A Society Clown

e Pro

minstrel I.

ard Paul engaged me to join them for several weeks on a seaside tour. This was to me a delightful w

duced "I am so Volatile," which was the first comic song I published. Applications were continually made to me from provincial institutions; but I could only

was an enormous favourite in the country as a humorous reciter; and he thought my piano and songs would prove more attractive if given wit

the result was, my father decided that in the autumn we should start together with a tour of the provincial institutions. As I previously stated, I had only visited institutions which I co

, and no noble Duke in those days came forward to place his country demesne at our disposal; so, amidst a shower of rice, my wife and departed for Leamington. Why Leamington? Well, I will tell you. I had received a very good offer from my friend, Mr. Wm. Southern, of that town, who though it would be

ard Paul in a combined entertainment for a week, at the Concert Hall, Bold Street, Liverpool. In the autumn, however, the tour with my father commenced. We started in Devonshire and Cornwall, the result being that I was

recitals given in conjunction with

TIFIC INSTITUTION, SOUTHAMP

ARY AND MUSICA

TO

MESSRS. GEOR

WEDNESDAY EVEN

ing at Half-pas

(IN MEMORIAM). Little Tony Weller and his Grandfather. B

led- "SEVEN AGES OF SONG!" And (by request) Selections from his Hum

K TWAIN. Autobiographical Reminiscences. Our firs

SSMITH, JUN. New Musica

lls at the Pantomime-Science at the Polytechnic-High-class Mu

1s. Reserved Seats

e of my single-h

D INSTITUTE, TRUR

LER, ESQ., Q.

TS FOR MEMBE

ove Entertainments

WEDNESDAY, DEC

RARY AND MUSICA

MR. GEO.

l Polytechnic, Lo

al and Pianoforte

"OUR CHO

reton-super-Mire-Great

res a Choir-Formati

nd the pain of Listeni

nic Triumphs, past an

for the benefit of a P

rp composes a new Ca

rim undergoes a t

us effect of an in

effect of the lon

lo by Miss Spikes-M

Lightly Tripping o'er

Hog

ONER'S INQUEST,"

orous narrative (aft

ti

BROWN on the SH

Dejeuner a la Fourche

ew Musical and Whims

"JOTTINGS F

ence at Eight o'

bers), 6d. Reser

e POST OFFICE, Wood G

and at the CLUB

e Lady's Ticket for Si

er at the

G.

ous section of the public. He would be giving recitals from Pickwick and David Copperfield, with my comic songs and sketches alternating, on a small platform with four or five clergymen seated thereon, they being perhaps the Committee. I always got on very well with the clergy; in fact, I have always regarded myself as a species of religious comic singer. After the recitals

some special topics that would come home to that particular place in the course of my sketches, which easily admitted of ad libitum observatio

middle of the main thoroughfare an old stone pump. The local papers devoted columns to the controversy. Half the townspeople held that the pump was sacred to them-it was a monument, an ancient landmark, it was everything us

d in honour of Mr. and Mrs. Alphonzo de Brown's silver wedding, &c., &c., with the responses. In the imitation of an old friend of the family, I spoke as nearly as I can recollect, as follows: "We all congratulate our dear host and hostess on having arrived at this important epoch in their lives, and the occasion has created even more sensation

rink it with wine, good wine, such as only our host can give-wine that has not been diluted by the product of Alderman Juggins's pump." This time I shouted the last sentence, s

and I think I may also say that they are very fond of me." (Roars of laughter.) "My only regret is, that I am not in a position to marry all the dear ladies who are round this festive board to-night." (Continued hearty laughter, an elderly lady and a curate in t

tely became depressed, and someone at the back of the hall s

etch. I retired to the ante-room, and instantly attacked my father. I said, "Well, I have taken your advice, and in

id, "Topic?

s to the Juggins's pump discussion, with the

n't wonder at it. Didn't you hear me do it? W

could you do that? Y

de

nging Alderman Juggins's pump in Mrs. Po

of the audience were, but I le

and delightful to entertain. Of course there are

ather concluded the first portion of the entertainment he

e seem most

so, Mr. Grossmith? Why, I thought

, too enthusiastic; for they were knocking their umbrellas

You see, our post-office is at other end of the room, an

st this there was a good fifty per cent. of institutions that begged of the lecturers to knock off a g

cted him to his hotel. At twenty minutes to eight o'clock this Scotch deputation came to hotel and conducted him to the lecture-hall. After the lecture, the same elderly deputation conducted him back to the hotel. The

