8 AT T HE ADEL H I . 5 rou sly sending him his salary every week during the whole of his illness . M adame Celeste replied that there must be some mistake , as M r . Webster never paid salaries during illness , whereupon i t was discovered that Wright had sent the money as if it had come i n the ordinary way from the management . “ W’ ‘ ’ ’ I saw righ t play Paul Pry , but Liston s performance of the origin al was , of course , long before my time . Wright was very droll , some

a times trifle coarse , but he had been encouraged in th is by his audience , who liked broad fun , and had inherited , perhaps , some of the rough tastes of still older playgoers . I t was not that he was

s coarse in words so much as in uggestion , and it was the sort of coars eness that was not considered offensive by ou r grandfathers . H e had a rollicking humour , remarkable facial power , and was in perfect sympathy with h is Adelphi audience . H e gave an individual touch of humour to the most trivial l ines and incidents in any part he played , and I have heard old playgoers say he was very ” much like Liston .

I M ADE my first appearance at the Adelph i i n

Good or N othi n f g , and an opening sketch by 6 1 8 . . RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE .

1 8 8 . 1 8 Edmund Yates , in 5 I n January , 5 9 , I ’ A s7n oaeus appeared i n the burlesque of , and i n ’ the following M ay I played Spriggins i n [ t i on P a r /e F r a n a i s g , under circumstances already explained . M y next part of any importance was

‘ ’ The Wi llow Co se Augustus de Rosherville , i n p , a character previously played by Wright . When ‘ v the piece was o er , Webster said Come to my T room , oole , I want to see you . I went . H e opened a safe , and produced a small bottle of very choice whisky , of wh ich he took sparingly and ’ helped me to a glass . I t will do you good , he ‘ - — fi rs t said ; you were capital to night , my boy

’ rate ! Then he checked h imself. H e was a manager as well as an artist . As the latter he was most appreciative ; as the former he had to consider the question of salaries ; and I often laughed afterwards at the apparent struggle b e tween his artistic desire to be generous and h is managerial policy of economy . H owever , he was unmistakably pleased with my work , and we got

re on together exceedingly well . I had a great spect and admiration for h im . H e was liberal i n

s . bu iness , and h is instincts were thoroughly artistic

Although h is great talent was acknowledged , I sometimes think he was not sufficiently understood or appreciated . H e had a peculiar burr i n his speech but and a curious habit of jerking out h is sentences ,

1 8 8 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

’ boy called out , H ow s your poor feet Webster

w ru ffi an gro led anathemas on the , not loud but deep, and the audience let the remark pass without either a laugh or a ‘hush I n the excitement of the scene probably but few of them heard it . We

I N W M R BENJA N EBSTER .

were all on , Paul Bedford and myself among the — — rest i t was the revol u tionary scene the piece had had a long run , we had nothing to do i n the

! d a cene , and we coul not restr in ou r laughter , but l I need not say we did n o t indu ge ou r mirth in sight of the audience , nor did we mean Webster AT P 1 THE ADEL H I . 8 9

to see it , but he did , and went to h is room includ ing us in his growls as ‘ idiots who would laugh at a funeral or gri n at a murder , heartless fools but he smiled at the incident himself soon after wards . “ I remember dining out once with Webster , when we met a somewhat pretentious gentleman , who had queer notions of acting , and expressed one of those outside views wh ich astonished Web ‘ ’ ster beyond measure . The fool ! was all he had

The the patience to say in the way of comment . fool had said to Webster , in reference to h is great

The D ead H ear t scene in , where he is brought ‘ Old out of the Bastille , and ragged , Why do you P play such a part as that , M r . Webster Why ‘ ’ ’ ‘ said Webster ; I don t understand you . I t is ’ ‘ all right , said the fool , in the first part , where you are Clean and w e ll dressed ; b u t if I were a manager , and could do as I pleased , I should make some of my employé s play the ragged and dirty

’ business ; I wouldn t be dressed up in rags and

’ ’ tatters . But that is the part , my dear sir , said ‘ ’ ‘ Webster . I daresay , replied the fool , but it wouldn ’ t be the part for me if I was the master

’ ’ I d make others do that sort of thing . And yet the fool was an architect , and evidently a person of some intelligence ; he was in perfect earnest , was rather a showy fellow , and , no doubt , had i n 1 0 . . 9 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE . hi s eye the romantic heroes which he would play — if he were an actor cavaliers in satin cloaks , 2

o n . mashers i n costume , and so

2 On . 8 th 1 8 8 2 the death of Mr Webster, July , , a corre s on d en t Obser ver p of the , having in his possession an interesting i a letter written by the famous actor, added to the general formation about his birth and parentage the i n teresting fact D that he was a near relative of the celebrated aniel Webster, Y and that his grandmother was Miss Buck, a orkshire lady , who was cousin to the gallant explorer, Captain Cook . The Obser ver , in its estimate of the artistic merits of Mr . Webster, said As an actor Mr . Webster was full of vigour, genius and originality ; in personations such as those of Lavater, ' ’ ‘ ’ ‘ ’ Tartu fi e Bel he or The D ead , p g , Triplet, and the hero of H ea r t , he made a marked impression on the minds of the most v thoughtful students of the drama , and proved that as a de oted disciple of his art he laboriously endeavoured to reach perf ec I n tion in every part he studied . his hands everything bore the stamp of an earnest conception , and in looking back over r é ertoi re his extraordinary p , it is impossible not to be struck by the variety of the characters he assumed , and not to admire the steadfastness of purpose with which he gradually worked his I n . way to renow and prosperity ndependently of histrionicwork ,

Mr . Webster displayed his knowledge of the resources of the I n 1 8 2 h stage as a dramatic author of no mean capacity . 3 ewrote The Golden Far m er the famous drama of , and since that time, including adaptations from the French , a hundred pieces have been connected with his name . The late manager and actor was proud of his profession and devoted to its best interests . He was a warm supporter and a prominent offi cial of the oldest and best theatrical funds , and he was the founder of the D n Royal ramatic College , the intention of which was phila hr i c t op and bold , though its career was not destined to be successful . Mr . Webster was a man of very remarkable physical and mental vigour ; until a late day he possessed a

1 2 O F . L . 9 RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE

not j ustify . I read D ickens , and tried at home and while about in the streets to put myself in the position of Caleb . I th ink I succeeded in getting f inside the part . I know I felt for the suf erings

“ M R ’ . T OO L As C L B M E R E A E I L UM .

m of the poor old chap , and did my best to ake my audience feel them , and if applause was any criterion that I had satisfied them , I had plenty of

C i t , a very hearty call at the lose , and next day the 3 h ighest commendations of the Press .

‘ P ’ C . Best of all is the aleb lummer of Mr Toole , which is a piece of really good acting, in which none of the pathos P 1 AT T HE ADEL H I . 9 3

The A r ea Belle 1 8 6 was first produced i n 4 , the authors being William B rough and Andrew

“ ” R L B FO R AN D MR . TOO L I N T R B LL M . PAU ED D E HE A EA E E .

H alliday . I t became very popular ; so much so that Paul Bedford cautioned B rough and H alliday

r of the part is either sacrificed or caricatured , while eve y touch D ’ of Mr . ickens s genial humour that still clings to it in the ’ ‘ dramatic version is well reproduced . Mr . Toole s Caleb ’ Plummer is an advance upon everything he has yet done

VOL . I . O I C E N C E F L . . 1 9 4 { E MI N S S O J . TOOLE against the possible vanity of imagining themselves F T rivals of Beaumont and letcher . here are two

—a C haracters in the farce soldier and a policeman .

Paul Bedford played the soldier , I played the policeman . I t was the farce in which I first sung

’ ’ A N o rrible T ale . We went to a photographer

’ who had a place near M r . F rith s studio at Bays water . I t was a fine summer afternoon . We sent on our costumes first , and dressed for the camera .

While Paul was being focussed and taken , it

—E xa 7n i n er above the range of burlesque and farce . , April “ ’ ‘ P ’ 1 th 1 8 6 2 . . 9 , Mr Toole s Caleb lummer is finished to the highest degree , with a greater depth of humour and pathos ”— . Ti 7n es than , perhaps , this clever actor ever yet displayed , 8 2 1 6 1 6 . A pril th ,

E . . R ecently while chatting with Mr . L Blanchard at his “ chambers in Adelphi Terrace , he referred to that horrible tale in order to point the moral of an excellent photograph “ of himself which was han ging over the mantelpiece . Y ou ” “ see this ring on my finger , he said ; it was given to me by - my dear friend Toole one of the best fellows in the world . 1 He gave it to me because would not, as the commercial phrase runs , make a matter of business of it . When the pho to ra her g p was posing me for that picture he said , Have you ’ Blan ch r . a d P 1 any particular fancy as to your attitude , Mr ’ 1 I have not , said , except that want you to make a picture of ’ this ring, and if you will look at the result you will see that

1 am somewhat ostentatiously showing my ringed hand . I m 1 thought to yself, when am gone , dear Johnny Toole, if he shall — sees my portrait , say, Well , he did not forget me that

the ring 1 gave him .

1 6 . 9 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE .

cut back , when he at the same time calmly crossed l the street after me . I saw a ref ection of h im in a shop wi ndow . I hu rried a l ittle ; he hurried a little . I ran ; h e ran . Fortunately I succeeded i n getting to the photographer ’ s stairs before he I came up with me , otherwise conclude I should

. have had an unpleasant experience As it was , it required a thorough explanation before the real policeman consented to leave the premises without

I d are sa me . y the element of j ealousy entered into the question a little . Of course , a person of

my tall , stalwart build , and in a spotless uniform , would be an apparition calculated to worry the usual occupier of the beat . D uring the same year I played the title r dte

S te hen D i es - in p gg , a serio comic piece adapted by John Oxenford from Balzac’ s novel of ‘ Le P ere ’ 5 T he Goriot . p iece was the spec ial attraction

5 “ ’ . . . T Mr J L oole s annual benefit took place last evening, when , in addition to other entertainments , there was produced w a n e and original drama in two acts from the pen of Mr . John O S te hen D i es xenford , entitled p gg , written , we believe , expressly for Mr . Toole , although , when first projected, it might have R been intended for Mr . obson . Few indeed would have thought of inditing a piece involving not merely serious but tragic incidents for the admirable and highly popular comedian of the Adelphi Theatre but after the exhibition of last night no dramatic writer will be slow in entrusting a serio -comic character to Mr . Toole , so decided was his success in the new ‘ part . The whole interest of the play centres in Stephen AT TH E AD EL P H L 1 9 7

wh ich I put up for my annual benefit . Digges IS one of those persons who make you laugh and cry , or should do i f properly played . H e is funny at

first , then sorrowful . You are moved by h is sensibility , and h is affections , and presently stirred

The by his passion . part appeals to an actor who ‘ C can be both humorous and serious , as in aleb ’ : Plummer , and I enjoyed playing it but w though it was a success, it has someho quite

r e er toi r e dropped out of my p , as other pieces

n o have , for particular reason except perhaps that one may have too long a l ist of plays and characters . Between these and other new productions we had many revivals of favourite Adelphi dramas ,

’ The G B hes D among them r een u s . uring Wright s time this well -known play was frequently put up at very sudden notice . I t was full of gags , which had originated with Wright and Paul Bedford . There was a pot -boy at an adjacent tavern who used to serve the theatre with its ale and stout , and who had all these gags by heart , and when

D ’ ‘ ’ igges , if we except the old servant Betsy , who is an ex - ceedi n gly well drawn character . These two characters were inimitably sustained by Mr. Toole and Mrs . Alfred

. n ew Mellon As for Mr . Toole, he has made for himself a h a fame, and his acting to be t oroughly understood and p ” r i — tan d ar d 1 ec ated b e e . S p must witness d , September 5 th , 8 1 64 . 1 . . 9 8 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE

ever the piece was revived , Wright would send for this boy and rehearse the gags with him .

The boy not only remembered the gags , but every m ” bit of business belonging to the .

