Identifier: autobiographyofj00injeff (find matches)
Title: The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905
Subjects: Jefferson, Joseph, 1829-1905 Actors
Publisher: New York : Century Co.
Contributing Library: Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection
Digitizing Sponsor: The Institute of Museum and Library Services through an Indiana State Library LSTA Grant

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
limax. A funeral pile of burning fagots was then broughton, at which some pale-face was to be sacrificed.The two Indians in charge of this mysterious-looking article set it down so unsteadily that alarge sponge, saturated with flaming alcohol, tum-bled off and rolled down the stag^e, leaving a trackof fire in its wake. Put it out! said Forrest, put it out! whereupon the two Indians wentdown on their knees and began to blow alter-nately in a seesaw way, singeing each otherseyebrows at every puff The audience could notstand this comical picture, and began to breakforth in laug-hter. Let the theater burn ! roaredForrest. At last one tall Indian, supposed to besecond in command, majestically waved off the twowho were blowing, and stamped his foot with forceand dignity upon the flaming sponge, at which aperfect fountain of burning alcohol spouted uphis leather legs. He caught fire, tried to puthimself out, rubbing and jumping about franti-cally, and at last danced off the stage in the most
Text Appearing After Image:
FORREST AS METAMORA. OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON 165 comical agony. Forrest made a furious exit; thecurtain was dropped, and the public, in perfectgood nature, dispersed. I mingled with the crowdas it went forth, and I never saw the faces of anaudience, at the end of a five-act comedy, wreathedin such smiles. Forrests first dramatic career in London wasundoubtedly a success, though The Gladiatorwas an unwise selection for the opening night.It is a bloody piece of business altogether, and itis a play that could not fail to disgust the sensi-bilities of a select audience. An actor visitingEngland, as Forrest did, not only with a greatreputation, but as unquestionably at that timethe representative tragedian of America, naturallydrew the first people of the land to meet him. Itmust be borne in mind that a first nio^hts audiencenever represents the general public, particularlyon an occasion of this kind. The event was aninternational one. It was the first dramatic chal-lenge that America had ever

Note About Images