By that time we were too successful, and too popular, I am glad to say, to be allowed to be idle, and Mr. Daly was not long in finding some sort of shelter for us. He took the old New York Theatre on Broadway, the scene of his own first success as a playwright, and, in sixteen days, had it thoroughly overhauled and put in order for us. It had been a Unitarian church, and had passed through many hands and odd fortunes since its congregation had given it up. We used to say, in somewhat disrespectful fun, that we had to dress in among the gravestones. The old place stood on Broadway, opposite Waverley Place, and the Old London Street" was built on its site. I am not sure but that a part of the walls, still standing there, are the walls of the old theatre, and even, perhaps, of the old church. It was numbered 728, and that number remains there. It clings, also, in the memories of all good New Yorkers as the title of one of the prettiest plays brought out in the present Daly's Theatre. We did that same play in London afterward, under its secondary title, "Casting the Boomerang." The English courts refused to allow Mr. Daly to keep the original title, since it had already been used in England for another version of the same play that had been produced there with small success. and would often call out: "There's a queer name, Governor!" He found some very funny ones for "Jimmie" Lewis and me. Dollars and Sense" was one of his best titles, I think. I know when he was trying to find a name for that particular piece he read a whole list of titles to Miss Fanny Davenport.. From a photograph by C. D. Fredricks & Co.. New York. In the collection of Evert Jansen Wendell, Esq. It is only my impression that Mr. Daly got the name for this play from this number, but I guess I am right. He took his names from everywhere, and always had a string of them for plays and characters. We got so that we were all on the lookout for them, as we went through the streets, us once at breakfast, and I said: "Oh, I like that one." Then it was spelled "Dollars and Cents," and it was Judge Daly who suggested the change. "Let the old man keep his dollars," he said, "but the old woman has the sense." We were at the old New York Theatre only from January to June, in 1873. By that time the second Fifth Avenue Theatre, on Broadway at the corner of Twenty-eighth Street, had been built, or made over, for Mr. Daly. Among the stars at the second Fifth Avenue Theatre, we had Edwin Booth in 1875, not long after his attempt to run his own theatre had ended so disastrously. He was warmly greeted, and the New York people did their best to show their admiration and sympathy for him. Everyone knows the history of his later professional years too well for me to retell it here, but modern playgoers will be interested to know that when Booth did "Hamlet" under Mr. Daly's management at this period, Maurice Barrymore was the Laertes and John Drew the Guilderstern. Georgie Drew, John's sister, and later Barrymore's wife, was also in the company at this time. Charles Coghlan tried to do "Hamlet" at this same theatre, at one of his benefits. He was our leading man at one time, and a great favorite, but the very manner and finish, that made him such a success in the modern society pieces of our stock-company, worked against him out at the second Fifth Avenue Theatre, although it took a year or more to bring it to a head. There is no use in reviewing quarrels at this late date, but I have always felt that the people "behind" the theatre thought that they could get on just as well without Mr. Daly's manage ment. I know that they treated him badly, and he lost money, and things were very much out of joint for a time. Sides were taken, of course, and the company was broken up. Lewis left, after a battle royal with the "Governor," and only those were retained who were necessary to support Miss Davenport in a starring tour, Barrymore and Drew being the principal ones. There was really no room for me in that work, but Mr. Daly said I was to "go along" until I made some other engagement. At that time there were only two other big stock-companies in New York, the Union Square under Mr. Palmer, and Wallack's old company. Mr. Daly talked over my going to one or the other quite frankly, but confessed he would prefer my joining Wallack, as Palmer had already succeeded in getting several of his old company away. Indeed, Miss Morant, who had left Daly's some time before and was at this time with Mr. Palmer, got into the way of coming to take me for long drives, when the conversation used generally to turn toward the advantage of being at the Union Square Theatre. aff Hen fear Saver K Miss Fanny Davenport. From a photograph by Sarony, New York. In the collection of But the real attraction of these years, from '74 to '77, was the stockcompany, and it held good names and did capital work. Why, at one time or another we had Fanny Davenport, Sara Jewett, Charles Coghlan, Maurice Barrymore, Georgie and John Drew, and James Lewis. By the time "Pique" was put on in '75 Fanny