D PAUL B E FORD was a natu ral comedian , i n the sense that he was natu rally funny ; he talked o ff m the stage very uch as he did on , always , and in all characters . H e grew to be very fon d of me , used to call me father , and generally when he did so prefaced i t with a kind of wh istle , or with a sudden blowing of the lips . I t was the sam e action w as that which al ays prefaced h is I believe you , m i bhoy ! ’ H e not only saw the great Edmund

K ean act , but acted with h i m on one occasion . I t ’ D Ke an s was at Bath . uring engagemen t at D rury

Lane , the illustrious t ragedian took the coach ,

all travelled night , and arrived at Bath in time

’ for the evening s performance . H is secretary ,

M r . John H ughes , preceded him to see after the rehearsals . Paul had only j ust joined the stock company at Bath , his native town , and when he ‘ ’ w as asked to play the D uke of Norfolk to the ’ ‘ T ’ eminent one s Richard the hird , Paul was horrified and refused the part , but his manager

Q OO O F L . . RE M I N ISCENCES J . TOOLE

railway by George Stephenson , when M r . H us i T h D k sson was killed . e uke of Wellington and

Lord B roug ham were among the company . Paul , d in his serious moments , like to speak of the fatality , more particularly dwelling upon the fact

oli ti al that p c di fferences had divided M r . H uskisson and the D uke of Wellington until that very day , when they made up their differences only an hour or

’ Pau l two before H uskisson s death . But was not often in a serious mood . H e preferred fun to gloom , and one of h is best theatrical stories , I think , was h is account of an incident of a starring tour he and Wright made with Ale x ander Lee V - V a tt . . and M rs . e I t was a joint stock affair

They engaged auxiliary talent , among whom were

'

T o m H i i e W . g g , little George ieland , M r Gates and h is clever daughter Eliza , who danced . Being natives of Lancashire , the latter were very popular . M iss Gates was celebrated for her ‘ Poetry of

’ Motion D ance , something in the style of

' f agho n L ’ ‘ I t was our custom , said Wright , in this speculation , for those who were not required on the stage , to take money and checks at the doors . H ig g i e and I one night at Bolton were thus engaged at the gallery pay-box ; the house was crammed , and we were counting the money , when we paused to l isten to th e tramp of a pair of E 2 0 1 AT T H ADELP H I .

very heavy boots on the stairs . Presently a stal wart young fellow appeared with a wonderful pai r - ’ of hob nail pumps .

Show begun he asked . ‘ ’ Yes , I replied . H ow much t ’ see t ’ show 9 ’

’ A sh illing , I said . ‘ ’ Oh , he answered . I s there room for a lad loike m e

I said there was . ‘ a H e hesitated moment , and then said , I

G Poat r say , my coveys , does M iss ates dance y ta Motion ta n e ig ht P “ H i i e I had to ask g g , who understood Lan cashi re , what the distinguished foreig ner was talking about . H e explained that the young man desired to know if M iss Gates danced the Poetry of Motion - to night . ’ ‘ ’ N o , I said ; she does not . ’ Then gie m i my money back , he said .

N ot willing to return money , as a matter of 1 principle , and desirous of pushing business , ex plained that the company was a fi rst -class London company , wh ich included the celebrated M r .

Pau l Wright and Bedford . ’ Oh , they be dashed , was his prompt reply ‘ gie m i my money back . I f lass does na do ta 2 0 2 F L . RE M INISCENCES O J . TOOLE .

Poatr wou ld n a y ta Motion , I gie a button for

’ ’ t other stuff. h I returned h im h is s illing , and as he pocketed it . and was about to descend the gallery stairs , he looked at us with a scornful laugh , and remarked ,

w illn a Ah say , m y swells , ta cove at cabin get

W . M RS . AL FR ED M ELLON (M I SS OOLGAR) much a ’ that blunt after yo two kids have riddled ’ ” t rid i ro n g . This refl ection upon our honesty as w ell as our art was rather irritating ; but he had such wonderfully big hob -nailed boots

et P r i A mong the Adelph i revivals was j a n de . I followed my old friend Bob Keeley in the part

’ C of the lockmaker s boy . I had seen Keeley play

e the part , and I us d to adm ire h im i n the scene

2 0 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

sh ip . H e was the comic lover of th e piece, you know— the clockmaker ’ s boy but Keeley moved the house tremendously in that parting scene .

H e had to try and cheer M iss Woolgar, who was wrongfully sen tenced , telling her that he had got the captain to let him go as a cabin-boy (one of those imposs ible th ings that are allowable on the stage) , and therefore they would be on the same

’ T he - ship . lit tle chap s grief and self denial were so real , h is always serious face so serious , that the audience forgot h im as the low comedian ; and when the officer of the gaol laid a kindly hand upon

theatres in several revivals of plays of more or less interest . I n 1 8 March , 75 , first performance at the Adelphi of a dramatic ’ version of Nicholas Nickleby , from the pen of the late Mr . ‘ ’ H of . . A ndrew alliday , she undertook the part Mrs Squeers

O . The same year, in ctober, reappearance of Mr Joseph P ’ ‘Ri ’ Jefferson at the rincess s Theatre as p Van Winkle, she ‘ ’ 1 8 played Gretchen ; and in 7 7, at the same theatre , she l C L ost i n L on don performed her origina haracter in , produced

1 8 . O n 1 at the Adelphi Theatre in 77 Wednesday , May 5 th , 1 8 8 D 7 , a performance was given at rury Lane Theatre in aid M ellon of a testimonial benefit to Mrs . Alfred (Miss Woolgar) , in which the principal members of the dramatic profession took part . The result was in every sense most gratifying, and bore ample testimony to her personal worth and considerable

l . w o o . merits as an actress . A sum of was collected “ Miss Woolgar married the late Alfred Mellon , a gentle at man one time well known in the musical world , and a

composer of considerable ability, who inaugurated the series of Promenade C oncerts now annually given at the R oyal ’ ” D . O C . P I talian pera, ovent Garden ascoe s ramatic List P 2 AT THE A DEL H I . 05

his shoulder , and told h im i t was time for h im to leave , the look of u tter sadness and sorrow in ’ Keeley s face , an d h is dejected , but firm and resigned exit , were tender and touching beyond ” 7 description .

7 The following appreciative biography of Robert Keeley Ti m es b rd 1 8 6 appeared in the of Fe ruary 3 , 9 Another link in the chain of old dramatic associations has been broken by R the decease of that eminent comedian , Mr . obert Keeley, P who expired on Wednesday evening at his residence , elham t Crescent , Brompton . Mr . Keeley had attained his seven y fi fth l year . Few actors have more large y contributed to the amusement of the public ; and the thoroughly original style and the peculiar richness of the humour of this excellent per former will be vividly remembered by all playgoers who can I n date their experiences from som e thirty or forty years ago . private life no actor was more heartily welcomed or more highly esteemed . “ R 1 8 8 Mr . obert Keeley was born in the year 7 9 at No . , ’ C -I n n - Grange Court , arey Street, Lincoln s Fields , being one of At a family of sixteen brothers and sisters . an early age he was apprenticed to Mr. Hansard , the then celebrated printer ; but in the f ourth year of his apprenticeship his predilection for the stage induced him to apply to Mr . Sims , the theatrical R agent , and he made an appearance at ichmond, in Surrey, where so many novices have first tested their abilities . This was in the summer of 1 8 1 3 . Hence he entered the Nor

Of . wich circuit, then under the management Mr John Brunton , I n 1 8 1 where he became a great favourite . 7 he came to n ow London and j oined Mr. Beverley at the West London , the P ’ rince of Wales s Theatre, where for two seasons he divided the low comedy with the late Harry Beverly . A visit to Bir m i n ham O g followed ; and thence he came to the lympic , of E 1 8 1 8 which lliston was lessee , and in made his metropolitan ’ Gi ovan n i i n L on don hit as Leporello in , his brother, since 2 6 0 . RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE

“ I n 1 8 6 2 a little book of the Recollections and W' anderings of Paul Bedford was published . I

7 E dead , playing the part of Simpkin . A ccompanying lliston D R n to rury Lane in the following year , Mr . obert Keeley agai had the opportunity of showing his humour in this part — though cast for an inferior one i n consequence of Mr . Ed ward was Knight, who the substitute for Harley , being taken ill , and

from that time he dated his real introduction to public notice . D 1 8 2 1 Seceding from rury Lane in , he joined the Adelphi ‘D ’ company , where he appeared in a small part called ash , w O n ithout attracting , however , much attention . November ’ ’ 2 6 th O f M on cri eff s P E Tom a n d this year , version of ierce gan s ’ ‘ er / . f y was produced , and Mr Keeley s acting as Jemmy i n z Green became a great feature the extravagan a , which ran

through two seasons . A t the end of the first season Mr . ’ w Walbou rn e D Keeley ith , so renowned as usty Bob , went to ’

. W l 8 1 8 2 2 Sadler s ells , and on Apri th , , appeared there as ‘ ’ E ’ P . Jerry, in ierce gan s own adaptation of the book The reputation b e thus gained procured for him an engagement at e O Covent Garden , where he made his first appearanc ctober ‘ ’ 6 h 1 8 2 2 D The P oor S oldi er 2 t . , , as arby , in When the C ovent Garden season terminated he was engaged by Mr . E O z Arnold for the nglish pera House , appearing as Frit in ’ F ra n /een stei P n . R . B . eake s dramatic romance of I n the 1 8 2 C autumn of 4 , ovent Garden again had his services , and ’ ' O 1 D er F r ei schutz he when ( ctober 4 th) Weber s was produced , ‘ ’ was the Killian ; and at this t heatre he remained several C successive seasons , hence obtaining the lever partner of his

life in Miss Goward , who was included in the same company . h A fter aving acquired a great reputation , the popularity of these performers brought offers from the American 1 8 managers , and in 3 7 they paid a flying visit to the States,

of which Mr . Keeley afterwards recorded his impressions

. R E in an amusing volume eturning to ngland, he joined Vestri s O 1 8 8 Madame at the lympic in 3 , and aecom an i ed C p her to ovent Garden afterwards , when that theatre

2 . . 08 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L TOOLE

T - oole , whose public celebrity is world renowned , but whose real worth and goodness can only be appreciated by those who have the pleasure of h is T private society and friendship . his m iniature of

B KS 'I ‘O N E M R . . 11 UC . J . goodness is ever ready to lend a helping hand to

. Fo r the needy of our craft example , on one night last season he p layed at th ree separate theatres ; first at the Surrey , secondly at the ’

. Adelphi , and thirdly at Sadler s Wells A comic incident occurred in the transit from the Adelph i AT T HE ADE L PH L 2 09

’ to Sadler s Wells . H e (Toole) played the ‘ ’ ’ a n et P r i de Clockmaker s Boy in j , at the

’ Adelphi , having to finish at Sadler s Wells as ‘ ’ The e es Old Grinnage in G r en Bu sh . Being

C pressed for time , he hanged garments in the cab .

Arrived at the theatre , cabby was astonished to ‘ see the old man tu rn out , and said , What have you done with the boy Th is old gent didn ’ t get i n at the Adelphi , what have you done with the ’ ? ’ young u n I ain t easy in my m ind about that ’ there lad . We laughed and told the J arvey it was all right .

PAUL BEDFORD used to relate an interesting incident in the early career of the late J . B . Buck a stone . H e was engaged when quite boy for

’ o mb w ll s utility business at H astings . W e show proved an overwhelming counter-attraction to the theatre . Affairs were desperate , when the manager called the company together , discussed the situation , and agreed with him that a strong new play which he had just obtained , and which w as a great hit at the Surrey , might retrieve their fortunes . I n this piece the boy Buckstone was cast for an u nimportant part ; but he went out upon the D owns to study it . A gentleman who

VO L . 1 . I F I O . . Z O RE M IN SCENCES J L TOOLE . was loitering in the local ity followed h im duri ng the th i rd day of h is work and eve n tually addressed him . ‘ You appear to be deeply interested in you r t book , my young friend ; what may i be “ The question was asked i n a gracious and courteous manner , and Bucksto ne promptly handed the book to the stranger . ’ ‘ Oh , indeed , said he , the new drama they are playing in Londo n ! You have evidently a

’ taste for dramatic l iterature . ‘ I am a member of the company of actors

’ now playing at H astings , Buckstone replied . ‘ said the stranger , I am fond of ’ d ramatic works , especially those of Shakspere . ‘ ‘ Ah said the boy , William Shakspere is not a gentleman of my acquaintance yet , but I w ’ hope to be on speaking terms ith h im some day . “ ‘ I ’ hope you may be , said the stranger . P A nd how are you doing at the theatre I trust bus iness is good “ ‘ bad No , sir ; I am sorry to say it is very . T - w here is a wild beast sho in the town , wh ich

has . emptied the theatre The truth is , the management is hard up ; if the new piece does

w s not dra , I am afraid we hall all be ruined ; a - friend of m ine , Cooper the scene painter , had

fi v e - saved a pound note for a rainy day , kept it in

2 1 2 RE M IN I SCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . That you will remain here and play with me to -morrow night for the benefit of our unfortunate ’ brethren . ‘ ’ s Agreed , said Elli ton . T hat night it was announced that on the following evening the pieces would be The M er — ‘ ’ cha n t of Ven i ce Shylock by Edmund Kean ‘ ’ ( the Roscius of the world , as Paul called him) ‘ ’ Th L l r k i a r W i d . . e a e . and , R W Elliston The result was a house that enabled the manage

bu ment to pay all back salaries , to y Cooper a new watch and note , and money enough to take the troupe comfortably to the next town o f

Dover .

Paul would invariably add , as he has done in his little book there , dear boy , was

) 1 7 a pattern for our smaller tragedians to emulate .

