p. 280

392.
So fleeting is the fame of an actor. "The
Sermon" in the last act as it is called is sup-
posed by the unlearned in the drama to be-
long to the play of "The Hypocrite." But
such was not originally the fact either in the
original French piece as translated by Bick-
erstaff or the one so interpolated here. It has
been "cut and carved again" to suit the
various tastes of the day.

Mr. Mathews gives in his Memoirs the
following account of the progressive changes
and alterations of this comedy wherein his
friend Liston the great comedian made capi-
tal for future representations of the noted
Mawworm through the hints of Mathews se-
nior:

On my secession from the regular drama in conse-
quence of my unfortunate accident he (Liston) took
a fancy to the part as thus:

The play was revived after the destruction of
Drury Lane Theatre at the Lyceum to which thea-
tre the company was driven in their distress and
being "burnt out over the way" the business was
carried on there. My early knowledge of the family
of the Mawworms gave me an opportunity of depict-
ing with truth at all events the tones and manners
of such a character. It was highly effective; but the
author or rather translator has given him only one
scene in the play for the few lines in the last act are
so trifling that he is almost a cipher. I was discon-
tented with the insignificant situation in the con-
cluding scene and therefore made bold to try an ex-
periment directly in the teeth of the advice of my
immortal instructor who says "Let your clowns
say no more than is set down for them." Finding
our play firmly established with the public I con-
cocted a speech or harangue and cautiously keeping
my secret I quietly retired one night (on its fourth
representation) from the characters concerned with
Contwell when he boldly declares himself to be a vil-
lain and at his exit suddenly presented myself behind
the screen on the table I had caused to be placed there.
Mounting up I bawled out to my brother-actors on
the stage to their great amazement in the exact
tone and language of old Daddy Berridge (a noted
preacher):

"Stay yon infatuated wretches! ye know not
what ye do!" etc. etc. * * "I have one
great one glorious consolation : ye will all go to the
Devil for what ye are doing! This is my consolation;
and when it is too late ye wll repent. When ye see
me mount and leave ye to your fate ye will want my
aid. Ye will cling to me ye will try to lay hold of
the tails of my coat ; but I will fling ye all for I will
wear a spencer" (a fashionable short roundabout
jacket.)

February 28th Mr. H. A. Gardner appeared
as Herbert Carroll in "The Wandering
Minstrel."

March 7th Shakspere's "Much Ado About
Nothing" was most successfully produced ; it
had quite a run. It was the first of these ex-
periments in running for many nights old
stock-plays that used only to be played for
one or two nights during a season. But our
theatrical audiences had begun to multiply in
numbers as the city's population had largely
increased.

Mr. Drew with her usual comedy excel-
lence acquitted herself with sparkling humor
and spirit in the rare witty part of Beatrice;
Mrs. Bowers as Hero was interesting and
impressive; while Wheatley's Benedict was
judiciously and elegantly given wit the
manliness of the soldier and the traits of the
gentleman -- chivalry and good breeding
blended. The comic parts of the sage muni-
cipal night guardians were the very essence
of low comedy. We remeber that some of
our critics took a lengthened survey (then a
rare thing) of this comedy as then acted. It
was performed nightly till the middle of
March.

"The Lady of Lyons" was played during
this month with infinite ec;at. Mr. Wheat-
ley and Mrs. D. P. Bowers as Claude Mel-
notte and Pauline made quite a furore while
Messrs. Thayer Dolman Bowers etc. created
much satisfaction in their respective charac-
ters.

March 20th "Hamlet" when Mr. W.
Wheatley again essayed the moody philo-
sophical prince and seemed to gie his friends
and patrons and the public generally great
satisfaction in his acting of this most difficult
or rather test character of the English stage.
Wheatley is certainly a very excellent gene-
ral actor. Like the elder Wallack he is ever
a brilliant gem shining par excellence on all
alike. He wears no masque but is ever the
mirror of his own reflections in life and the
artistic painter of character on the stage. We
bear him no ill-will and wish success in
his new undertakings. Mr. Fredericks played
the Ghost and made a very sensible spirit
with natural delivery which does not happen
ever assuming some unnatural tones and se-
pulchral inflexions.

March 27th Colman's "Jealous Wife" was
now presented with the success of the other
comedies. Mr. Oakley Mr. Wm. Wheatley;
Major Oakley Mr. John Drew; Charles Mr.
Dolamn; Russet Mr. Thayer; Capt. O' Cut-
ter Mr. D. P. Bowers; Sir Harry Beagle
Mr. F. D. Nelson ; Mrs. Oakley Mrs. John
Drew ; Harriet Miss Bernard; Lady Free-
love Mrs. Kinlock.

This comedy was first acted at Drury Lane
on February 12t--season of 1760-'61--Garrick
playing Mr. Oakley and the comedy ever
since has been a success in Britain and here.

That the author in this comedy has drawn
freely from Fielding's admirable novel of
Tom Jones is quite obvious and some hints
have been taken from No. 212 and No. 216 of
the Spectator as from Mr. and Miss Free-
man. There is a great deal to be pleased with
in this comedy and much to disapprove of.