Davenport was leading lady, and in that particular play we all had strong parts. "Pique" was not an adaptation, but an entirely original work by Mr. Daly, and it ran two hundred nights, a wonderful run then, and a good run at any time. People forget sometimes that Mr. Daly was a writer of plays, as well as an adapter and manager. He needed the barest outline on which to build a play; something he had seen in a book or read in a newspaper would give him the idea, and he would fill it in, and work it out with parts to suit us all. It was when Pique" was nearing the close of its run that trouble began to break As it happened, I went there finally, but the reason was a purely personal one. My boy was failing steadily by this time, and I felt that travelling about the country would hasten his death, and seized any opportunity to get back and be settled in New York. So I, too, left Mr. Daly under a cloud of misunderstanding, for it was during one of his temporary absences that the letter from Mr. Palmer came, and I had no chance to explain to the "Governor" my private reasons for hurrying away in what looked like a heartless fashion. He told me long afterward that it was not until he saw my boy's death in the paper, that he understood what seemed to be my desire to get quit of his own sinking ship. He went abroad after this, and for a time we neither saw him nor heard from him. while he was still rehearsing his piece. As I went in by the box-office I saw him standing well down the corridor. When he saw me he came forward with both hands out and real pleasure in his face. We had a good long talk, and he begged me to run in and see him whenever I Edwin Booth. From a photograph by F. Gutekunst, Philadelphia, Pa. In the collection of Evert Jansen Wendell, Esq. In the meanwhile I was doing the Chanoinesse, in "A Celebrated Case," at Palmer's Theatre. It was a favorite part of mine, and it was a favorite with the public too, but for many reasons I was never really at home at the Union Square, and I shortly rejoined Mr. Lewis, who was playing under Mr. Abbey's management. Agnes Booth was in that company too, and we toured the country. Once, when we were in some little town near New York, we heard that Mr. Daly had returned, had taken the old Olympicmy first New York theatre-and was to open it with l'Assommoir. I do not remember whether it was a version of his own or the English version, "Drink," in which Charles Warner made his big hit. I wanted very much to see Mr. Daly, but was in a quandary about it. If his play were a success, he could not help feeling that we were willing enough to gather around him as soon as his foot was on the ladder again; if it were a failure, he might feel that we were triumphing over him a little. I thought it over a good deal, and it all resolved itself into one thing-I simply was sure that I wanted to see the "Governor " again, play or no play. So I managed to run up to town and get to the Olympic could get to New York, for he had many things to say to me. L'Assommoir was no great success, and the Olympic was given up, and the theatre which, I am glad to say, still bears Mr. Daly's name was built. Mr. Daly wanted me to go back to him, but for the time I was under contract to Mr. Abbey. However, even we of the company could see that things were not going well with our manager, and that a breakup was not far ahead. And before long I was free to sign with Mr. Daly. I was anxious to have "Jimmie" Lewis back in the company, too, and sounded the "Governor " about it. "Well, bring him in to see me some day," Mr. Daly said; "I fancy we can arrange all that. I got rid of a lot of hard feeling and bad blood in crossing that ocean." So Lewis and I came into the orchestra chairs one day when Mr. Daly was superintending a rehearsal. He came over and shook hands, quietly and pleasantly, just as if there had never been any quarrel, and everything was arranged beautifully. And then, oddly enough, Lew made a great fuss over the very first part that was given him. In Our First Families" it was. "There," he said, his face all twisted up with half-laughing disgust with himself, "you see how it is. I can't help it. a born kicker, and I shall always be a kicker." I'm With the opening of the new theatre came the succession of successful plays, adaptations from the German and Shake spearian revivals, that spread over so many it, and showed that he did not. During Mr. Drew's last year with us his position was none too comfortable, and he needed all his tact to carry him through. We played our regular New York season, then toured the country, and then went abroad. All over this country the word had got Miss Agnes Ethel. From a photograph by Sarony, New York. In the collection of Evert Jansen Wendell. Esq. about that that was to be Mr. Drew's last season with the company, and of course everybody wanted to see him; and they did their best to call him before the curtain. But Mr. Daly would never let him take a call alone; he would rather have the entire company "out." So it went on, until it came to our last day