I N 1 8 6 J anuary , 5 , M iss Bateman appeared at h h h t e Adelph i in T e H u n chbac . There was some rivalry of opinion on the part of the audience as to the merits of the two ladies i n the piece , M iss H enrietta S ims and the star .

M r . H . L . Bateman , you may be sure , was a

’ tremendous partisan on his daughter s side . The

i s s . s truth , both actre ses were very good M is S ims had a more dainty and cultivated art than H P 2 AT T E ADEL HI . 1 3

M iss Bateman . The latter had made a hit as Leah ’ in an English adaptation of the German play . She had thrilled great audiences with the powerful way i n wh ich she cu rsed the hero of the

M I SS KATE BATEMAN .

piece , and had otherwise given a fine impersona tion of the persecuted maiden . She was one of ‘the Bateman children ’ whom her father had 8 made famous . Bateman was a great believer in

i n Kate Josephine Bateman was born Baltimore , Mary l O 1 8 2 and , in ctober, 4 . Both her parents were actors , and 2 1 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

fi rs t- Bateman and the Batemans , and had rate qualities . H e was very intense in h is likes and

s a she , with her sister , two years younger than her elf, appe red u 1 8 1 in p blic as the Bateman Children as early as 5 , at the ’ St . James s Theatre . She afterwards prepared herself assi d uou sl 1 8 y for the stage , and in 5 9 played successfully in the leading A merican theatres , her principal characters being ‘ ’ ’ O f E those vangeline , founded on Longfellow s poem Geral ’ ‘ ’ i n The dine , a play written for her by her mother ; Julia , in ’ ‘ ’ f f u n chbach P The L ad o L on s auline , in y f y ; and Juliet ‘ ’ E and Lady Macbeth . She arrived in ngland in the autumn 1 8 6 2 1 0 i of 3 , and appeared t mes in the character of the ’ Jewish maiden Leah , in an adaptation of the German play , h D ebor a O 1 . , at the Adelphi Theatre, ctober st After a pro v i n c i al tour , she reappeared at the Adelphi , playing Julia in h a H u n c b ck . the , and other characters She took a farewell of E ’ h the nglish public at Her Majesty s Theatre , in the c aracter ‘ ’ o f u li et R omeo a n d uli et D 2 2 n d 1 8 6 J in j , ecember , 5 , and w 8 66 . as . C O 1 . married to Mr George rowe in ctober , Mrs C 1 8 68 a n rowe returned to the stage in , retaining her st ge ame n 1 8 68 f of Kate Bateman . I Miss Bateman played the part O ‘ W ’ Mary arner, in the play of that name written for her by H the late Tom Taylor, at the aymarket Theatre , supported by

. C R &C . Messrs Howe , Kendal , ompton , ogers , She has ‘ f I n 1 8 2 O . made the character Leah peculiarly her own 7 , and subsequently , she appeared with great success in London ’ as . I n 1 8 Medea , in the play of that name 7 5 , on a revival M acbeth as of at the Lyceum ( Mr . I rving she ‘ ’ played the part of Lady Macbeth . She also sustained the ’ r ri le . ueen M ar title in Mr Tennyson s Q y , which was produced 8 6 1 . at the same house in April , 7 Miss Bateman appeared on the first night of the reopening of Sadler ’ s Wells under ‘ . R ob R o n the management of Mrs Bateman , in y , as Hele ’ Mac Gre o r O g , and spoke the pening address on that occasion , written by the late Tom Taylor . Miss Bateman subsequently

OF . L RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE .

- —a I t is a part of the serio com ic order fireman , — an honest , worthy , humble chap and there is in it a good opportunity for acting ; when d istressed i n his m ind the poor fellow takes some spirits an d

. f becomes savagely drunk A good ellow sober ,

J oe becomes a demon drunk . The audience , I remember , were very enthusiastic at this point of the play , and the critics nex t morning had very

1 6 . 8 6 favourable notices of the actor I n M ay , ,

’ The F ast Fa m i l I played P rudent in y , adapted

’ S ard o u s L a F I N N /[8 Ben oi ton from , and I th ink that ends what may be called my record of the

Adelph i , so far as original pieces go . Of course

I played many other parts , and for the first time , in revival s of Adelph i drama . But without going into tedious details , we have covered the ground the habitual drunkenness by which a man endeavours to silence the voice of an evil conscience . But the effects of ardent spirits imbibed by a man who is already distressed in mind , and is suddenly converted from a comparatively rational being into an ungovernable savage , ready to commit any deed of violence , has been seldom if ever represented , and Mr . Toole has never more forcibly dis played his faculty for profitable ob servation than in his terrific exhi bition of this peculiar phase ’ ’ H o n n o r - of human frailty . Bright, Joe s hard headed , good heart e rl h , and somewhat grimly coquettis sister , not highly educated , but deeply convinced of the superiority of mind to - brute force , is a capitally drawn character , capitally played by

Mrs . Mellon , to whom Miss H Sims , as the more gentle ’ — R . Ti m es 8 1 8 68 . uth , is an agreeable contrast , July th , P 1 AT T H E ADEL H I . 2 7 and the nex t landmark in my career is at the

’ th n i D ea r er a L e 1 8 6 6 . Queen s with f , in “ ’ Before we emigrate to the Q ueen s , I said , we will glance back again at your personal and anecdotical reminiscences of the Adelphi .

“ Yes , and we will begin with

A new chapter , I said . 8 . 2 1 . RE M IN I SCENCES OF J . L TOOLE

BE H I N D T H E S CE N ES A N D BETWEE N

T H E ACT S .

The humours of Bob R omer—Jimmy R ogers discovers the recluse— The disabilities of shopkeeping— Bob and the i — T P —“ — blackb rd . . C ook The C aged Lion Two views — — of Brighton Buckstone and the bill-sticker Toole as — — an imitator Keeley at Bow Street R ead i n g a play — — Go m m ersal an d the nuts Actors and authors Old — — d i sc om fi t ed A dramatic college f ete Toole and — the conjuror An amusing reminiscence of Leamington .

A .

BO B RO M ER was a m inor member of the Adelphi company . H is name is not known m uch outside theatrical society but he was a droll fellow . H e h ad many peculiari ties . Being poor is perhaps

’ hardly a peculiarity ; bu t with Romer s poverty t here was the pride that apes humility , and at t he s ame tim e the frankness and bon hom i e of an out -and -out Bohemian who was not ashamed of co n fessing to the shifts he had been put to in making both ends meet . H e hardly believed him self that he was a good actor ; but he was u n co n

2 2 M F . L . 0 RE IN ISCENCES O J TOOLE .

‘ ’ !. all they exclaimed cheerfully , Ah well that s

’ right , Bob . At the line

R I ’ ude am in speech , t hey said No , Bob , not at all you do you rself an inj ustice , and so on and the memorable per

M R M S M M R R O S . . JA E JI Y GE

f o rm an ce being over , Bob was as merry as the re s t at the supper which celebrated it .

H e would never tell anybody where he lived , ‘ ’ because , he said in his fiowery and dramatic w a y , I do not like people to think me otherwise than of noble birth , and I would prefer them to T H E AN D T H E 2 2 1 B EH IN D SCEN ES B ETWEEN ACTS .

— imagine me in ari s tocratic quarters i n Grosvenor ’ Square say , rather than the purlieus of I slington .

At last , James Rogers , familiarly known as

’ t Jimmy , found him out I forget at the momen

u n re te n where , but the street was gloomy and p tious . Looking down an area , Jimmy espied M r .

Robert Romer , in an apron , near an area window , cleaning knives on a knifeboard . Rogers knocked

hi s at the door ; was admitted discovered friend , and exclaimed , A t last , Master Bob , I have found I you out Romer took it in very good part , struck a melodramatic attitude , knife in one hand , board ‘ e — i n the other , and xclaimed , Ah this pang at least— might have been— spared me There

u was some handy refreshment in a c pboard , and the two friends celebrated the occasion with characteristic geniality . Romer , I believe , swore Rogers to eternal secrecy upon the carving -knife he had just Cleaned and Rogers as promptly told us the story at the theatre the next evening , no one joining more heartily in the merriment i t inspired than Bob Romer himself.

H e was not always engaged at the theatre .

— b u t H e had vacations not in the country , on his own resources in town . I met him one day during one of these intervals between wealth and poverty .

I asked after hi s health and his worldly prospects . ‘ ’ ‘ I ’ m Oh , dear boy , he said , always unlucky “ 2 2 O F . I RE M IN ISCENCES J TOO LE .

— - f born to it , I suppose opened a sweet stuf shop , up a court not far from the Strand - result most — — disastrous the fl ies had the best of i t only one — customer during the short time I st u ck to i t a co n fi d i n g youth who wanted to buy a farthing ’ — cane . I didn t keep farthing canes had to refer him to a rival tradesman— enough to break a

’ s — fellow heart . But such is life , dear boy such is life I 1 Bob kept a blackbird in h is dressing-room at the theatre , and was in the habit of feeding it with - ’ little tit bits of meat from the butcher s . H e would begin early in the week with six pennyworth then it would get down to threepence , and occasionally , w hen he was rather hard up , he would share these

- tit bits with the blackbird , cooking them himself on his little fire . H e was not extravagant , and his salary was not princely . Occ asionally he would be rather short at the end of the week . The butcher was a great adm irer of his . Bob had a

R Mr . William Tinsley, a friend of the late Bob omer , writes to say that one of the incidents of the sweet -stuff shop was used by Brough and Halliday in a farce in which Bob was k l ob . e an actor . sold penny kites as well as sweets The it s w ere hung from the ceili n g at the back of the shop . Bob had to get up a ladder to them . Boys came in to buy penny kites , and while he was up the ladder they plundered his sweets . This incident was adapted in an Adelphi farce and was very funnily treated .

2 2 N L 4 RE M IN ISCE CES OF J . . TOOLE .

T ’ to poor people . hese little incidents of Bob s pride and eccentricity used frequently to come under my notice . I always thought there was something rather pathetic in his dealings with the 2 butcher and the blackbird .

Mrs . Bancroft, in her share of the double narrative of Mr . and Mrs . Bancroft on and off the Stage , tells the following capital story of Bob Romer I remember an amusing scene occurring one m orning as I arrived at the stage-door to attend I - a rehearsal , when heard Bob questioning the hall porter with z z a mysterious and pu led expression on his face . First of all I must explain that on the previous day a little dinner had been given to him by a few friends in the company who desired ’ to have a good joke at poor Bob s expense , and to have one z or two speeches about his untried talents , and to sympathi e with his failure in ever getting a good part . The poor fellow I rose to reply , and after a lengthy speech , which believe caused much suppressed but undetected laughter, he ended by ‘ A—I b — —a - saying, feel much touched y your sympathy — — —n — and with regard to my a hi dd en ability a light under a — I —i f I I —a bushel may say am not important, am at least ’ pleasing . ’ e This miniature banquet was k pt up until ten o clock , for

Bob had not to appear on the stage before eleven , just to act ‘ ’ - -n thi n rts one of his celebrated next to o g pa . He had par f taken rather freely o the wine and was somewhat unsteady .

When he awoke on the following morning, he had a vague recollection of the dinner ; but , for the life of him , could not remember anything that happened afterwards , and his anxiety ff r to find out how things went O at the theatre was very g eat . I - C f When arrived at the stage door , a onversation to this e fect was going on between Bob and the hall -porter ’ BO B A- — R ? good house last night , ichardson ‘ ’ PO R T E R Y es . , sir , very good house — — ’ BO B A nothing went wrong at all P T H E AN D W T H E 2 2 B EHIN D SCEN ES B ET EEN ACTS . 5

Warned by the D a i ly N ews that no rem i n i s cen ces u of M r . Toole will be complete unless f ll justice is done to M r . Robert Romer , concerning whom many of the anecdotes extant are among ’ M r . Toole s stock stories , I venture to annex part of a chapter of the Rem iniscences of an Old ” Bohem ian , an anonymous volume , but the work of D r . S trauss , one of the early members of the “ Savage Club . Bob Romer , says the learned “ doctor , was a devoted student of some of the more abstruse sciences . I met h im one day skipping along i n rather j uvenile fashion , ‘ ! ’ ‘ ’ H allo , Bob I cried to hi m ; what s the ? matter with you , my young friend Why , you ’ trip it as lightly and nimbly as M ercury . Bob stopped short , gave me a look of unfathomable

: meaning , then said , slowly and impressively

’

P OR T E R : N . othing, sir ‘ — ’ BOB A how did the farce go ? “ ’ P RT E R : I . O Not so well as usual , was told, sir ’ BOB N ot ? (quickly) so well , how s that ’ ’ PORT ER : I i ssed . did hear, sir , that it were —a— BOB: Bless my soul 1 Was M r. Webster in the theatre ’ ’ P R T E R . O He had gone ome , sir ’ BOB (breathing more easily) I s he here this morning ? “ ’ POR T E R : Yes . , sir, just arrived — — ’ BOB A did he ask for me ? “ ’ P O RT E R : . No , sir BOB (after cautiously looking round) About last night “ — ’ a was I here ?

