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

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nary circumstances werenow magnified to an enormous size, so that whenhe donned the buckskin shirt, and stuck the hunt-ing-knife of the American savage in his wampumbelt, he was ready to scalp any offending actorwho dared to cross his path. The copper-coloredliquid with which he stained his cheeks mightliterally have been called war paint. At the rehearsal the poor property man, oldJake Search, got in a dreadful state of nervous-ness, and everything went wrong. The tragediannaturally held me, as stage-manager, responsiblefor these accidents, particularly as the unluckyJake would conceal himself behind set pieces, ormysteriously disappear through traps as eachmishap occurred. In the midst of this dreadfulconfusion, principally brought about by his ownill humor, Forrest turned on me, saying he wouldnot act that night, and strode out of the theater.I hurried throuQfh the front of the house, andheading him off in the alley addressed him, asnearly as I can remember, in the following words:
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OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON 161 Mr. Forrest, before you decide upon this steplet me state an important fact, that perhaps hasnot crossed your mind. He saw I was in earn-est, and stopped short to Hsten, as I resumed: Mr. Ford, the manager, is absent, so I musttake his responsibihty to the pubHc on myself.The blunders on the stage this morning have beenunfortunate, perhaps culpable, but you must par-don me for saying that your excited manner andsomewhat unreasonable demands have contributednot a little to confuse the company and bringabout this disorder. But be that as it may, thereis another and still more important matter toconsider. Every seat in the theater is taken forto-night; the audience will crowd the house in ex-pectation of a great dramatic treat, to which theyhave been looking forward for some time. Ifyou decline to act, and so break your contractwith the public, what course is left for me ?Why, only this: I must wait for the vast con-course of people to assemble, and then go before

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