r lecture. We thought you would not like to leave the town with that upon your mind; and so we give you the oppor

to afford me the opportunity, and I certainly would carefully consider the matter. I kept my wo

suming always that these could stand the entertainment, but not the fee, we used to part for a night or two and go our divers ways, and join forces again at the next town where both were engaged. T

d me a home, made me very comfortable, and saved me an hotel bill. After the lectures we often were taken home to supper, and some of the audience or friends of the host asked to meet us, and my father used to keep the whole table in a roar. It

r of entertaining you. Personally I am sorry,

s, &c

s I can say, he always had been elected Mayor, and always would be. It appears that there sometimes is a great difficulty in persuading anybody to be the Mayor. Ce

mself so popular by his liberality that we shall elect him again next ye

a Mayor get h

, "and Mr. Z-- has spent nearly

t the Savoy are always the same, except in numbers. The house may not be so full, and the enthusiasm may vary; but in all other respects they are the same. When I give my entertainments

ced extraordinary changes in the style of audience. I gave the same selection in the drawing-room of the Duchess of St. Albans, before T.R.H. the Prince and Princess of Wales and about two dozen other distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in March, 1874, tha

make a point of remonstrating. I do not adopt this course for the mere sake of what is vulgarly called "side," or "swagger

ith a comic laugh in the wrong place. The audience tittered audibly. A little later on he interrupted with a comic cough. The audience laughed outright, and so they did again with increased vigour when he subsequently indulged in a comic sneeze. I determined to no notice of it, thinking he would get tired. Not a bit of it. He next treated me to a comic remark which completely put me off, and I broke down in the middle of my song. Quietly addressing the

nd the difference was evidently appreciated by the other comic gentleman, who absolutely declined to accept the invitation to "go down" or to "sing a song." I then heard my own name called repeatedly, so I returned to the platform and met with

ths at a time, while the entertainment with my father always brought me home on Saturday night, and sometimes would allow of my

five consecutive days in Yorkshire, including the institutions at Leeds and Bradford, who always paid t

next applications had to be fitted in. Sometimes I managed to fit in, say, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday in Cornwall and Devonshire. Tuesday would be vacant, and rather than lose the day I would arrange, at a r

ere arranged in a dreadfully inconvenient manner. Twice in one sea

evening clothes for a warmer suit. The guard said, "All right, sir," took the tip, locked the door, then immediately unlocked it again and ushered in a drunken ruffian of the lowest type. There were no cushions to the seats of the third class carriages in those days, so I took out my two air-cushions-one to sit upon and the other to

me and aske

it was a bitterly cold night, and that I w

ill he was exactly opposite to me. As there was no chance of the train stopping till we got to Carlisl

y customer to cross in temper. He began to fill

smoking, although this i

going to ask you whet

ve your own wa

hinking. So was I. I was thinking that if I had been the same size and weight as my delightful companio

"I feel cold, and want

going to let

aid that befor

. There! How do I know who you are? It's only thieves and murderers who go about changing thei

there is only one method of procuring temporary peace. No matter how drunk he is, hand him a brandy-flask. I therefore took down my bag and opened it. Whether the man thought I was looking for a revolver or not I cannot say, but he watched my proceedings with suspicion and

w. You want to quarrel with me, but I tell you plain

"slightest objection." Suddenly there was a loud whirrrr, and I was jerked forward on my seat by the sudden application of the brake to the train. We slackened pace and event

Here! get out quickly; I'l

was following. The guard rushed up and called to the man to get back, as "the train wa

ught to be ashamed of yourself, after taking a 'tip' from

rm began shouting aft

ceeded to get the man into anoth

If you don't get in here

ng to open the locked door of my carriage, with a few choice expressions that eclipsed even the worst that I had been accu

close upon eight o'clock. The entertainment was given in conjunction with my father, who happened to be lecturing in that district. He instructed me, on arrival, to go to the hotel. When I got there I was instantly served with a chop, fresh from the grill, and a smal

simple dinner and walked over to the hall. By-the-by it was not a hall, but the Sessions-house, the audience being seated in the body of the Court and the entertainers appearing on the bench. The Court was like an

tainers' bench. I knew there was always a rush for the dock-I mean on the nights when my father and I were there; not when the proper judge was there, of course. It seems strange that people should pay for the priv

t on the stage, of course) at the various country institutions. By institutions I refer to the societies which were formed all over the United Kingdom chiefly for the bene

