A Society Clown

eur to Pr

b at Penny Readi

know to this day. I used to play the piano very well at the age of twelve. What was considered "very well" for a boy twenty-eight years ago, no doubt would be considered execr

ged. I was delighted one afternoon recently, when calling upon Mrs. Kendal, the well-known actress, to see her little boy, of about ten or eleven, sit down at the grand piano and play off by ear, perfect

ands," "The Cork Leg," and "The Lost Child," to my own pianoforte accompaniment. I was never taught the tunes or

ncreased. I added to my stock of songs of course, and so found I was kept up to a late hour-at grown-up parties,

of a juvenile party, and some of whom generally requested that I should be kept and made to sing to them. My friend Frank Burnand, in his incomparable Happy Thoughts, tells how he was singing a comic song before an unsympathetic audience, and suddenly remembering a verse was not quite proper, backed out of it. In my own case, I had no notion that the verse was r

think I ever had a voice to break; at all events, I ne

; and this infused not only a new life, but a totally different style, into my work. Still in my teens, I used to be asked to the grown-up parties of Mr. Toole, Mr. Charles Millward, Mr. Henry Neville, and Mr. John Hollingshead, t

, used to show me how Parry sang "Wanted, a Governess," "The Old Bachelor," "The Dejeuner a la Fourchette," &c., all of which I have myself sung at times, after a fashion. At Hollingshead's (in Colebrook Row), Leigh sang "The Twins," which became a

ather's house, and received much encouragement from him; also from John Oxenford, the dramatic critic of The Times; Andrew Halliday; T.W. Robertson, the dramatic author, and scores of others. It will be seen, therefo

vice, and gave his first lecture, entitled "Wit and Humour," on the day of my birth, at Reading, his native town. In a speech on the occasion of my coming of age he made use of these felicitou

ing reference to an uncle, dated twenty-five years before that. The programme is quaintly ill

F THE WORSHIPFU

TRE, BRI

Evenin

th, and Saturday,

indly pointed out to him by a clergyman of Dudley. The numerous and repeated paragraphs which have appeared in all the L

onthly Magazine," No. 45,

MITH, who displayed even a deeper vein of natural humour; actually revelling in the jests he uttered and acted; singing droll songs with the truth of a musician and the vi

roduction which Maste

e small illustrat

Troubles which Master

seven larger

NFANT ROSCIUS, M

From R

seven years an

meet with that support he has never failed to experience in all the towns

IN THE RE

te the following c

an Affected Lady-a Ti

tes for the Stage-a

then go through the

edy

PECKS

e Distress of

S DEBOR

id in Love) MA

PINDL

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a Peck o

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OLD

search

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love wit

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... ... MASTER

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hot as g

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OTHY CL

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Betty, wh

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... ... MASTER

sy Baker," with o

Hamlet. The Infant Roscius will, on the first night, go through the tent scene of Richard III. The scenes will be

SICAL

th the Grand Diorama, 360 feet in length, will pass through the proscenium during

Pit, 2s.;

Schools, half price to Boxes and Pit only. Tickets and Plans for Boxes to be had of Mr. Gitton, Post Office; and

blocks of the boy in

ian char

-

the male portion of the Grossmith family, and the only one remaining. He does not remember the entertainment with much

r, dated Wednesday, June 17th, 1829, and called The Bury and Norwich Post, or Suffolk and Norfolk Telegraph, Essex, Cambrid

I

TO MASTER

id Nature so p

cius till this

latt'ry, those

wonder! For fu

iew'd, like me,

s genius, and

seen the her

aise my numbers

feebly does

or his merit

rs old; superior

"SPEAKING EYES"

graceful, un

simplicity

ree, and dign

et seems to g

mimic art his

e's heroes to a

child can pers

ears appear in

minutes does th

aiden young or

most his talent

erienc'd actors

r more again must

ith is the Ros

word, and "suits

its meaning

utter'd: his

sense with eve

o authors dif

rior sense an

talents so con

arm to Shakspea

t child! May vir

thout alloy be

ou e'er enjoy t

ith virtue and w

, June 1st, 1

venons a n

nging up everywhere; and my first public appearance at them was in a schoolroom, in close proximity to Holy Trinity Church, Hawley Road, turning out of the Chalk Farm Road. This was the church I had been in the habit of atte

n which the noisy portion of the audience commenced to join. This was not quite approved of; so for a ti

of a milder form, like "He, She, and the Postman," a story

d be played on a future occasion. Meanwhile, he stipulated with me that there should be no costumes. I could not consent to this, and, after a long discussion, we met each other half-way. I was to be permitted to wear a cloak for Hamlet-or, rather, an old black shawl thrown over my shoulders. Horatio and the King were tabooed costumes. The Ghost (T. Bolton) was p

play the part. He had never acted before, and in all probability has never acted since. As he was about seventeen years of age, and looked a veritable young man, with a perc

in the piece which only played twenty minutes altogether. Ta the horror of the vicar, and to my own surprise, he had, behind the screen, slipped on a servant's cotton froc

rbade

it was agains

after the other in the legitimate schoolboy fashion. But quiet people are always the most dangerous, and so it transpired with my young friend.