April 14th the domestic drama of "Poor
Cousin Walter" and the comedy of "The
Follies of a Night" were both performed
with approbation.

The "Comedy of Errors" for about the
hundredth time was still being at least week-
ly offered up for the public's unsatiated ap-
petite. The tragedies of "Jane Shore"
"Fazio" etc. interspersed the comedy
nights.

April 19th Mrs. John Drew's benefit.
Home's tragedy of "Douglas" was presented.
[?]ung Norval Mrs. John Drew; Glenalvon
Mr. Wheatley; Old Norval Mr. Fredericks;
with the drama of "Satan in Paris"--Count
Vanilla Mr. J. Drew.

Thus the season continued until its finish on
July 4th, 1854 with the bill of fare thus an-
nounced: Cherry's comedy of the "Soldier's
Daughter"--Governor Heartall Mr. Thayer;
Frank Heartall Mr. Wheatley; Charles
Woodley Mr. Dolman; Timothy Quaint Mr.
J. Drew; Widow Cheerly Mrs. John Drew.
To conclude with the melo-drama of "Lu-
cretia Borgia."

The latter piece was changed at night in
consequence of the non-arrival of Mr. and
Mrs. D. P. Bowers at the theatre. They had
taken a 4th of July excursion by invitation
to Mr. Risley's seat in Delaware county to
spend an independent day both publicly and
privately expecting to return in time by the
evening cars but the party arrived too late at
the station; the train had departed only a few
minutes before.

"The Comedy of Errors" was substituted
for "The Lost Lucretia." But there was yet

another "lost one" to find ere the comedy of
this confusion could be produced or "Errors"
could be served up for the last time. Dromio
of Syracuse was non est for the nonce. This
was the glorious 4th of July 1854 and F. D.
Nelson alias Frank Drew was presiding at a
National feast on the secluded romantic
shady banks of the Wissahickon where pa-
triotism and joy were reveling in ecstacies
whereat the "Little Giant" Stephen A. Dou-
glas was arousing his listeners to patriotic
deeds through his thrilling oratory where
sentiment and song rendered everything joy-
ous. In the course of these patriotic libations
our Son of Momus (Frank Drew) was called
upon to which he responded in a mock heroic
strain that set the table in a roar. But sud-
denly the echo of many voices was heard re-
sounding through the wooded dells of the
Wissahickon--"Frank Drew! Frank Drew!"
&c. It was the gallant and sagacious Col. J.
Ingles Matthias in quest of the lost Dromio--
previously knowing his "whereabouts" for
that day. In his carryall he drove up to the
banquet-tables and spying the comedian with
goblet in hand toasting the "Little Giant"
cried out "York you are wanted!" and
whipping up his petite corpus placed him in
the vehicle and away he went at 2.40 to town.
Ere the Widow Cheerly had made er last
speech the Dromio of Syracuse was dressed
and ready at the wing to enter and meet his
brother Dromio of Ephesus.

Thus closed Wheatley & Drew's first season
of 1853-'54 on a prosperous season.

CHAPTER CXXVI.
The season of 1853-'4 at the Walnut Street
Theatre--The Richings' complimentary in
the vacation--Summer season--Brooke00De-
vani--Rousset sisters--John Sefton stage
manager--Commencement fall and winter
season--Silsbee--Wheatleigh--Mrs. John
Sefton--Annette Ince--J. B. Adams--Hong-
Took-Tong Chinese troupe--Miss J. M. Da-
venport--H. A. Perry--Mrs. Leonard--Miss
Julia Dean--"Senior de Guzman"--For-
rest--Mr. and Mrs. B. Williams--Ander-
son--Miss Fanny Morant--McDonough's
testimonial benefit--Mr. and Miss Richings.

The Walnut Street Theatre closed as we
have mentioned May 21st, 1853 with the
farewell appearance of Miss Julia Dean in
the character of Gabriella de Belle-Isle in
Mrs. F. A. Kemble's play of "The Duke's
Wager"--a play powerfully written. The
theatre was re-opened on the Wednesday fol-
lowing May 25th for a grand farewell testi-
monial to Mr. P. Richings upon his retire-
ment from the stage management of the Wal-
nut Street Theatre after ten years' service
when the entire company of comedians with
the orchestra and the artisans and attaches of
the theatre tendered their gratuitous ser-
vices. This benefit was given under the pa-
tronage of one hundred and twenty of our
most respectable and literary citizens.

The theatre subsequently opened for a sum-
mer season--Mr. W. A. Chapman was the
stage manager--when G. V. Brooke played a
farewell engagement appearing as Othello
Richelieu Hamlet Sir Giles Stranger. On
his last night he played Iago; McDonough
Othello.

A Monsieur Devani from the Porte St.
Martin Theatre Paris and London--a won-
der of the age--made his first appearance in
American as "a mystic spirit;" his astonish-
ing and novel feats almost inexplicable giv-