VOL . I . 2 2 6 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . M ercury ! hem water boils at the poles there

. ! where here , on our earth , it freezes S ingular ’ ? ’ isn t it And , with another deep look , he left me to ponder upon the curious problem of such a most remarkable difference between these two m distinguished embers of the solar system . “ On another occasion H alliday and myself happened to stumble upon Bob when he was most attentively watch ing the working of a chocolate making mach ine in H olborn . When he beca me aware of our presence , he slowly turned to us , and , pointing his finger to the revolving crusher , ex

i n claimed a portentous voice , the single word , ’ centrifugal , then went on his way , apparently lost , ‘ co ib u n dit like Ch rononhotonthologos , in a g y of

’ cogitation .

I met Bob one day in M aiden Lane . I t was after the death of M iss Romer , who had left him in her will , if not exactly a thumping legacy , perhaps , still someth ing comparatively handsome . The lucky legatee had j ust received a letter from

F rance , which he asked me to translate for h im . t I t was from a theatrical biographis , asking for ’ particulars of the deceased artist s career, as he intended to bring out a sketch of her life in his publication . M r . Robert Romer was enchanted . H e disparagingly compared the brief lukewarm obituaries that had appeared i n some E nglish

2 2 8 O F . RE M IN ISCENCES J L . TOOLE .

l T C CALLED with Paul Bedford on . P . ooke at

T was orrington S quare . I t after Cooke had re tired from the stage . Paul wanted h im to play for his benefit . H e made the proposition rather gingerly , after a little prologue , in which he made himself as agreeable as possible to M rs . Cooke . ‘ T — w e Well , well , my dear ippy always called Cooke ‘T ippy ’ ‘will you play for my benefit ? ’

’ ’

C . Pray , don t ask him , said M rs . ooke ‘ ’ I was to have played at the Lyceum , said T ‘ ippy , and taken a farewell , but they cast me for 3 ’ a G reenwich pensioner . I couldn t play it , you

’

I t w as a n old m an . know .

’ ’ n O f course not , said M rs . Cooke he could t

’ play an old man it is not in his line . “ When we were leaving the house I said to ‘T — ’ Bedford , hat was rather funny , Paul couldn t

’ play an old man . ’ ‘ N ot a bit , father , said Paul , of course he

’ couldn t ; you might as well ask m e to play old ’ men .

“ Very amusing . Paul was no chicken ; and — C C was . ooke well , ooke an old man

I n r w a new piece , written by C aven , with a vie to Cooke , n e r ee f f ill and called O T . T E B 2 B EHIN D H SCEN ES AN D ETWEEN T H E ACTS . 2 9

Cooke was a remarkable actor ; he had no ‘ The P i lot equal in , and he was the original Wil ’ l Bla ch-e ed S s u an . iam in y As a pantomimist , his agile and grotesque powers were seen to great ‘ ’ advantage when he played The Monster in

F ra n hen tei n s . H e had a curious tremor in his ‘ ’ voice , and one night , when , as Wi lliam , he was ‘ ’ speaking of the Lord H igh Admiral , somebody ‘ D ’ ’ called out , on t cry , M r . Cooke , to wh ich he ‘ ’ ’ l m n ot cr i m la n d . responded , y g , y

T OM STEWART was a famous old actor , and well known at the Adelphi . We used to call him the caged lion , he considered h imself so cramped by ordinary melodrama ; he always wanted to let out , had no opportunities for his genius , such as he had been accustomed to in the provinces , where he had ’ ’ ‘ ’ ‘ ‘ t played Richard , Macbe h , H amlet , and the

. e heroes of tragedy generally H was a pompous , but kindly fellow , gloomily serious ; and Paul and

C I , who were mostly occupied in heerier walks of

o o rtu life , real and assumed , could not resist pp n i t i es of playing off little practical jokes upon him . H e often boasted of his triumph s at Bath and other leading provincial theatres , and of his distinguished country friends . 2 F L . . 3 0 RE M INISCENCES O J . TOOLE

a b e One day , mongst my cards , I found one

a C longing to gentleman I did not know , aptain

H . S medley . I wrote on the back , in an assumed D —C hand ear Tom , ome and lunch with me - ’ ’ to morrow at two o clock , for auld lang syne . I n ‘ ’ T o m the evening said , N ow , here s an absu rd

’

C . thing ; here s some old friend of m ine, aptain H

Smedley , called upon me , left h is card , invited

l : me to unch , and gives me no address very ’ extraordinary ! We both said it was ; but suggested t hat he would probably hear from him again .

I n the evening , sure enough , came a note ‘ ’ e — T o m - I n hast Dear , Sorry you didn t come . ’ ? T om Will you make it dinner at eight , again ‘ T i n a fume , said , hese country fellows are so thoughtless . I have no doubt this is some dear

’ Old friend of m ine from Bath ; and yet , here s an absurd thing , invites me to dine at eight , the very

’ time I am on the stage . “ We asked h im a good many questions about

’ his Bath friends . H e said he didn t quite re m ember S medley , but he had so many friends , f particularly military o ficers , that he m ight be ex cu se d for forgetting thei r names . “ t The nex day we sent him a note , in which Captain Smedley apologized for not remembering f how di ficult it would be for him to dine at eight ,

O F L . RE M IN ISCENCES J . . TOOLE

‘ T o m And you sent it to your uncle , , the next day

“ ‘ ’ I T o m did nothing of the kind , sir , said , ‘ with much offended dignity , and I will no longer waste my time in a co m pan y which I had mistaken

’ for a company of gentlemen . “ Stewart was a frien d of M r . Edwin James when that remarkable person was Recorder of

Brighton . James tried to get Stewart the appoint ment of I nspector of Weights and Measu res there . While the Recorder ’ s efforts were active Stewart ‘ T he was continually running down to B righton . ’ ‘ health iest place i n England , he would say , sea - always there , no dreary low water business , a bright genial city by the ocean , sir When the I nspectorship was decided against his candi ’ dature , he dropped B righton , wouldn t even speak of i t for months , but one day , asked i f he were going down to Brighton for a holiday , he let out Brighton , no , sir no place for a Chris tian man—treeless land— shingly shore— shipless sea

O N E F h n ight , ec ter , Sothern , myself and Buck

stone , were leaving the H aymarket Theatre some little time after the performance was ove T H E AN D H E 2 BEH IN D SCENES B ETWEEN T ACTS . 3 3 when suddenly Buckstone discovered a bill -sticker posting an election -placard right upon the front of that sacred house of comedy . !’ H ow dare you , sir he said i n his peculiar ‘ guttural and jerky manner , how dare you post bills u pon my theatre “ T he man paid no attention , but went on

- MR B C KSTO AN D T H E B LL ST C K R . . U NE I I E

u lathering the placard , wh ich he put p with an air of quiet defiance . ‘ - You m iserable bill sticker said Buckstone , 2 O F . L . 3 4 RE M IN ISCENCES J TOOLE . his mannerism com ing out very pointedly with h is ‘ ’ I ’ ll temper , if you don t desist , you scoundrel ,

’ have you locked up .

Whereupon the man , quietly making a closing

’ I ll ou dab at the poster , said , have y locked up , ’ ’ o u y impostor, if you don t mind , for givin such a bad imitation of Buckstone—could do i t better

’ myself. “ Keeley and Buckstone belonged to a little

K r society called the affi s . When they came out of the club one night rather late i t was very cold .

B uckstone , who had a great regard for K eeley , ‘ ’ ’ said , You d better wrap yourself up , Bob ; it s jolly cold

1t ll — at — Oh , be jolly hot Brompton when

’ I get home , replied Bob , with h is familiar chuckle . Keeley had a peculiar way of kicking out his le g behind in comedy , and also i n real life used to use many expletives . One day , at rehearsal , he was suddenly missed . Something or somebody

a had nnoyed him very much . Byron found h im at the back of the pit , kicking out his leg , and - ! quietly remarking to himself, H ell cat

CHARLES D ILLON came to my house to read a

2 6 F . O . O 3 RE M IN ISCENCES J L T OLE .

’ ’ 1 ’ and here s The M idnight Visit . don t know anything finer than the mock heroics of Sir T heodore M artin ; and I remember h is wife , M iss

Fau ci t H elen . when she was certainly the most charm ing ‘ Lady of Lyons ’ you could possibly ‘ h ’ . T e imagine Let us read M idnight Visit , which is in honour of our friend Go mersal

I t Wi was the Lord of Castlereagh , he sat thin his room ,

His arms were crossed upon his breast , his face was marked with gloom ’ I They said that St . Helena s sle had rendered up its charge, — That France was bristling up in arms the Emperor at

large .

! di m Twas midnight all the lamps were , and dull as death

the street, I t might be that the watchman slept that night upon his beat ; 10 to When a heavy foot was heard creak upon the stair , The door revolved upon its hinge— Great Heaven ! What enters there ?

“ un I A to . y The latter says The Book of Ballads, which

A tou n . quote , was by y and not by Martin The truth is, ” according to Men of the Time , that Sir Theodore Martin “ first became known as an author by his contributions to ’ ’ F raser s M a az i n e Tai t s M a az i n e g and g , under the signature ‘ ’ P f of Bon Gaultier, and in conjunction with the late ro essor ‘ ’ A toun y he composed The Book of Ballads, which bears ‘ P that pseudonym , and a volume of translations of The oems ’ and Ballads of Goethe . B T H E AN D B T H E 2 EHIN D SCENES ETWEEN ACTS . 3 7

w A little man , of stately mien , with slo and solemn stride

His hands are crossed upon his back , his coat is opened wide A nd on his vest of green he wears an eagle and a star ! ’ Saint George, protect us tis The Man , the thunderbolt of

war .

’ I s that the famous hat that waved along Marengo s ridge P ’ z L odi s P Are those the spurs of Austerlit , the boots of bridge ’ Leads he the conscript swarm again from France s hornet hive ? What seeks the fell usurper here, in Britain , and alive

P ale grew the Lord of Castlereagh , his tongue was parched and r d y. An d in his brain he felt the glare of that tremend ous eye ; f What wonder that he shrunk in ear, for who could meet the glance ’ Of e R him who rear d , mid ussian snows, the gonfalon of France ?

- From the side pocket of his vest a pinch the despot took ,

Yet not a whit did he relax the sternness of his look . ’ h u ht st Thou t o g the lion was afar , but he has burst the chain - ’ The watchword for to night is France , the answer St . ’ ’ Helene .

’ And did st th ou deem the barren isles, or ocean s waves could bind The master of the universe—the monarch of mankind P I i tell thee, fool , the world tself is all—too small for me, I laugh to scorn thy bolts and bars 1 burst them and am f e re . 2 8 . . 3 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE

’ Thou thi nk st that England hates me ! Mark ! This very night my n ame

Was thundered in its capital with tumult and acclaim . w - P I They saw me , kne me , owned my power roud Lord , say,

beware, ’ r and There s men within the Su rey side, who know to do dare

TO- 1 e morrow , in thy very teeth , my standard will r ar A h w y, well that ashen cheek of thine may blanc and pale ith fear To morrow night another town shall sink in ghastly flames I I C the And as crossed the Borodin , so shall ross Thames

’ z ? e Thou lt sei e me , wilt thou , ere the dawn W ak lordling , do thy worst

These hands ere now have broke thy chains , thy fetters they

have burst . ’ ’ Y et - P , would st thou know my resting place Behold , tis wri tten there And let thy coward myrmidons approach me if they d are

—he Another pinch , another stride passes through the door Was it a phantom or a man was standing on the floor ? An d could that be the Emperor that moved before my eyes ”

. Ah , yes , too sure it was himself, for here the paper lies

r With t embling hands , Lord Castlereagh undid the mystic

scroll ,

With glassy eye essayed to read , for fear was on his soul ’ ’ ’ P Astle s os o s What s here A t y , every night , the play of M c w FA L L

N PO L EO . OM E R S L A N , for the thousandth time, by Mr G A

You were speaking of Robson and Keeley ,

2 F L 40 RE M IN ISCENCES O J . . TOOLE .

’ c i te m e n t : , and in tragic tones exclaimed Don t you think we had better be seated ? ’ Keeley w as a peculiar little fellow very short , bald head , comical face ; spoke in a serious kind of tone .

Very little Chap . When he appeared as a witness at Bow Street , there was a seat in the witness

T The box . hey thought he was sitting down .

’ magistrate said , Please to stand up , M r . Keeley .

’ am I standing up , said Keeley , in his melancholy manner .