(sitt

body dead? Why,

to speak the

IO (r

ur share of talki

l speak

jumpin

No

pt me back unti

speak the t

(getti

. King defunct,

always utters

(ent

n there's a go

A (ent

female goblin,

ML

a chorus then-t

tune that ev

enter until the pl

ecame force without the slightest reserve. Irrespective of his costume, he danced violently and kicked wildly in the air. The audience indiscriminatingly laughed and applauded with delight! The vicar got up and held up his hands to the audience, to obtain silence, but without ef

y Readings. They are a very good s

ches. The next year he did so. The sketch was entitled "Human Oddities," and lasted about forty minutes. I supplied the music: and the "Gay Photographer," since published, was one of the songs introduced; the words by G. G. pere, and the music by G. G.

tertainment was produced to oblige Prof. Pepper; but I did not relish being stuck at a piano in the corner and in complete darkness. If I am not seen, I am no good at all. I do not

Faith

Tol

he went he was

of my most esteemed and valued friends, and who subsequently re-wrote them, and they

an Oddities" was again put on, and ran about six months. In the autumn I produced "

to forty minutes, and, with very few exceptions, the words of the incidental songs. I do not sit dow

aged porter calling out the same string of stations. I wondered-supposing he obtained another "calling," such as a waiter who had to shout down a tube a string of dishes-whether he would not sometimes become confused by the recollection

I was a fortnight composing "The Lost Key," and only a couple of hours writing and composing "The Happy Fatherland." With regard to the "patter" portion of the sketch, that is t

h I often think the precaution quite unnecessary; in proof of which I relate the following incident. As I was taking my seat at the piano, a lady, who evidently passed the entire season in attending about half a dozen afternoon parties daily, approached me and said: "I hope you are not going to be very long, Mr. Grossmith." This was

was not

o; but did any lady real

you did, if

" she r

cert

d, "but not with th

ourse

asion a lecturer was holding some explosive material in his hand, and said that its power was so great that, under certain conditions, it would blow up the whole of the Polytechnic Institution and the people in it. This announcemen

ing one of the views on the screen in which the French were defeat

or French! That is not war-that is mur

me portions of the audience who happened to sympathise w

lecture, with pictorial illustrations of certain events which happened durin

ime Harlequinade, all the clown has to do is to bring on a box, which, on a touch from the wand of the harlequin, is turned into a magnified piece of popular soap,

sole reason in mentioning this, is the comfort of the British public. Well, eventually we reach Bombay, and there is a deal to see. You should get one of "Jidson's double binocular, concave, magnifying, four-jointed field glasses.' The next four views are of 'Messrs. Jidson's Warehouses in the City.' The pavements being hot in Bombay, I should recommend your taking a pair of 'Shoeling's leather-sandalled, woollen-lined bluchers.' There is no boot manufacturer's to equal these bluchers for walking abroad. If you enquire at the door, at the conclusion of the lecture, they will give you Messrs. Shoeling's card and circular of full particulars. I have often wondered why, in an enterprising city like Bombay, they have never laid down 'Johnson's Tar Macadamised Wood Pavements.' The next view is an instantaneous photograph of Messrs. Johnson's employes laying down the pavement in Scent Street, Bermondsey. This pavement is more successful than any other ever tried in the vast metropolis. Their agent is James Wilkins, 19A Stone Buildings. On arriving at Bombay, I should suggest your going to the 'Golden Hawk,' English hotel; proprietor, Mr. Mulgan Jackson, a most civil landlord. The prices are moderate; and you can have an early bath, if you wish

ecturers on thousands of subjects. During the winter months there were lecturers everywhere. Elderly people

It is with much pain and regret that I confess to having been myself politely requested to leave the Polytechnic (before I was engaged there) for unseemly conduct. On one occasion the lecturer was statin

as his only disappointment, I believe, that I could not

ere; for Dr. Croft came into power, and wrote most of the humorous entertainments himself. These were designed entirely for the magic lantern, an

d I bid farewell to

er girl walked down the centre aisle with a pack of cards, and then waited the Professor's orders. Professor Pepper then produced a white board, about four feet long by two and a half wide, on which appeared in black some hieroglyphics that I have no hesitation whatever in denouncing as sham. After dwelling on the mysteries of this supposed Arabian fable, or whatever it was, Professor Pepper threw it on to the stage in front of the screen. (I may mention that the entertainment took place in the small theatre which some years afterwards was burned down.) The audience tittered considerably when the board of hieroglyphics

ou the name of the card, for y

hen, which only succeeded in makin

r again address

The audience must remember that this is the first night of 'T

al applause; which shows that a Britis

ack to the same spot, and once more tried with her foot to convey the message to th

After a pause, the girl behind the screen,

good-tempered, simply roared

should be silent, but for a considerable period he was unsu

mistake." (Loud laughter.) "As it happens, she is perfectly correct! This is an Arabian mystery,

ke was greeted with

am glad to see that such good feeling exists between

ut I am quite certain with regard to the result of the last card offered. It was (we will say) the three of clubs. The girl behind the screen shouted, "Queen

, with perfect g

hind the screen told you correctly the name of the card, there would be no mystery about the matter, for the trick is a very simple one

ll right" the next night, the audience departed to the large theatre, to hear Mr. Geor