An Evening with Sothern [pp. 664-665]

AN EVENING WITH 1ff TffERN.
niered horror called a fashionable suit. This
portrait was painted in Rome by one of our
resident American artists. On the mantel is
a beautiful specimen of Italian wood-carving
-a book-rack, ornamented with painted medallions, showing some of the peasant-costumes of Italy. Several glass cases cover
exquisite marble hands. These appear to be
a specialty with Miss Vinnie. One has the
dainty fingers folded over a lace handkerchief; another is picking up a rosebud; a
third, resting on a book, holds a pen; but
they are all modelled from the same hand,
the original being that of a lady noted in
New-York society for her perfect hands. On
pedestals between the windows are three
busts. One of them, the "Violet," a young
girl, with delicate, sweet face, and her shoulders wreathed with the flower which gives
her its name, is Miss Vinnie's first work in
marble. Looking at it, we question, if this
be the first, what will the last be? It is a
very pretty idea of hers, this finishing her
busts with a wreath of flowers, instead of the
usual folds of drapery, so difficult to arrange
gracefully. One of her busts is finished with
a wreath of lilies, another with the passionflower,'and still another with morning-glories.
Leaning against the wall is a medallion of
Senator Rice, a perfect likeness.
But beautiful and striking beyond all these
is " Miriam." A full-length figure, lightly
poised on one foot, as if just ready to glide
into a dancing-step, the drapery blown back,
revealing the outlines of the perfect figure;
on the head a turban, wreathed with pearls,
such as "Miriam the prophetess" might have
worn. The hands, raised "a full, white armsweep" above the head, hold a timbrel. The
face is slightly raised, the lips just parted in
a smile, the expression proudly triumphant.
Even so might the sister of the Hebrew lawgiver have come to meet him in his hour of
triumph; and, as the crimson glow from the
curtain falls on brow and cheek, it looks no
more a marble image, but a living, radiant
woman; and involuntarily we watch the
parted lips, almost expecting them to burst
into the song: "Sing ye to the Lord, for He
hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his
rider hath he thrown into the sea." The
"Sappho" and the "Spirito del Carnivale"
are usually cohered our artiste's finest
works; but it sems to me that neither of
them can at all compare in beauty of conception, gracefulness of attitude, or perfectness
of finish, with the "Miriam."
On the wall hang diplomas presented to
Miss Vinnie by the American Institute and
the French Academy of Science. A piano,
guitar, and harp, with a pile of music for
each, say that the presiding genius of this
dainty room is musician as well as sculptor.
Noting all this in far less time than it has
taken to write it, a few moments pass pleasantly; then there is a little rush in the hall,
the door opens with a quick, impetuous movement, and the original of the portrait stands
before us, in the working-dress, a black skirt
and white blouse, which she never changes
for visitors. The "visitors' book," with its
scores of names for almost every day, says
that she would do little else should she dress
for them all. She talks frankly and simply
of her work, and seems all the time longing
to return to it, for the little nervous hands
are never still, and looking at them, it is difficult, nay, almost impossible, to realize that
they modelled the grand, solemn statue, that
looks down on us in the Capitol.
She has just finished a bust of Farragut,
with which Mrs. Farragut and her children
express themselves entirely satisfied. She is
now working upon a statue of Rip Van Winkle, about two and a half feet in height, and
an equestrian statue of General Thomas, about
one-third the size of life. Before attempting
this, she spent much time in studying the
anatomy of the horse, and a plaster skeleton
of one occupies a place in her studio. This
she hopes to make her greatest triumph. It is
an ambitious work for a woman; but, looking
at the little figure, all quivering with nervous
energy, and the cool, resolute eyes, we feel
sure that when Vinnie Ream says "I will,"
there is no obstacle short of fate itself that
she will not conquer.
ELIZABETH KILHAM.
AN EVENING WITH SOTHERN.
HEN Sothern was playing in Baltimore
a supper was given to him at'the
Allston Club, at which I had the pleasure of
being present. It was his benefit night, and
Ford's Grand Opera-house was filled with
an elegant audience. He played Lord Dundreary, a part which he has made as famous
as the Rip Van Winkle of Jefferson, the Falstaff of Hackett, or the Hamlet of Booth.