T M R . OOLE has not the intense tragic moments of

Robson , but he has an earnestness of tone and manner which exaggerated in the direction of burlesque , i ndicates that underlying power of pathos which comes out in such parts as M ichael G ” “ “ C . arner , Joe Bright , and aleb Plummer Robson had marvellous moments which suggested tragic gifts of the very h ighest order ; b ut th ey were only moments ; they were sudden efforts wh ich he could not have maintained , and wh ich T i n burlesque were tremendous surprises . oole is a remarkable mimic . H e read the first verses of

The M idnight Visit in the manner of Fechter , and the imitation was as real as the closing lines which he gave in the curious style of B uckstone . T H E AN D H E 2 1 B EHIN D SCENES BETWEEN T ACTS . 4

H is im itations of Keeley are more or less pathetic . They have in them pleasant reminiscences and

’ a loving regard for the dead actor s memory . There is a kindred example of personal admira tion in his imitations of Sims Reeves , in regard to which a well -known musical critic said to me the

T o m other day , H is singing of Bowling when

first I heard it was a revelation to me . I t is not

’ Re ev es s burlesque , it is an illustration of method , an exact reminiscence , by a man of feeling , more especially excellent considering that it is an imitation by one who does not profess to have any T vocal powers . oole has told me that when he is riding in cabs or travelling by train he often

’ Re e v es s beguiles the time by humming songs , and that the tenderness of them , and his recollections of the delight they have given hi m when sung by the master , have been a solace to him in his worst hours of depression .

BUT you were speaking about Dillon reading to

’

A L i e s R an som . you f , I suggested “ ’

D . Yes . Gomersal came as illon s friend

H e had his pocket full of nuts , and he cracked D them quietly all the night . illon looked round every now and then to see where the noise came

V OL . 1 . 2 2 OF . L . 4 RE M INISCENCES J TOOLE .

from , and then Gomersal cracked more carefully — H e seemed to have but one Object and that was

’ A L e s Ra n som not if . D At last illon discovered h im . ‘Who the deuce is that cracking nuts —Why

’ i t s you , Gomersal

‘ ’ : G Very sorry beg pardon , said omersal , I

’ j ust cracked one to keep myself awake . “ D illon was very angry , as well he might be .

’ A L ife s R a n som was a very good piece ; but it was not the sort of play that interested the

Napoleonic hero . “ I once tried cracking nuts on a dramatist I ’ myself. B ut I had provocation . didn t like the

’ play the dramatist didn t like the nuts . I suppose it is very hard lines when an author has written a play , comes and reads it to you , and you yawn over it , or go to sleep , or c rack nuts . At the same time it is rather hard upon an actor to be read to and hammered at by an author whose

— a work is of no earthly use to him good play , but not good for h im . And this reminds me of several stories about

G O ld playwrights . Old , before he was , by the way , insisted on reading me a piece . H e was ’ always more or le ss of a bore ; I don t say it dis parag i n g ly you know ; but he was an awful bore ’ for all that ; he couldn t help it , poor chap ; he

2 I 4 4 RE M N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

‘ ’ ‘ N othing of the kind , he said , that is the

s th ird cene of the second act . I read that half an

’ hour ago . “ I stammered an apology , however ; said he must e x cuse me ; I was rather tired , and it was not nece s sary for me to hear every word to judge of the merits of the piece , so far as I was concerned .

And being utterly worn out a few minutes later , he had come so near me to keep me awake , I fell

s forward into his lap fa t asleep . H e bore it with as much patience as he could command , and , rolling up h is manuscript , said he

c would ome and see me another time . I n spite of my invitation to go on to the end , he took a hurried farewell ; and I believe that melodrama ” was never produced .

VI II .

T H ERE was a man about town , a good sort o f fellow , I believe , a Colonel Addison . H e wrote

A braha m P a r hor a farce for Wright , called , and l The Gor i la . another , farce called I and Paul

Bedford played the latter . We had to gag it about a good deal . But Addison had no false ‘ pride in regard to the piece . I am delighted ’ ‘ ’ with it , he said to me didn t hear a line of my own . N ot one of those kind of authors who insist Sc E N E s A 2 BEHIN D T H E AN D BETWEEN TH E CTS . 4 5

upon every word of their tex t being spoken .

S o - -so Come and lunch , N umber and , Argyle

’ ’ Street . We ll have a chat . H e was so pleasant about our little gags that

I accepted his invitation ; got there as good w fortune ould have it at a quarter to two .

The Colonel was out . H is son , a precocious

who little fellow , received me , said , Pa will be in

’ almost directly , M r . Toole . ’ ‘ are Thank you , I replied . You a fine little fellow ; are you going to lunch with Pa

an d he said , going to a drawer taking ‘ out a manuscript , Pa is going to read this and four or five more plays to you

’ I s he I exclaimed . That s very kind of ’ f him . Let me see it . I t was a very ormidable l manuscript a though it professed to be a farce . ‘ ’ Will you tell Pa , I said , taking up my hat and

’ patting the precocious little fellow s head , that I

’ am sorry I can t s tay and have luncheon wi th him - to day , but I will write to h im . Of course , little boys must never t ell stories under any circ u m stances ; if Pa asks you if you showed me that

s manuscript , you must say yes , but if he doe not ,

’ you need not mention it ; he m ight be angry .

H e looked me up often , however , after th is . .

H e was a friend of Knowles , of Manchester , nice

Gor i lla fellow but , oh , that 2 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

AT C éte the Crystal Palace D ramatic ollege f ,

u f Pa l Bed ord , myself, and B ill ington had a show .

There were a lot of other shows about . One , ’ f adjoining us , was a conjuror s ; a pro essional u conjuror , not an amate r showman , as we were

v a ery pompous gentleman with greasy hair , and posing very much about very trifl ing bits o f - f - sleight o hand . We made a little hole through

t . our booth , commun icating wi h his We occa s i o n all en n u i y suffered from and heat , our enter — t ai n m e n t being more or les s monotonous the exhibition of Paul Bedford as Chang , the giant , and C . J . Smith as his wife , Lady Chang , and an d some other nonsense ; , in the intervals , we worried our neighbour, more particularly

i s with h trick of the vanishing o range . When

’ it disappeared , and he triumphantly asked , ‘ ? ’ Where is i t now we quietly remarked , through our convenient aperture Up you r

’ sleeve . “ H e bore it for a little while , but presently ‘ requested silence . I must really not be inter ’ ‘ all rupted , he said . I have performed before

s the crowned head of Europe , and my efforts in the art of legerdemain have always been accepted

’ with gracious favour .

2 8 4 RE M I NISCENC ES OF J . L . TOOLE .

T . he man lost his hat passengers cried ou t ,

’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ T at s on t edge , t at s on t edge Paul Bedford ‘ ’ said , Take me back to London . My story is a trifle more elaborate , but none the less true . I d a recall the scene to y , chiefly remembering its f ef ect on D ickens . They are playing The Lady of Ly on s and The

Bleedi n N u n f g at the Theatre Royal , She field . Two boys are discussing the performance out side .

’ F I RST Bov : H as t been to play ‘ ’ B v : S ECON D o Aye .

’ F I RST Bov Wot w e re t play ‘ ’ ’ : SECON D Bov T Lady a Lyons . ‘ ’ F I RST Bov : Wot w e re t Lady a

’ S ECON D Bov Up to nowt ah cum oot t end

’ ’ ’ a t act , couldn t mek oot wot t were aboot moren

’ ’ ’ m n t man in t oo . ‘ ’ ’ FI RST Bov Wot w e re t t other play ‘ ’ ’ ’ SECON D Bov : T Bleedin N un . ‘ ’ 7 FI RST Bov : Wot were t Bleedin N un up

‘ ’ ’ S ECON D Bo v T Bleedin N un were up to

’ ’

nowt , ah come oot fore i t was ovver ; couldn t

’ ’ ’ ’ mek oot wot t were aboot moren t man in t m oon . ‘ ’ They must have had a pleasant evening ,

Dickens remarked . T H E AN D T H E 2 B EHIND SCEN ES B ETWEEN ACTS . 4 9

Since it is so difficult for a Londoner to understand them , I often wonder how it is they understand us so well as they appear to do .

D URING an engagement of twelve nights with

Paul Bedford at Edinburgh , M r . Wyndham , the manager , asked me if I would play at the Lord P rovost ’ s i n an entertainment given to Prince

’ Alfred , who was the Lord P rovost s guest . “ ‘ ’ N ot for a fee , I said , and I have always ‘ acted upon this principle . As the Lord

’ P rovost s guest , I will be most happy to assist in

’ amusing the Prince and his friends .

I n due course I received an invitation , and I remember the occasion as a very pleasant evening .

h n der u l Wom a n T e Wo f was the chief att raction .

’ I played Crepon , the cobbler

“ The old D uke of Buccleuch was amongst the

’ guests . I didn t know who he was . H e made himself very agreeable to me , and I only became acquainted with him as a duke late in the evening .

’ ’ I don t say that he didn t look like a duke ; but I have known men of very inferior position ‘ who assumed a great deal more . Come to ’ ‘ ’ D t . my cottage , he said , at alkei h H e was rather like Compton in appearance had a smack 2 F L . 5 0 RE M IN ISCENCES O J . . TOOLE

‘ ’ of his dry humour . I once played myself, ‘ he said , and rather liked it ; I played ”

D es tifi n a .

N OT long Since , at Leamington , a gentleman — ’ who shall be nameless he mightn t like to see

’ this incident in print , and I wouldn t give him pain for the world—called upon me (he was an Adelph i playgoer in my early days) ; he met me on the stairs as l was g oing out . I knew him slightly . W ’ ’ ell , I m so glad to see you , he said , seizing ‘ : my hand not able to come last n ig ht , or cer l ’ t ai n y should have done so . H aven t called upon — ’ you about that pi ece don t be afraid ! Just

’ wanted to Shake hands . You re looking well .

G s ood house la t nig ht Of course , that goes ’ without saying . But I thought you d like

tha t i ece to know in regard to p , wh ich , after read ing , you said was not i n your way , that I have subm itted i t to Compton , who , shaking me warmly

“ ’ by the hand , said , M y dear captain , there s ” something in it . The piece he referred to was someth ing he had sent to me quite twenty years before th is conversation . Good or bad , I had forgotten it

2 2 O F L . . 5 RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE

m ’ ’ Not y niece She s in the plot . I t s th e

’ ’ play I m talking about . ‘ I said , I thought you were talk ing

’ about you r family . ‘ ’ Oh , no , he said . N ow , look he re , M r .

’ that i ece Toole , I don t want to bother you abo ut p , but the plot is most original . Compton says i t

’ all is and my friends think so .

’ And they think it ought no t to be lost . They do and I am determ ined it shall ’ l not , he said . have got it in my pocket .

’ d en ouem en t ou re The of the first act , if y member , brings the heroine to the edge of a

She precipice , where is seized and th rown over by

’ the villain .

’ ’

Oh , that s a pity , I said , because that will

o u end the play , if y lose your heroine in the first

’ act .

’ But I don t lose her . She reappears And he went on so persistently that I t hough t

The A n ci en t M ar i n er of t he young fellow i n , and began to grow dizzy . At last I fear I m ade more

u s or less of a bolt of it , saying , E xc e me , I must go to rehearsal , but I will see you , I hope , another d ay And so we parted . V I I I .

C H I E FLY CO N CE R N I N G TH E Q UEE N 'S A N D T H E GA I ETY .

’ — D ea rer tha n L i e the Queen s First production of f , with ‘ ’ — — Irving as Bob Gassit At the Gaiety Farce and comedy -A memorable engagement with Phelps and Mathews R eminiscences of Phelps— A little jest at Manchester Phelps on Mathews and Mathews on Phelps— A young ’ — man who didn t set the Thames on fi re Phelps and Macready— Notes on the work and character of Phelps r ds Burnand and A r tf ul Ca .

I N a 1 8 6 J anu ry , 3 , I accepted an engagement at

’ the Q ueen s with M r . and M rs . Alfred Wigan , C the company including H enry I rving , harles

Wyndham , John Clayton , H . J . B rough , M iss

N ellie M oore , and M iss Henrietta H odson , John - Ryder being the stage manager , and Liston acting

’ ad manager . Our first production was Byron s 1 D n L ea r er tha e . m irable play , if I t followed up

I ts The plot of D ear er than L if e is comparatively simple . who hero , Michael Garner, is an industrious tradesman , has acquired a comfortable subsistence by long years of honest w - labour . A strange compound of shre dness and good nature, 2 O F L . 5 4 RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE . a line of Character in which I had previously been fortunate enough to i nterest the public and the a man whose natural quickness of perception is a little clouded f by an unusually a fectionate and trusting disposition , it is his lot to be married to a woman whose whole hopes are bound

an . up in only son This son , at the commencement of the w -fi ve story , is about t enty years of age , and employed in a ’ I t merchant s office in the city . is the old tale of temptation and weakness . By the influence of a wily and unscrupulous C S associate , harles Garner is led into betting and illy specula tion . He is not deficient in good feeling , but he has ideas - above his station . The story commences on the twenty seventh ’ anniversary of old Garner s wedding . By the scratching Of a

C . favourite , harles has been irretrievably ruined He is engaged n to a pretty cousin , and this you g lady , Lucy Garner , is loved erfi di ou s with a strange earnestness by his worthless and p friend , u Bob Gassit . A curious old ncle appears in the form of Mr .

le n . Garner, who is chronically under the influence of gin Lucy is one of those true and constant lovers of whose existence plays and romances inform us . She knows her Charlie is h S e . wild , but is bent on redeeming and reforming him She is quite proof against the insidious advances of Mr . Bob Gassit , ’ and , though she does not share Mrs . Garner s blind confidence , ’ on her side S he contrives to minister to the old lady s weak ld w ness . O Garner has a shre d suspicion that his son has not been doing right , but he never imagines that he has committed ’ a C a crime . After a time , it appe rs from harlie s embarrassed manner that he is in trouble . Lucy finds this out , and taxes him with being in difficulties , and promises to relieve him by obtaining a sum of money which has been carefully hoarded up I n by his mother . the meantime the company invited to assist in the celebrating of the anniversary of the marriage

C . arrives . hief among these is Mr Boulter, an old friend of ’ Michael s , who has gained some small reputation for con vivial Y a . t lents oung Garner , rather refined by intercourse with

r 2 5 6 RE M IN ISCENCES o J . L . TOOLE .