hanics' Institution, the Bradford, the Edinburgh, Plymouth, &c.; for they possessed splendid halls for acoustics, a good platform, a capital grand piano (most welcome to me), always a crowded audience (most welcome to everybody), and they refrained from commencing the pro

lattering and kind in his observations, and being a little unorthodox (for a country village), impressed upon the audience that there was "no sin in a genuine h

oms were in a small back street adjacent to the High Street. The festivities consisted of a spread of tea and what Mr. W. S. Gilbert calls "the rollicking bun and the gay

ves and babies did. I never sang to so many women and babies before or since. I like an audience consisting of ladies: they do not make such a visible sign of enjoyment as do the sterner sex, but they have a much keener appreciation of satire, mus

Mr. Grossmith-one moment, please. I am most desirous that these poor folk should enjoy themselves, and I do not wish to inflict upon them anything approaching a sermon. At the same time I want most particularly to

ly want me to d

ear less like a sermon, and they might

t if I did it they would put it down as part of the comic en

er do," said the vi

t upon your suggesti

ngthy serious speech, the peroration

leave hers, and so it goes on. But you can befriend each other. Mrs. Brown can mind her own babies as well as Mrs. Jones's for one Sunday, and Mrs. Jones can do the same for Mrs. Brown the following Sunday. You would then be able

essed in the cab, which flew along like a fire-engine. Suddenly we espied a building lighted up, and a large crowd coming out. My father pushed his head out of the window and shouted fran

quite apparent that the literary institutions were "not what they were." Their fees, like their engagements, were rapidly decreasing

E OF "EN

poken by FLO

errupted by GEO

CENA... "On the Sa

GEO. G

Joan of Arc in Priso

FLORE

the Scena by L

ENA... "A Cold Coll

GEO. G

"The Grandmother"

FLORE

. "Richard Coeur-de

OF THRE

a Satirical Music

"CUPS

sed expressly by G

Y NANKEEN

a Maniac) ... F

RAL

) ... ... ... GE

I ever gave, except with my father, and

nancial one. Sometimes we did very well, and sometimes we did not. In Scotland we always had crowded rooms; but at the Antient Concert Rooms, Dublin, we played a whole month, the majority of the time to half-full rooms. I enjoyed the month in Dublin, for all that. The people were most hosp

us phenomena. My explanation would be too simple to be scientific. The conditions, however, are, that if the table tilts three times in answer to a question, it means "Yes," and if only once "No." Florence Marryat informed me-and I have no reason to doubt her word-that a gentleman, with a name something like "Sticks," was endeavouring to communicate with her through the table.

r. Sticks, I wish to as

ence now in this story; but it was at the time, for spirits, like human

lently, which, I was informed, meant agitation on his part

, I believe you

ive tilts o

"is it possible to take to

and wriggled and oscillated to a corner

I mean to be disrespectf

e solemn but d

eous to poor "Sticks," and has never since sat

ne occasion, the cause of an unrehearsed,

all, Cardiff, in our entertainment, "Entre Nous." I copy

And it was well for them they did so, for they enjoyed a treat which must have made even Miss Marryat's absence almost appear in the light of a blessing. At the last moment, whilst the audience were grimly reading the announcement of that lady's sudden illness, at the time when consternation was reigning in the bosom of those enterprising entrepreneurs, Messrs. Thompson and Shackell, and whilst Mr. George Grossmith, jun., was shivering in his shoes with timidity at the thought of the cool reception which, in his bereaved condition, he was likely to obtain, a sudden and a happy thought flashed across the mind of one of his friends. 'Why not get Courtenay Clarke* to give you a lift, my boy?' suggested one of the bystanders. 'I scarcely dare ask him,' replied the desponding entertainer. 'Oh, but he was one of your father's warmest friends,' rejoined the speaker; 'and his go

visits. He became a great friend of mine, and he was a most talented amateur reciter and raconteur. I last saw him about

ption that my modesty (forgive me, gentle reader) will not

the chiefest charm of that mellow humorist. One could almost imagine one was in Mr. Grossmith's company whilst listening to Mr. Clarke's side-splitting imitations. The delicate little side-hits, and exposition of social and personal foibles, added life to the sketch; so that the audience were const

rday night's entertainment at a large hall to a popular audience at Glasgow. A brusque and brawny Scotchman was the caret

d my own towel and soap, as it di

what h

ners generally stole the

t. I was very indignant, and said: "Do you dare to insinuate that a lady like Florence

't care. All I know is, you entertainers always do walk off with