HENRY IRVING. +

Cromwell Argus, Volume XLIII, Issue 2338, 3 February 1913, Page 7

HENRY IRVING. +

HOW I INTERVIEWED HIM ON v THE ST. LAWRENCE. The most pleasant trip I ever had on the St. Lawrence, was when I i was sent to interview Sir Henry IrI ving, who came to America by the St. Lawrence route, bringing with him "Beckett," which had not been played in America, and "King Arthur," which had never been played anywhere till it received its premiere in Montreal at the Academy of Muaic. I had permission from Mr. Hannah of the Allan lane to go on board on the understood arrangement that '"lf Sdr Henry, he was only Mr. then, did not want to be interviewed, I should leave him alone." We had at one time an Irving Amateur Dramatic Club, of which I was an officer, and taking a sheet of the nice notepaper that the club boasted. I had written a letter of introduction for myself, and addressed it to Sir Henry, thinking it might work better than a mere announcement from purser or steward, as to my peaceful intentions. This I gave to be delivered to him as soon as I stepped upon the boat, i While waiting, a bit doubtful about the success of my stratagem, someone stepped up behind me, slapped me on the shoulder, and said : "Well, how are you ?" And there was the greatest English actor. We were friends in the twinkling of an eye, and during that twelve hours' voyage up the river to Quebec, he was one of the j most considerate, affable, and un- I affected gentleman I ever met. Naturally he spoke about acting and about his piays ; I was there for the purpose of making him do so ; but the bulk of the conversation was about other things, and there seemed to be nothing of which he did not know something, -although his opinions were always given with a mod- j esty, that prevented any ideas that he desired to set himself up as an arbiter.

Mr. Loveday, his stage manager, and Mrs. Loveday, the lattcr's wife, were with him, and so was Miss Ellen Terry and her daughter, a tall, dark, young lady.

They made a pleasant and merry party, and Miss Terry used to address the great tragedian fatrilitirly as "Henry." Both were popular on board, Miss Terry just a little more than Mr. Irving. She had made great friends with some nuns, who were coming to America.

He gave the full synopsis of the play that had never yet seen th& boards, and told me the story of its plot, and as the steamer arrived at Quebec after dark, and was not permitted to berth till daylight, we eat up till far into the night, under a glorious starlit sky, smoking and talking. He was to stay over only one day in Montreal, and then to proceed at once to San Francisco, from whence the Company would work its way back, the first performance of "King Arthur," however, being reserved for Montreal. From San Francisco I received from him a letter, in which he told me to be sure and see him play when he arrived in Montreal. I did sec him play, for Bram Stoker, the red-bearded giant, business manager, playwright, and author, who, by the way, wrote that horribly fascinating book, " The Vampire," called when he arrived in advance of the show, and saw that neither I nor my friends were neglected in that respect.—From "A Reporter's Note Book " iu the Montreal Standard."