’ Q ueen s who would be heard of aga in . That actor was our friend I rving . And what a support

. Ked ele C ing themselves , Mr g y, the employer of harles , appears , w f hi m demands an intervie with Michael Garner , and in orms z - that his son has forged and embez led . The heart broken father calls for the re probate , urges him to fly from j ustice , and m i n accuses himself of the cri e . The last act is a garret at Lam f m beth . The whole family have been reduced ro comparative ld comfort to starvation . O Garner is a messenger earning a few shillings per week , Lucy is a seamstress , Mrs . Garner i s

r . bed idden , and Gassit is still persecuting Lucy with his suit r T ue to her old love , the heroine resists all the devices of

Gassit , and thoug h her landlady is fighting for rent , bears out patiently to the last . Ben Garner , in a fit of maudlin repent ance , comes up to the garret , begs his brother to forgive him , h and leaves a bottle of gin , w ich the despairing messenger w I n n s allows . the intoxication which follows , Michael Gar er loses all control of himself, and indulges in a bitter invective of his worthless son . This is overheard by Mrs . Garner, who shrieks out and falls as if dead . This misfortune sobers Gar - ner, but at an opportune moment the long lost son turns up with abundance of money to save his starving relatives . The re piece ends with the defeat of the schemer Gassit, and the of ward virtue in the persons of old Garner , his wife , and f Lucy . O course the burden of the drama rests upon the shoulders of Mr . J . L . Toole , for whom it was written . Long ago m Ca leb F l u m er . in , Mr Toole proved that he not only possessed the quaintest and most genial humour, but that , like most n genuine humorists , he had a large fund of pathos . Nothi g could have been more natural , more touching , more effective ’ than his representation of Michael Garner , the honest trades a n d -sac ri fici n man , the loving husband , the courageous self g toiler . The character may be rare , but that it is real was proved E i by the actor . very s tuation in the piece was made striking and ’ successful by Mr . Toole s thorough earnestness and his artistic ’ 2 CONCERN ING T H E QUEEN S AN D TIIE GAIETY . 5 7

! ’ I had You don t get such a cast nowadays . F — C ancy Wyndham , layton , B rough , Nellie ! M oore , M iss H odson , and I rving

“ ’ Leaving the Q ueen s , I starred at the Standard for six or seven weeks , and at the Crystal Palace .

la l I rving accompanying me . A year t e r returned

’ to the Q ueen s for a short season , and played ‘ ’ I n Philli s N o lt J ack S nipe Watts p s t Gu i y . I n the same year I commenced a long engagement

attention to detail . The second act bears a dangerous resem F or te/ s Kn ot blance to the second act of the , and with any other actor it might have been a failure . But Mr . Toole is thoroughly original , and the resemblance of the piece to that

. R in which the late Mr obson achieved his greatest success , only serves to S ho w the contrast between the styles of the two I n b e actors . some of the scenes far excelled his impersona - tion of the old toy maker , great as that was . The finest points were in the close of the second and the beginning of the third ’ acts . The intense grief of the father when his S on s guilt is a revealed , the outburst of passionate ffection when he implores him to fly from justice, and the utter despair which followed ,

z . I n i m were wonderfully reali ed the garret scene Mr . Toole of proved u pon himself. His delineation the brave old man n who could e dure starvation with a pleasant face, and could be cheerful under the heaviest burden of misery , was only surpassed by the sudden exhibition of passion when , excited by the drink which his worthless brother has brought him , ’ Michael flamed out into a denunciation of his son s guilt . ’ Old Again , on the conclusion of the drama , when the man s ready wit , inspired by an unexpected good fortune , obtained a c on sum fair opportunity , Mr . Toole contrived to mingle with ” mate skill the humour and the pathos of the situation .

S tan dar d th 1 8 68 . , June 9 ,

VOL . 1 . 2 5 8 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

at the Gaiety , opening in a new domestic comedy ’ 2 Un cle D i ch s D a r li n written for me by Byron , g ,

0 “ Mr . J . L . Toole has commenced an engagement at this theatre by performing the principal character in a domestic drama new to London, written by Mr . Henry J . Byron , and ’ ‘ ’ l h D a i n n c e D i c s r l . D D . entitled U g ick olland (Mr J . L . U D ’ C Toole) , familiarly called ncle ick , is by profession a heap

Jack . This profession has already been made familiar to play Flower s o the For est goers by the Adelphi melodrama f , in which an itineran t trader of the kind was represented first by the late

Mr . Wright, afterwards by Mr . Toole . But Mr . Byro n seems r to have more immediately contemplated the D . Marigold of D Mr . Charles ickens than any character previously exhibited

. D on the stage ick and his friend Joe Lennard , a blacksmith , have taken charge of Mary Belton , a foundling, and though D she is expected to marry Joe , the ambitious ick places her in - a genteel boarding school , kept by Mrs . Torrington . When her i education is completed he pays her a visit , taking w th him a formal proposal of marriage from Joe, but is considerably per

lexed a . p by a remark m de by Mrs Torrington , to the effect that Mary, being now by education a lady, must not marry a ’ person of her guardian s rank in society . While he is seated on the steps of his van meditating on this remark , he is further

. C hev en i x perplexed by the appearance of Mr , a gentleman of wealth and influence , who has fallen in love with Mary at the house of one of her schoolfellows , and offers to make her his D ’ . O n wife the following morning he is to call for ick s reply , and in the meanwhile the Cheap Jack falls asleep . A con si d e rable lapse of time apparently takes place , and when we

. Cheve n i x see Mary in the second act she is the wife of Mr , her living in great splendour, but far from happy , for husband man D is a cold , austere , evidently modelled upon Mr . ombey , and she has imprudently set her affection upon the Hon .

C r en t en us . U D laude Lorrimer, a of the g exquisite ncle ick , paying her a visit, is treated with rude hauteur by Mr . Cheve

2 60 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

in the part are so pleasant that , somehow , I always feel there is a kind of blank in the piece .

M I SS NELLIE FA R RE N .

Of course , th is is only a bit of personal senti

ment , and the audience knows nothing of it ; it ’ 2 6 CONCERN ING THE QUEEN S AN D THE GAIETY .

makes no difference to my acting , unless it may unconsciously add to the sentimental interest of the part . I played a big round of new and old pieces at the Gaiety , having the valuable assistance of that

’ C com edi en n e F lever , M iss N ellie arren , who , I fear , has more or less wasted her g reat abilities since then by an exclusive devotion to burlesque . I am not saying anything against burlesque ; I have done a good deal in that direction myself ; but I n ever allowed it to engross all my time and attention . I am not quoting myself as an example of genius which m ight have been spoiled by burlesque nor am I suggesting that M iss Nellie Farren could not - to day , if she Chose , or had the opportunity , play pure comedy as well as ever but I fear that ,

n worki g in the same groove for many years , and that groove not by any means the most artistic or

— — e desirable namely , mere burlesque is not cal u

’ lated to improve one s art indeed , it is calculated to lower its tone and purpose . But you yourself enjoy farce more than comedy , and farce is not the h ighest order of ” “ d ramatic art , I suggested , one blesses the man who invented laughter ; and one thanks Byron and

Burnand for the hearty , rollicking burlesques you played at the Gaiety . “ Yes , and I enjoyed them ; the work both of 2 6 2 . . RE M IN ISCENCES OF J L . TOOLE

Burnand and Byron in the region of burlesque is , as a rule , of a far higher order than much of what is now called farcical comedy . As for what I like to play , I believe it very m uch depends upon what my audiences like . When my audiences are pleased with a serious piece , I am pleased ; but I particularly enjoy a comic part ; if I am in good 1 robust health revel in it , one has so much more margin than in serious comedy . I i nvented the ‘ ’ business of the brush in Spriggins , where I put m it on y knee for protection . I had a touch of the gout , and a desire for m isch ief m ade me put the blacking brush on my knee where the major

fi rst- would Strike me . H is surprise was a rate unrehearsed effect , and I have done it ever Since .

Yes , I enjoy a rollicking farce . I laugh with the

audience , and get carried away by the fun of it and I enjoy pathetic scenes , too , but they tire me

more than funny ones . I feel the sorrows of C ’ aleb Plummer si ncerely , and always did but of

late years I feel qu ite grieved for h im . I think

th e scene between the th ree , his daug hter , him

’ self, and Dot , where she confesses her love for

‘ ’ T kl on ac e t . , and I have to tell her what he is and when I know that my deceptions are at last

discovered , are very beautiful ; but the return of

th e boy who was thought to be drowned , coming

’ on the top of the daug hter s forgiveness , is alto - T g ether a most heart sti rring scene . here has

2 F . L . 64 RE M IN ISCEN CES O J . TOOLE piece by Burnand ; and when the Spelling Bee

S elli n Bee mania was on I did a p g , which was an ‘ i mmense go ; I played the part of Professor ’ \Ve The F or t M uddle . did the burlesque of y ’ Thi eves D on Gi ovan n i Bu rn an d s and , and

M R L O L BRO UG H . . I NE

Ba bes i n the Wood ; also Bi b a n d Tu cher ; I

’ was Bib and Brough was T ucker . i n

’ t wo acts , was Gilbert and Sullivan s first effort i n

’ the way of opera -bouffe or comic English opera ;

S hi ll -S ha ll we produced it at the Gaiety also y y ,

T w he n I by rollope and Reade , and closed my ’ AN D 2 6 CONCERN ING THE QUEEN S TIIE GAI ETY . 5

M u ch Too Clever engagement , , by yourself and

John Oxenford , had just become one of the most

s popular of our fir t pieces . D uring the engagement of Phelps and Charles

Mathews at the Gaiety , I played with these two ’ The R i vals great actors Bob Acres , in M aw ’ ‘ ’ The f f ocr i te Bul ru dd e r worm , in yp and g y , in

hn Bu ll f j o . I then gave farewell per ormances n prior to my visit to America , taki g the Globe for the purpose , and I produced there for the first time

’ ’ Albe r s Wi a n d Gow n F ool a n d y g , and Byron s

H M o i s n e . y M y season lasted ten weeks , and the fi - business was rst rate . “ I think my season with Phelps at the Gaiety was one of the most agreeable in all my expe

ri e n ce s . I got to know Phelps very well , and to like him very m uch . “ When I was a boy , I used to go and see Phelps play at Sadler ’ s Wells— watch for him at the - stage door . I saw him play all his leading parts . I saw him the first time he played Sir Pertinax ’ 3 M h M h W r acs co an t The [ a n o t e o ld . y p , i n f I t was

’ The occasion of Mr . Greenwood s benefit last night at Sadler’ s Wells Theatre has given the town the opportunity of P n ew seeing Mr . helps in a line of character , and the per ’ f o rm an ce of Mac kli n s somewhat old -fashioned but ad mirable comedy of The M a n of the If/ orld has enabled that able and versatile actor to add another character to his well-stored ‘ c er toi r r p e. “ P M acs co han t exc e Sir ertinax y p has , with some trifling p 2 66 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

’ ’ Th for Greenwood s benefit at Sadler s Wells . e house was packed so full that he had to come down

M R L S . . PHE P

to the footlights and address the audience . T here had been some murmuring among those who were

w S tions , hen it has been revived to how the capacity of some n actor to enunciate , the Scottish dialect , been abando ed since

2 6 8 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE . f o rt able would have their money returned to them

-o ffi at the box ce . I t was rather a nervous sort of thing for him to have to do upon such an occasion .

I t was a great night . H e made a tremendous hit ‘ ’ i n the part of Sir Pertinax , which continued to be one of his favourite and most remarkable imper

so n at i o n s .

