MISS LANE.—This astonishing little creature appeared at the Chestnut
Street Theatre last evening. She is not more than ten years of age,
and evinces a talent for and a knowledge of the stage beyond what we
find in many experienced performers of merit. The entertainment of
_Twelve Precisely_ is well adapted to the display of the versatility
of her powers; and in the _Irish Girl_ she may, with truth, be
pronounced inimitably comic. Her brogue and manner are excellent.
The _Young Soldier_ was also admirably assumed; his coxcombical airs
were natural, evinced astonishing observation in a child so young,
and literally convulsed the house with laughter. Her performance of
_Little Pickle_ also possessed great merit, and the applause bestowed
upon her throughout the evening bespoke the wonder and delight of the
audience. Those who have a taste for the wonderful should not miss the
present opportunity of gratifying it. We promise ourselves a treat
of no ordinary kind when she appears as _Goldfinch_ in the _Road to
Ruin_.—_Extract from a Philadelphia Newspaper._
[Illustration: Joseph Jefferson[C] (the First of that Name) as
_Solus_.
From an engraving by D. Edwin after the painting by J. Neagle.
Published by Lopez & Wemyss. In the collection of Peter Gilsey,
Esq.]
Just after this my mother made engagements for us to go to America,
that El Dorado to an imaginative class, which assuredly theatrical
people are. Mr. John Hallam, the accredited agent for Price & Simpson,
of the old Park Theatre, New York, engaged, as was then the fashion, an
entire company, and went with us himself in the packet-ship Britannia.
The following persons were included in the company, viz.: Mr. Henry
Smith, John Sefton, Mr. Robert Grierson, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell, Miss
Stannard and her sister Mrs. Hallam, lately married, Master Henri Wells
and Miss Wells, dancers. We had an exceptionally fine passage of four
weeks (no steam in those days), and landed in New York on June 7, 1827.
We remained in New York a few days, long enough to completely change
my mother's appearance; the mosquitoes found her a very healthy English
woman and feasted at their will. We were then sent to Philadelphia, to
the old Walnut Street Theatre. I remember seeing the "first appearance"
of most of the parties, of course; my mother's made the finest
impression on me. It was as _Margeritta_ in "No Song, no Supper." The
symphony of her entrance song is a long one, and the orchestra had
to play it twice, her reception was so hearty and her nervousness so
great. I appeared in September, I think, as _The Duke of York_ to the
elder Booth's _Richard III._ Then we were sent to Baltimore, to Mr.
Joe Cowell's Theatre, where I had the honor of appearing as _Albert_
to Mr. Edwin Forrest's _William Tell_, and received a medal from that
gentleman for the performance. At that time he was, I suppose, about
twenty-two or twenty-three, and the handsomest man I ever saw. Alas!
how he changed! Mr. Forrest was never a good-tempered man, and was
apt to be morose and churlish at rehearsals. But he had many noble
qualities; he was the "fairest" actor that ever played. If the character
you sustained had anything good in it, he would give you the finest
chance of showing it to the audience. He would get a little below you,
so that your facial expression could be fully seen; he would partially
turn his back, in order that the attention should be given entirely to
you. This will be better understood by actors, who know how differently
some players act. He was not without appreciation of a little "joke"
either. On one occasion, at the old Park Theatre, we were playing,
as an afterpiece, "Therese, the Orphan of Geneva." He, as _Carwin_,
rushes with a drawn dagger into the pavilion where he believes that
_Therese_ is sleeping. Immediately the place is struck by lightning; he
then staggers out of the pavilion, exclaiming, "'Tis done; _Therese_
is now no more." Then _Therese_ enters and rushes into the pavilion
to rescue her benefactress. On this occasion I, as _Therese_, rushed
from the house before _Carwin_ had time to come out, and we met, face
to face, in the apartment of the murdered countess, who had hardly
finished screaming for her life. I was horror-stricken at my error. "Oh!
horrors, Mr. Forrest, what shall I do?" He smiled the beautiful smile
which illuminated his face, and said: "Never mind—I'll go out by the
back-door!"
[Illustration: Play Bill of the Chestnut Street Theatre. January 9,
1829. Miss Lane (Mrs. Drew) appears in four characters in the "Four
Mowbrays."