FOR THE RELIEF OF HENRY IRVING. A FUND FOR HIS FUTURE. FORTUNE AND HEALTH GONE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9409, 6 March 1899, Page 4

FOR THE RELIEF OF HENRY IRVING. A FUND FOR HIS FUTURE. FORTUNE AND HEALTH GONE.

The New Yotk Herald las the following:— There have been bo ma&y mysberiona rumours aa to the ' true inwardness ' of Sir Henry Irving's endeavour to lease bis London thoatro, and bbo real foots in tbo cmo have boen bo mWstasod And diitorted, tbab ib in as well to give tho pablio tho whole trubh of the»ff*lr. Sir Henry Irviag's oondibfon for wrap time h*d c*u«od bis friends serioui couottrn. Boib pbytlc*lly »ttd fin*oo''ally he »* in much dittoes He ie broken In h9ftlt&-~not beyood tbe mending per* h»p* — *nd seriously crippled in hie "utjiu*.** aiVairo by tbe diaat-troua fallal *>i um>r*S most ol-bornbo and ox« $\n iw prodaoHona at tbo Lyoeum, Ovor work and pablio failure, which tuvt) ht>oo an intense abrain upon a man of proularly eonaitivo organism, *nd tbo added demands upon bia s reogtb, duo to bia sooial hospitality s»f,or an evening work upon the stage, have wrooked bia health and \ tuiued his oqoo 1 irgo fortune. Ho ionow at Bournemouth seeking tbe recovery of his ebrengtb, and bia most most intimate friendo aroendoavouring to raise a eobiibanbial fund, which shall provide (or his needs during tbo remainder of bis life. Ilia phyaiolaas havo impora ively warned him tbab be musb forego bbe excoBBtvo cares of tntmagomonb at the LyooutQ. Heading between tho lines, one readily recognises what this moans —ft cqnble inobhod of telling tho oick man that he must call a bait in his public oareor as an aotor, as well as managor, if, indeed, ho oan over take an aofcive part in threa'rioal life ftgnin. Ho baa aoquieced in tbo main part of tbiasugaeaoion, end ban agreed to re* linquiahtbe management of tbe theatre which has been his own for over 20 yours, from tho boards of whioh he h»a risen to tbe heights of fame and ropu tatlon, and for a sooro of years has fairly dominated the London stagei When you consider that tho Lyoeum has been the very essonoo of his life, how nooeBBftry to an uotoc's happiness is his public BUOOCO0, you oan realise how broken he ia in health when be consents to lot pass from his direction , tho thoabre that hat boon coupled wibh bis name elnco 1878, and where ho broughb about the ronaissaood of tho earlier glorias of the English stage. Bub nob only was his hoalth the impelling oauso. Ho took into his confidence eome time since a number of his friends and told them candidly of tho straits to which he h»d boen roduood by reo&ttt looses, and asked thoij ttsaietanco* andjadvico, There wore inoo who nob only wore admir* ers ofbhoaobor and who bad abun* riant; moans at their command, but mo'i of good practical business ex-, perionee as well, They were very fond of Irving, as all London, and they would have done anything in thoir power, . financially, to aid him were it a mere quoo* bion of pounds, shillings, and ponce. Jiub, regarding tbe aotor physically, an woll an tbe situation financially, tbey saw tbab tbe future was dooid« odly doubtfnl, if not hopeless, and that if they ao-od bbe parb of real friendship they would couusel hitn to robiro from thw obftgc— ab all ovenbs from the ownership and direction of tbo Lyoeum — and seek tho recovory of his hoalth. Uow muoh tbey told him of what bhoy foresaw in the faturo is neither here nor there. But Bhortly afberward a number of gentlemen in England and on the Continent wore applied bo and pledged themselves bo provide a fund for use wben tho apparently inevitable retirement should occur. Moanwhile. '■ bhe actor, hopeful of tho results of bis rest at Bournemouth, is eagerly planning tbe leasing of tho Lyoeum and bhe undertaking of an* othor| modern tour which shall reooup hi3 fortunes, and which, they eay in Kogland,^ he has asked Mr Charles Frohman to manage for him. And it goes without saying that Mr Frohman's theatres will bo open to him if he comes, It id the hesrbfolt wish of all those wbo bave enjoyed the dolightfol art of Henry Irvi&g that bis hopes may bo realisodl, tbab strength m»y return, thab fortune may again come to him, that bbe trouble which is now ' canting its shadow before ' may be avortod, and thab the lato af bornoon of his life may bo brightoned by the aunshioo of old time success. He is nob so very old — his 60th birthday occurs next month — and, ro~ liovod of the carping oares of manage" raont, ho ra*y yet recoup his lost strength and fortune — but what ia in store for tho siok man now at Bournemouth is bidden in tho shadowy future,

Chili is a»id bo have more poote, in proportion to population, than any connbry in tho world. About 1,300,000 Iba. of pickles and sauces are exported yearly from England to other countries.