“ M athews was very jolly at the Gaiety . H e used to say i n a chaffi n g way he was afraid it was a bad th ing giving the public so much they would always be e x pecting to see us three together

ssor f e s into valuable assistants to moral teachers . The por tra al y , as a piece of art , is beyond common praise , and must attract every connoisseur of the drama to witness it . We have not space to point out the various excellences of the portrait, but can truly say we never re m e mber—though we remember ’ the whole of the career of the elder Kean and of Miss O N e ill — to have seen a more potent piece of acting . The comedy was tastefully put on the stage , and performed in all respects

R . well by Mr . Barrett , Mr . F . obinson , Mrs Marston , and z M iss Fit patrick , the latter being very agreeable and charming h r in Lady R od olp a L um b e c o urt . The house was crowded in C ha every part by a most respectable audience , the esteemed rac ter of the acting-manager al ways drawing a remarkably full we house . A nd are sure the lovers of dramatic art will feel obliged to him for giving them the opportunity of seeing P I t M r . helps to such extraordinary advantage . will revive the popularity of a comedy which by no means should become obsolete for though originally perhaps a little too much directed against a particular nation , it is still universal in its ” — i n d er ti ser F. [ Mor n A v application . G . Tomlins in the g , 2 8 th 1 8 1 Nov . , 5 . ’ 2 CONCERN ING T HE QUEEN S AN D T HE GAIETY . 69

‘ and I can not afford to carry Phelps about the ’ country . ‘ ohn Bu ll I n j , Phelps , of course , played Job

S hu ffle to n Thornbury Charles M athews , and I played the I rishman , who speaks the first lines .

a li ttle I was nervous , having to struggle with the brogue , and j ust as I spoke two seats in the gallery broke down . The commotion upset me a little , but I got over it when I found that the noise was not hostile to my brogue .

Phelps said to me , H ollingshead wants us to play together in a piece specially written for the ’ three of us . H e asked me what I thought about — i 1 i t f . I knew any p iece that would suit us said , ‘ Yes , I know the very thing . I t would , I believe , ’ ’ be an immense go . I excited the dear old fellow s ‘ ’ interest tremendously . Well , he said , at last ,

[ ci on ar le F r a n a i s s what is it p e , with Phelp as the Major, M athews as the Frenchman , and myself as Spriggins

“ When Phelps was very much amused , or very much moved , he closed his eyes , and occasionally ,

o f hi s as you know , thrust h is hand into the breast

s waistcoat . H e closed his eyes on thi occasion , and chuckled immensely . I rving and Phelps lodged in the same house at M anchester . I rving was then playing with the

Batemans . Phelps was very regular in his 2 0 O F L 7 RE M I N ISCENCES J . . TOOLE .

habits went to bed immediately after he got home , and was up early i n the morning . T hese were

’ not I rving s habits ; he is fond of the n ight likes to take a rest after h is work , a cup of tea and a S book in the morning . O they did not meet as often as they might have done . B ut Phelps had h a very high opinion of I rving , whic he expressed ” to me on several occasions .

O N E night I was passing through Manchester , G on my way to lasgow , and knowing that Phelps - was there , staying at a well known theatrical house — ’ — I . M rs . Brown s called upon h im H e had f gone to some o ficial d inner , but M rs . Brown said

’ he would be home at ten o clock .

n o t I told her to say who I was , as I contem

a a e n tle plated little joke , but to inform him that g man had called , and would call again . “ Phelps was at home to the m inute . I was in

s . the pas age , and heard him go u pstairs “ When he had got into his room , I sent up word to say that I wanted h im to help me on my way by playing for my benefit I would play f ’ ’ Macbeth to h is Macduf , and he I ago to my

’ Othello .

M rs . B rown was a brigh t sort of woman , and

O F . L . RE M IN ISCENCES J TOOLE . I n the m idst of his rage I pushed my way past

M rs . Brown , getting on the shady side of her , and said , S ir , sir a l ittle of someth ing hot Before he could express h is indignation at this intrusion ,

I had allowed him to recognize me . H e was very merry over the incident , and we spent a pleasant ” and agreeable even ing .

SO M E people thought Phelps starchy and Stiff ; but h e was naturally shy and bashful , and to those who knew him , genial , cordial , and of very agree able and pleasant manners . When we were playing in j ohn Bu ll at the Gaiety we were photographed together for the

I llu str a ted L on don N ews the three of us , Phelps ,

M athews , and myself. The photographer was very much impressed with his work , and very anxious ; and j ust as he had posed to his entire satisfaction , Phelps gave one of h is little nervous coughs . “ ‘ ’ Mathews remarked , I t s no good trying to get your tragedy cough into the picture , Phelps

’ ’ it can t be done . “ ’ And of course it could not . Don t think the most scientific artist has yet discovered a way to ’ 2 CONCERN ING T H E QUEEN S AN D T H E GAI ETY . 73

— a m photograph a tragedy cough co edy smile is , f of course , a very dif erent thing .

s We were photographed in character . Phelp had on one of h is heavy tragic wigs , and Mathews one of his tall comedy hats . Just before the last pose , the photographer suggested that M r .

“ L S M T W S A N D TOOL I N O B L PHE P , A HE , E , J HN U I

hi ‘ w M athews should take off s hat . I t ill make

’ your face lighter .

Mathews , in h is quick , merry way . taking off

’

D . s h is hat , said , on t you think if M r Phelp took off h is tragedy wig it would make hi s face lighter ? I t was a very i nteres t ing business altogether

V OL 1 . . T 2 74 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

more particularly for me , studying the special characteristics and individualities o f the se two very remarkable men , Phelps as great and deligh tful i n his line as M athews in his . I drew them both out afterwards about each other . Phelps said of ‘ ’ : Mathews An admirable actor ; but , don t you

’ fli an t ? think , rather pp M ind you , they both admired each other very much . Mathews said of ‘ : off Phelps A fine actor ; but , the stage , rather heavy , eh

’ E P PH L S , at Sadler s Wells , had been induced by a friend to take that friend ’ s son into the com pany . H e was a bit of a swell in his way , the young fellow , very fond of acting , and could not be got to settle down to regular work . Was anxious to go upon the stage , and Phelps was induced to give him a salary and bring h im into the company with a view to his getting on . H e began by playing a small part in Ti m on of

t n A he s . One night during the performance the young man did not turn up . H e sent no excuse either by letter or in any other way , and the next morn

S O ing there was no communication from him . Phelps gave instructions to the stage -porter that

2 o r . . 7 RE M IN ISCENCES J L TOOLE .

The figh t was terrific . You k now when

c hi s Ma ready was fighting he always , under ‘ ’ s breath , u ed to bully M acduff, calling him

VVre t ch & c Beast Scoundrel . I t was suggested to Phelps that he should do the same . ‘ ’ So when M acready called h im Beast ! Phelp s t ! " retorted , B ru e Demon F iend Ruf

’ fi an ! & C . The play over , Phelps e xpected to t be rebuked , and , as he an icipated , was promptly

’ d s Bu Macre a . t sent for to M r . y room it was to be praised . ‘ s Thank you very much , M r . Phelp ; more part icularly in the fight . I have never found

’ anybody before to work with me so pleasan tly .

I asked Phelps if this sto ry was true , and he i ) 1 ) t i s . said , Yes . quite true

I F the career of M r . Phelps was not what is called an eventful one , it makes , in the hands of

s . his nephew , M r . W . May Phelp and M r John

ts a Forbes Rober on , a singul rly interesting ” “ t “ biography . The s ory , remarks my host is

C capitally tol d in thei r introductory hapter , and on th i s h int I venture to quote the leadi ng para graphs of thi s adm irable prolog u e to a delightful book : ’ AN D T H E 2 CONCERN IN G T H E QUEEN S GAIETY . 7 7

Samuel Phelps inherited the instincts of a gentleman , and th roughout the whole of h is career he never forgot that he was one . He was of good fam ily , and , though not what is

- called college bred , of good education . H e was a doting husband and father and a fast friend .

C E x ceedingly fond of hildren , he would often take an infant out of the arms of any nurse he m ight

ss meet in his walks and ki it . “ t Attached to his home , he would ra her dine with his fam ily on plain fare than sit down to a banquet without them . Not that he by any means despised good th ings ; for, when they came in his way , noth ing pleased him more than having a few friends round h is table to share them

r with h im . H e had a great liking f o gardening t and even agricul ure , and , had he been able to

i n f retire early li e , he would have made a good country gentleman . At Chelsea , where he resided

1 8 0 1 8 from 4 to 44 , he had a large piece of w ground attached to h is house , where he gre some beautifu l specimens of choice flo w ers and

plants , giving them h is own personal attention . He was as pleased with h is ach ievements in this way as he was with his success on the stage . H is

w as gardener , for the greater part of this period , an I rishman , who had held the same position at

’ C obb e tt s William some years before , and was 2 8 7 RE M I N ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

m ightily proud of both h is masters , as he told one of the present writers .

The Lion H otel , Farn ingham , Kent , was his

s principal residence when fi hing or shooting . He spent more time in that county than in any other part of the kingdom , and he was known to all the farmers round about . He took great interest in all that pertained to their welfare , and even went so far out of h is usual custom as to take the C hair at some of their club dinners , when held at this house . They had no idea who he was , and simply hi m regarded as a sportsman , who lik ed to m i x i n their society . E . L . Blanchard tells an anecdote of one of them discovering h im , to h is great

’ s astoni hment , as the Doge of Venice , when he brough t hi s family up to see that piece at D rury

Lane Theatre in 1 8 6 7 . M r . Phelps had no wish ever to be lionized , and no doubt told the proprietor of t he Lion Hotel of his desire to remain incognito . i m To his profession M r . Phelps brought mense perseverance . He was a great reader ,

w as and , although not a classical scholar , he familiar through translat ions with all the great

s mind of the antique world , and he remained a student in every sense of the word almost to the day of his death As an actor we pla c e him second to none . I n t ragedy he combined many of the best characteri s ti cs of John Kemble and

2 8 0 . . RE M I N ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE . s elf, when questioned upon the point by the t presen writers , and when asked why he did not publicly deny it , he said it was not worth h is while to deny what he thought must be patent to all those who saw much of him . He added that his style was h is own , whether it was good , bad , or indifferent , and that he never saw any of his great predecessors after he was old enough to

an y form opinion of them . To us , i n th e great majority of his tragic characters , he was as different from Macready as it was possible to be i n t he case of two men otherwise so equally matched .

M r . Phelps married very early in life . He was - j ust over twenty two , wh ile his wife was only sixteen . She was a daughter of a friend of the lady in whose house he . was a boarder . The

e n wedding , although it was known they were gaged , took place wi thout the privity of the

: mother , who was a widow first , because she m ight reasonably plead for a little delay , and

C secondly , on the very haracteristic ground that they wished the whole affair to pass off as quietly

as . possible M oreover , he was on the eve of h is departure for the N orth to commence his career as an actor .

The m arriage was in every way a happy one . N ever were a couple more mutually devoted to each other . She anticipated h is every wish and ’ AN D 2 8 1 CONCERN ING THE QU EEN S TH E GAIETY .

1 8 6 when , in 7 , she finally left him after seven ’ years intense suffering from cancer , of wh ich disease her own mother and only sister died , he was so cast down that h is family thought he would never rally again . I ndeed , he never was the

he r same man afterwards . On the morni ng after departure he told his nephew that he had lived through twenty deaths during the previou s seven years . “ He was a great pedestrian , and never rode until very late i n life . He would frequently start

C an on b u r from h is house in y Square , up the

Holloway Road and H ighgate Hill , to the village of H ighgate , thence to the Broad Walk on H am p stead H eath , and back to his residence before dinner , when he had no rehearsals on . H is rate of walking w as never less than at the rate of five T miles an hour . his he did to keep his fat down , he said ; for he was inclined to corpulency , like several of the male members of his family . By th is means he kept h imself pretty nearly all his life between eleven and twelve stone in weight . He dined at especially when acting ; and aft er dinner he took a nap on the couch from 4 to

5 , and then a couple of cups of tea and a cigar . All the liquid he took during the evening , when acting , was a little barley water now and then , j ust to moisten his mouth . H e was never at home to any 2 8 2 O F . . RE M IN ISCENCES J L TOOLE . b u t the most intimate friends , except by appoint

’ ment , and it was more than the housemaid s situa tian was worth to admit a stranger bet ween th e

2 m hours of and 5 p . H e spent a great deal of fi his spare t ime shing and shooting . H e was a c left th rower of the fly , and knew nearly every t rout stream i n England . Nor was he less e successful with the gun , and rarely m iss d being out on the first day of partridge and pheasant

-fi v shoot ing for th irty e years . He never went out of h is own country till the

1 8 . year 5 9 , when h e took his company to Berlin

H e was well received by the Germans , and h ighly spoken of by many of them . The press said he was equal to their own I fflan d and Ludwig

' D e v ri e n t , and private individuals said th ei r superior . I n thei r criticisms they placed his

’ ac ting of Shakespeare s four greatest characters in — t the following order of merit Lear , M acbe h ,

t . Hamlet , and O hello At Berlin he was patron i z e d nightly by the K ing and Queen , and their s o n s and daughter the Crown Prince and Prince s ,

the latter our own P rincess Royal . A fter D having gone from Berlin to Leipzig and resden , he a c ted at H amburg on hi s way home .

f re H e n ever went to America , although quently on the point of concluding an engage ment to do so . H e was often assured by Ameri

2 8 4 RE M IN ISCENCES OF J . L . TOOLE .

