The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson . theold one, but that I had made my agreement withthe author, and it must be kept. I insisted that Iwould not submit to act the Mercutio in the matter,and so fall because of a quarrel between the Mon-tagues and the Capulets, and finished by showinghim that it mio^ht be disastrous to his season tothrow aside a good play ready for production andtrust to chance to fill up the vacancy. He beganat last to see the matter in the light in which I hadplaced it, and withdrew his objections, though withmuch reluctance. My approaching appearance was the importantdram
The autobiography of Joseph Jefferson . theold one, but that I had made my agreement withthe author, and it must be kept. I insisted that Iwould not submit to act the Mercutio in the matter,and so fall because of a quarrel between the Mon-tagues and the Capulets, and finished by showinghim that it mio^ht be disastrous to his season tothrow aside a good play ready for production andtrust to chance to fill up the vacancy. He beganat last to see the matter in the light in which I hadplaced it, and withdrew his objections, though withmuch reluctance. My approaching appearance was the importantdramatic event of my life. I had been five yearsfrom America, and was on my way home, and Ifelt satisfied that if this new version of Rip VanWinkle succeeded in London, my way was quiteclear when I returned to the United States. On Sunday evening, being alone in my lodg-ings, I got out for my own admiration my newwig and beard — the pride of my heart — whichI was to use in the last act. I could not resist .» yw -Air -V.,. ?^.^^^v^v. BENJAMIN WEBSTER. OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON 309 trying them on for the twentieth time, I think;so I got in front of the glass and adjusted themto my perfect satisfaction. I soon became en-thused, and began acting and posing in front ofthe mirror. In about twenty minutes there camea knock at the door. Who s there? said I. Its me, if you please, said the gentle but agi-tated voice of the chambermaid. May I come in ? Certainly not, I replied ; for I had no desire tobe seen in my present make-up. Is there anything wrong in the room, sir ?said she. Nothing at all. Go away, I replied. Well, sir, she continued, there s a police-man at the door, and he says as ow there s acrazy old man in your room, a-flingin of his arndsand a-goin on hawful, and there s a crowd ofpeople across the street a-blockin up the way. I turned towards the window, and to my horrorI found that I had forgotten to put down thecurtain, and, as it seemed to me, the entire popu-lation of Londo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectjeffers, bookyear1890