on this side, a Saturday in San Francisco. For the matinée a play was given in which Miss Rehan had a strong rôle, and immediately after that performance she and Mr Daly took train for New York, leav ing us to do some piece in the evening that would do very well without Miss Rehan. The idea was that, by leaving those few hours earlier, they would catch The first of the four to go was John a steamer that would give them a week Drew, and although his going takes me in London before the rest of the comrather far forward in my story, it had best pany would arrive. The audience knew be told here. No one can blame a man that it was John Drew's last night, and for making his fortune in his own way in the people simply let themselves go in this workaday world of ours. Wiseacres their determination to show him their apand prophets shook their heads and said: preciation. After the play was over the "Drew cannot live without Daly, and usual number of calls was answered by all Daly can get on very well without Drew;" the principal players together, and then we and some said just the opposite As it went to our dressing-rooms. But the approved, both sets of prophets were wrong. plause went on, and it was evident that it Although Mr. Drew was sadly missed in was Drew they wanted. The difficulty was our company, his place was filled, and well to get someone to go on with him, for no filled; and all of us who cared for him one dreamed of disobeying the unspoken have rejoiced in his success and prosper- rule of the absent " Governor " The leadity as a star. But at the time of his leav- ing lady sent word that she was not dressed, ing we were sorry to have him go, and Mr. and Mr. Dorney, the acting manager, came Daly was very sore about it, did not like to me. What shall I do ?" he said. I 66 had my bodice half unbuttoned, but I fastened it up in a hurry. "Where is he?" I asked, "I'll go with him ;" and I started out for the stage. Drew was standing there, waiting to take me on. Then it came over me that it was his call, that he had earned it, and should have it, whatever happened. So I would not let him take me on, but I took him, well into the middle of the stage. Then I pat ted his arm, looked up and nodded in his face, and left him there to make his acknowledgments alone. He understood, but he never said a word about it. Only, when he passed me in the wings, he stooped and kissed me. "God bless you, Grandma!" he whispered. to forgive-although he was usually severe in dealing out fines for he thought the circumstances unusual. The second experience was altogether comic. It happened in Philadelphia, where we were playing "Dollars and Sense" in our opening engagement in this country after our return from a trip abroad. Mr. Daly always made very close connections, and this time we were due to get in to New York on Sunday, and play in Philadelphia on Monday night. As it happened, we were late in getting in, and had to anchor off Coney Island all night. What with Sunday celebrations and rockets down there, and the excitement that always comes with getting home, we didn't sleep much! We got up to our dock in the morning, and I had just time to run up to my home, get a bit of lunch, and catch the oneo'clock train to Philadelphia. By that time I was rather tired and thoroughly miserable, for I sometimes get the worst of my sea-sickness after I am on shore. However, the first act of the play went all right, and as I did not have to go on until the end of the second act, and had no change to make in my costume, I thought I would rest a bit. I rolled up the shawl I wore in the character for a pillow, took off my bonnet, slipped my most tired foot out of its shoe, and lay down on the floor of my dressingroom. I had no idea, whatever, of going to sleep. The first thing I knew was a great buzzing, then I sat up with a start. My door was full of faces, the "Governor's" looming up above them all, and all of them rather frightened. They didn't know whether I was ill, or had fainted, or what Miss Clara Morris. From a photograph by Sarony, New York. In the collection of Evert Jansen Wendell, Esq. I suppose everybody has kept the "stage waiting" at one time or another. I can remember doing it twice. The first time was in the little Fifth Avenue Theatre on Twentyfourth Street. The theatre belonged to Jay Gould and "Jim" Fiske, and Mr. Daly was only lessee. In spite of the "Governor's " rules, Mr. Fiske would come into the green-room once in a while, and sit there chatting with one or another of us. So we all knew him in a way, and when the news of his murder reached us we were terribly upset. We heard it first just as the play was beginning, and all through the evening we were eager for any scrap of information. I had received my "call" in good time, and was on my way to the stage, when someone said something about Fiske, and I stopped deliberately to listen, forgetting everything else for the moment. I had not the slightest excuse for being late for my entrance, and there was nothing to do but fine me or forgive me. Mr. Daly chose |