VI I I .

’ THERE was a very bright r acon teu r at Sadler s \ - ” Vells , in Charles Fenton , the scene painter ,

“ continues Toole . Phelp s used to go into his room now and then and get hi m to tell stories . Fenton played a small part exceedingly well in

A le Btoss m s pp o . H e used to tell wonderful Jew stories , inconsequent kind of romances . There w as u one . I remember , about a body that co ld not be buried underground , or else all the pro

u t perty would go away from the heirs , so they p it on the top of a h ill . H e used to m ix the inci dents up in a curious sort of way , and , when there w as any point open to doubt , would settle it with

’ the remark , That s what they say down at West

’ H artlepool . I t was one of those inconsequent stories which lead to nothing ; but , from the way in which they are told , are often very amusing . Burnan d has a peculiar knack of mak ing i n consequent speeches ; he can talk about nothing

s i n the clevere t way . H e once , when we were at a party together in Liverpool , invented a bogus game of cards . I t was at an evening party . Four gentlemen had been playing whist i n a very

n o t Serious , to say ostentatious , way , and for ’ AI ET v 2 8 CONCERN I NG TH E QUEEN S AN D THE G . 5

pretty large stakes . When they went down to supper we took their table , myself, Burnand , and several others . Burnand suggested that we should all put on the table little piles of money , reckoning how m uch we each contributed , so that we could

M R . F . C B R . U NAND .

redistribute it when our bogus game was over . I t was understood that during the game we all acquiesced in anything any player did ; that we should deal as many or as few cards as we liked and that any player , at an opportune moment , 2 8 6 . . R E M IN ISCENCES OF J L TOOLE . s hould triumphantly lay down any card and take the stakes , whatever they were , collecting from e a h c heap besides what there was i n the pool .

We had about thirty pounds on the table . We were j ust in the full swing of ou r fun , invented for

whi ste rs t he unostentatious , when they came up from supper . They came straight to the table and looked on . Burnand dealt ; he gave three t cards to some , four to o hers , and took only two h imself. We all looked at our cards very care

s fully , and laid each card down with a great how of caution . Burnand , as the dealer , waited until d we had all e xhausted our cards , when he sai tri umphantly , Oh , indeed you call for the Three !’ of H earts ; very well , here it is upon wh ich we were all very much cast down , and he swept the board ; but retu rned a sovereign to me and ten ‘ t shillings to another player , because we were fif h

’ and thi rd ou t .

s . Then I dealt , giving each th ree card We went th rough the same mystery of care and caution , laid down our cards i n a curious way , Burnand putt ing all his down together , the others playing ,

u n as it seemed , all out of t rn , and Burna d sud ‘ ’ — ’ d e n ly crying out I t s a double Corsican it s J ohnnie ’ s “ ‘ f - O f s cour e it is , I said , with well feigned s urprise and delight .

2 8 8 RE M IN ISCEN CES OF J . L . TOOLE .

-o u manner , told the inquiring lookers that the

‘ ’ game was the n e w Corsican game of Bolo ‘ ’ rka T and C at cho . hey said it seemed a very e x citing game . B urnand said it was the on ly T game at cards . hey said they would like to

’ learn it . He advised them to get Collins s book on it from Lo n g m an s ; and we went down to supper . T he fun of the whole thing was the acting of

b - s B urnand , h is y play , his aside . We all played up to him wi th perfect sincerity ; and I thin k the incident gave Burnand more than one suggestion

r for A r tf u l Ca ds .

YOU were speak ing the other day of my fi rst ” night friends , said Toole , as I was pocketing the sheet of note -paper upon which I had ch ronicled ’ - i n h ieroglyphics Bu rn an d s merry card trick . I must tell you about one of the most regular and - devoted of my fi rst night friends . H e is a very t pleasant ci y man , who has a fancy for addressing letters to me with nothing on the envelope but ‘ ’ simply J . L . Toole , Esq . I remonstrate with him now and then , but he always very cheerily

’ explains , But you get it ; you get it , my boy . ’ T H E 2 8 CONCERN ING QUEEN S AN D THE GAI ETY . 9

’ ‘ ’ Yes , I say , but don t you think it is putting th e Post Office to trouble ? ’

’ N ot a bit . That s fame , you see .

’ Toole is quite enough for the Post O ffi ce . I suggested to him the other day that the best test would be to put a £ 1 00 note into it : an d that reminds me of Planche s story of Sheridan

s K nowle . H e was acting in the country , and

M rs received an urgent , anxious letter from .

K nowles , inform ing him that two hundred pounds which he had promised to send her on a certain day had never reached her . K nowles thereupon wrote a very angry letter to Sir Francis Freeling , - who was then Postmaster General , informing him

‘ 011 s that uch a day , and at such an hour , and at

-o ffi ce such a post , he posted a letter containing two hundred pounds in Ban k of England notes addressed to M rs . Knowles , which had never arrived at its desti nation . H e denounced the

Post Office authorities in strong terms , and de m an d e d an immediate inquiry into the matter , the

o f delivery the money to his wife , and an apology for its detention .

Sir Francis , in reply , wrote him a very pleasant l etter , as if they were perfect strangers to each other , wh ich they were not , telling him that he had received so much pleasure from his published w u orks that he looked pon him as a friend , and at

VOL . 1 . U 2 O F L 9 0 RECOLLECTIONS J . . TOOLE . the same time acknowledged that Knowles w as quite correct in stating that he had posted the letter in question containing the bank -notes ; but that he had omitted not only his Signature

b u t inside all address outside the letter , having s ealed up the notes in an envelope with the ‘ I ’ words , send you the money , which he had

T he posted without any direction . letter was

O pened at the ch ief office , and detained until

s inquiry should be made . Sir Franci finished by informing him that by the time he received thi s

’ Kn l letter the money would be in M rs . ow e s s hands ; the Post O ffice had sent it by special

s me senger .

Knowles , who had begun his complaint to S ir ’ “ s a Franci with severe S ir , wrote back My — dear Sir , You are right , and I am wrong . God bless you ! I will call upon you when I come to town ;

- s . A curious , ab ent minded man , Knowles ‘ M eeting a friend , he said , Ah , my dear fellow ,

o ff to - s Abbott , I am morrow can I take any letter for you

’ You are very kind , said Abbott ; but where are you going to

’ ’ I haven t made up my mind , replied

Knowles .

2 O F . L 2 9 RE M IN ISCENCES J . TOOLE .

' ’ Had you there he exclaimed . I ve tired

o u d y to ay as much as you have tired me .

I hope we shall not tire the reader , I said ,

- closing my note book . ! T V L . I I N D E O O .

“ C Abstinence meeting , performance Bob ratchit , at the Adel

6 . 6 . at , 7 3

1 6 . Actor, the nervous , at Brad Boyhood , early , 3 2 Brothersf rom ford , 9 . the workhouse ,

2 2 6 . Actors and authors , 4 cribbing Brough , Lionel , 9 7 , 4

2 D 2 . business , 5 social gatherings Buccleuch , uke of, 4 9 of u 2 0 8 , 9 9 B ckstone , and the 1 1 8 . 2 Adelphi , first appearance at, 5 sticker, 3 3 incident

2 . 2 0 . Advertising, art of, Kean , 9 8 2 8 Art ul Ca Age , practi cal joke over, 7 . Burnand , 5 and f - - 8 2 8 . Aix les Bains , taking the baths

1 0 . at , 3 P Albery and Margate barber , 4 7 . Caleb lummer, success ’ N orrib le 8 2 2 1 . A Tale , 7 7 , . 9

2 0 . C ba Author, persistent, 5 arles , Harry, as the

2 . Authors and actors , 4 chief, 9 3 . “ ’ A r a Belle the 1 e . N orri b le , , 9 3 Chapel , A Tale r t ul ar ds 2 8 C . A f , 7 7 6 . D 1 0 C 1 Artful odger , the , 9 ward hestnut , origin of, 3 ch

f I o . o 1 1 . robe , nut bell , 3 hr t C i s mas Ca rol the 6 . , , 3

C 2 6 2 . omic parts , delight in ,

1 1 . C 2 6 . Ballantyne , Serj eant , 5 onjuror baiting the , 4 ' M r 2 2 s 1 P . 2 2 8 C . . Bancroft , , 3 ; and Bob ooke , , R 2 2 . C 1 . omer, 4 owell , Sam , 5 7 1 2 Bancrofts , the , 7 .

. D ea r er than L e 2 . Bandit march , 9 5 if , 5 3 D 2 1 2 . C 1 Bateman , Miss Kate , illon , harles , 5 4 ; eng P 8 1 . 1 2 Bedford , aul , 9 ment with , 7 . - - e 1 8 . D 6 8 . Beef eater , as a hat p g , 4 omestic life , E 6 2 D 1 . 1 Benefit at dinburgh , ublin , first appearance in ,

8 6 . D ex eri er Birthday sells, 4 , 5 unfermline , early p 1 0 . 6 . Birthplace , 4 at , 7 Bi r th lace o P od er s the p f g , , 9 7 . 1 E Blanchard , 3 7 his first sight of dinburgh , first appearance

1 6 . 6 1 1 6 . Toole , 3 5 ; benefit at , 4 ! 9 4 I NDE .

2 60 Farren , Nellie , . Leamington , persistent author

Fauc i t 1 8 2 . 2 0 . , Helen , 5 , 3 5 5

n C 2 8 . 1 Fento , harles , 4 London , first appearance in , 1 1 First appearance ; in public , 4 5 Loveday, George, 4 , poem 1 0 D as an actor, 5 ; in ublin , 4 3 1 E 1 6 5 5 in dinburgh , 5 ; in 1 60 1 London , ; on the stage , Mackay as Nicol Jarvie ,

1 8 P 2 . 4 . Macready and helps , 75

Marlborough House , dinner

1 3 1 . 2 8 . Gaiety , engagement at , 5

2 . artin , Lady Theodore , 3 5 G aren te 8 . M and the bandits , 9 C a 2 1 athews , harles , comic p s 2 6 . M Gomer al cracks nuts , 3 , 4 1 h 1 from , 3 3 ; early days of. G r een Bushes t e . , , 9 7 ” 1 2 1 Twig Hall , G 2 . rossmith , George , 7 P 2 helps , 74 . f . 2 0 2 . Mellon , Mrs Al red , H 6 . ollingshead , John , 9 1 1 Menu , royal . 3 . 1 0 Home , at A lbert Gate , 4 ; in 2 . Michael Garner , 5 5 O 6 . ” rme Square , 3 5 , 3 9 , 4 2 6 Midnight Visit, a , 3 . W 1 1 0 . Murray , . , l ci on Ba r /e Fr a n o i s 2 . c , 3

1 6 n 6 . C . O e 1 I ngoldsby lub , 4 night only , , ”

B s . t . Ou r o I n erviewing , 7 y , 5 9

I t 2 . On e does make me so wild , 5 night performances , “ I rving, 7 5 ; as Bob Gassit ,

2 1 ac P 1 8 . 5 5 ; career of, 75 ; first aul Bedford , 9 t 0 1 a P . 2 . quaintance with , 7 3 first aul , Mrs Howard , P Pr a earan c tempt as public reader , 74 aul y, first pp “ h R t e 1 6 2 . eadings in Firelight , ’ 2 66 1 2 6 a e 8 . P ; and Toole s g , 7 helps , ; domestic life , 2 and Macready , 7 5 2 ’ Mathews , 74 ; practical , 9 5 . James bandit march 2 0 m with , 7 ; re iniscences a D v J mes , a id , 5 9 ; as Attorney 2 6 2 7 2 ; C a C 5 , work and har General , 5 3 ; and old arente , 2 8 . of, 7 P d oem to George ove ay , an 1 0 L Jefferson as artist , 7 . ’ “ ” on Toole s silver wedding 2 1 . ” Joe Bright , 5 P oetry of motion , and Bull P , helps , Mathews , and lad 2 00 . Lancashire , 2 . Toole in , 73 P m olice an , the real and

1 . sham , 9 5 P P Kean , generous act of, ractical joke ; with helps , -h 2 1 0 P 1 8 . ; and aul Bedford , 9 with Sothern in the chop “ ” R 2 0 2 0 2 1 1 8 . Keeley , obert , 4 , 5 , 3 9 . 4 ; Tickets ready,