Part 30 (1/2)
'Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day Stands tiptoe on thea scene to strike horror even in 'States unborn and in accents yet unknown,' the exclaone and live, Or stay and die!'
”High on the list of the world's benefactors write the name of Joe Jefferson, as one who loved his fellow-e cannot wither'; it was in very truth high privilege to have known him; to have met hiladly put aside the reat bard, and find solace in simpler lays; such as, it s of daily life
The est life's endless toil and endeavor
”In words that have touched ests:
'Read froushed fros have power to quiet The restless pulse of care'
”And so, there are times when the stately rendition of the edians in the role, weary us, and we give glad welcoer ends,' or to dear old Rip and 'Here's to yourself and to your family Jus' oneof Irving in Louis the Eleventh; the grandeur of Forrest with 'Othello's occupation gone'; of McCullough in Macbeth, 'supped full with horrors'; even of Booth with the ever-recurring 'To be, or not to be,' the eternal question, all pass with the occasion But who can forget the gladsolorious Joe Jefferson, the star!
His life was hourly the illustration of the sublily as kindness'
”Upon his tablet ht truly be written:
'He never made a brow look dark, Nor caused a tear but when he died'
”It is ever an ungracious task to speak in tereracious presence, I am constrained to speak without restraint To the splendid assee before me she was unknown; possibly, however, some veteran upon this platform may have enjoyed her personal acquaintance I refer to the late Mrs Macbeth I would not be misunderstood My criticism of the conduct of this lady has no reference to her share in the 'taking off' of the venerable Duncan
Even barring her gentle interposition, he would long ere this have 'paid his breath to time and mortal custo It will be reh-placed husband upon a time was the victim of insomnia
In his wakeful hours, as he tossed upon his couch, he even made the confession, now of record, that
'Glamis hath murdered sleep'
”He apparently drew no comfort fro,
'After life's fitful fever he sleeps well'
”Burdened with thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls, the soed in an apostrophe to 'the dull God' which has enduring place in all language:
'Sleep, that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, Balreat nature's second course, Chief nourisher in Life's feast, ----'
”At this crucial moment, ca of her husband, _'What do you mean?'_
”The spell was broken, and for all tiht next have said, whose lips can tell? Words possibly to be spoken by every tongue, to be crystallized into every language Her ill-fated interruption can never be forgiven The practical lesson to be drawn, one for all the ages, is the peril involved in a wife's _untie reflections of her husband
”This coht may justify the remark that satire upon the proverbial caution of candidates in expressing an opinion _upon any subject_ was perhaps never better illustrated than in the incident now to be related Upon a ti the Capitol from Pennsylvania Avenue in co individual addressed the latter as follows; 'Mr Knott, I would like to have your opinion as to which is the best play, ”Hamlet” or ”Macbeth”'
With a characteristic expression of countenance, Knott, with deprecatory gesture, slowly replied:
”'My friend, don't ask ress, and my district is about equally divided; Hamlet has his friends down there, and Macbeth has his, and _I will take no part between them'_
”This observation recalls an incident of recent occurrence in a neighboring city A friend of mine, a minister of the Gospel--you will bear in mind that my friends are not _all_ actors--and this recalls the dilemma of a candidate who, upon inquiry as to the comparative merits of heaven and its antipode, cautiously declined to express an opinion, on the ground that _he had friends in both places_--thisinstalled in a new pastorate, was almost immediately requested to preach at the funeral of a proation Unacquainted as he ith the life of the deceased, he made inquiry as to his last utterances