My present purpose, however, is not with the
play, but with the player; not with the eccentric Lord Dundreary, but with the cultivated gentleman, Mr. Sothern.
After the performance, we went back of
the stage, to meet our guest. We were kept
waiting a long time before he joined us-so
long that all the stage-people had left, and all
the lights were out, except a dim lantern on
the floor. It was by this uncertain light that
I saw, for the first time, Sothern in propria
persona-a slightly-built but strong and active man of about forty-five, with a refined
and interesting face, expressive eyes, and a
most winning smile.
At the stage-door of the Opera-house a
carriage was waiting; we jumped in, and drove
rapidly to the Allston Club-house, on Franklin
Street. The Allston, named after our great
native artist, Washington Allston, is the only
club in Baltimore which has any pretension
to the fine arts and literature: the walls are
adorned with beautiful paintings; the reading-rooms are well supplied with the best
literature; and the musical soirees bring together each month the best musical talent of
Baltimore.
At midnight we sat down to supper, Mr.
Sothern, of course, occupying the place of
honor. No person who had seen this great
actor only on the stage, with his Dundreary
whiskers and Dundreary eye-glasses, would
have recognized him as he sat at supper that
night; he had thrown aside his Dundreary
manners, and appeared in his natural character of the refined, cultivated, and agreeable
gentleman.
At supper some one introduced the subject of clubs. Mr. Sothern spoke of the
London clubs. The Garrick, of which he is
a member, is the most purely literary club in
the world. It numbered among its members
the distinguished names of Thackeray, Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Buckstone, Sala, etc. He
said Thackeray was not popular at the club
on account of his sarcastic remarks upoa
members. Knowing the luxurious lives of
the poets and novelists of our time, it is hard
to realize the fact that these men are the suecessors of Savage, Boyce, and a crowd of
literary men of the last century, who lived in
garrets, dined in cellars, died in poor-houses,
and were buried in parish-vaults.
Sothern told us that, when the play of
"David Garrick" was adapted from theFrench
by the late T. W. Robertson, Buckstone, the
manager of the Haymarket Theatre, said it
would not take. Sothern was of a different
opinion, and the splendid success of the play
proved that he was right. It was acted two
hundred and sixty nights in London. When
Sothern was playing David Garrick in Edinburgh, a rich tradesman, who aspired to be a
patron of the arts, invited him to dinner. The
host had the bad taste to ask his guest to repeat the second scene from" David Garrick."
Sothern, who has a proper dislike to playing
actor off the stage, declined. The tradesman
insisted, whereupon Sothern said it would require a violent demonstration on his part, and
the china might be in danger. The host still
insisted, and Sothern acted the part so well
that the tablecloth was pulled off, the splendid
India china dashed to the floor, and broken to
pieces.
Of contemporary actors Sothern spoke
most kindly. Of Joe Jefferson, in particular,
he has the highest appreciation. He not only
evinced the warmest personal feeling toward
him, but spoke of his acting as "inimitable,"
and said he was the "delight of the American
stage."
The conversation then turned upon the
social position of actors.
"The social position of actors, as of all
other classes, depends upon themselves," said
Sothern. "It pains me to speak unfavorably
of the members of a profession which is so
dear to me, but, with a few exceptions, actors
are the most ignorant, vain, and conceited of
human beings. But, when they have deserved
social success, the world has not refused to
bestow it. The history of Garrick is familiar
to all readers. Coming to London a poor and~
friendless youth, he adopted the stage as a
profession; his success was unbounded; for
a period of forty years he trod the boards
without a rival, and at his death left an estate
valued at one hundred and forty thousand
pounds. His social success was as great as his
professional career was brilliant. He was the
friend of the leading men of his time, and the
companion of princes and nobles. Garrick had~
no worthy successor until John Philip Kemble
arose gloriously upon the London stage. He,
too, was an example of genius rising superior
to circumstances. His father was an obscure
provincial actor, but he managed to give his
gifted son a finished education. Kemble's
success as an actor was not so splendid as,
Garrick's nor so rapid as Kean's. He was~
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