University of Virginia Library

EDWIN FORREST AS OTHELLO.

Durin a recent visit to New York the undersined
went to see Edwin Forrest. As I'm into the moral
show bizness myself, I ginrally go to Barnum's moral
Museum, where only moral peple air admitted, partickly
on Wednesday arternoons. But this time I
thot I'd go & see Ed. Ed has bin actin out on the
stage for many years. There is varis 'pinions about
his actin, Englishmen ginrally bleevin that he is far
superior to Mister Macready; but on one pint all
agree, & that is that Ed draws like a six ox team.
Ed was actin at Niblo's Garding, which looks considerable
more like a parster than a garding, but let
that pars. I sot down in the pit, took out my spectacles
& commenced peroosin the evenin's bill. The
awjince was all-fired large & the boxes was full of
the elitty of New York. Sevral opery glasses was
leveld at me by Gothum's fairest darters. but I

didn't let on as tho I noticed it, tho mebby I did take
out my sixteen-dollar silver watch & brandish it
round more than was necessary. But the best of
us has our weaknesses & if a man has gewelry let
him show it. As I was peroosin the bill a grave
young man who sot near me, axed me if I'd ever
seen Forrest dance the Essence of Old Virginny?”
“He's immense in that,” sed the young man. “He
also does a fair champion jig,” the young man continnerd,
“but his Big Thing is the Essence of Old
Virginny.” Sez I, “Fair youth, do you know
what I'd do with you if you was my sun?”

“No,” sez he.

“Wall,” sez I, “I'd appint your funeral tomorrow
arternoon & the korps should be ready!
You're too smart to live on this yearth.” He didn't
try any more of his capers on me. But another
pussylanermuss individooul, in a red vest &
patent lether boots, told me his name was Bill Astor
& axed me to lend him 50 cents till early in the
mornin. I told him I'd probly send it round to him
before he retired to his virtoous couch, but if I

didn't he might look for it next fall, as soon as I cut
my corn. The Orchestry was now fiddling with all
their might, & as the peple didn't understan anything
about it they applaudid versifrussly. Presently,
Old Ed cum out. The play was Otheller or
More of Veniss. Otheller was writ by Wm. Shakspeer.
The scene is laid in Veniss. Otheller was a
likely man & was a ginral in the Veniss army. He
eloped with Desdemony, a darter of the Hon. Mister
Brabantio, who represented one of the back districks
in the Veneshun legislater. Old Brabantio
was as mad as thunder at this & tore round considerable,
but finally cooled down, tellin Otheller, howsever,
that Desdemony had come it over her Par, &
that he had better look out or she'd come it over him
likewise. Mr. & Mrs. Otheller git along very comfortable
like for a spell. She is sweet-tempered and
luvin—a nice, sensible female, never goin in for
he-female conventions, green cotton umbrellers and
pickled beats. Otheller is a good provider and
thinks all the world of his wife. She has a lazy
time of it, the hired girl doin all the cookin and
washin. Desdemony, in fact, don't hav to git the
water to wash her own hands with. But a low cuss
named Iago, who I bleeve wants to git Otheller out
of his snug government birth, now goes to work &
upsets the Otheller family in the most outrajus
stile. Iago falls in with a braneless youth named
Roderigo & wins all his money at poker. (Iago allers
played foul.) He thus got money enuff to carry
out his onprincipled skeem. Mike Cassio, a Irishman,
is selected as a tool by Iago. Mike was a clever
feller & orficer in Otheller's army. He liked his
tods too well, howsever, & they floored him, as they
have many other promisin young men. Iago injuces
Mike to drink with him, Iago slyly throwin
his whisky over his shoulder. Mike gits as drunk
as a biled owl & allows that he can lick a yard full
of the Veneshun fancy before breakfast, without
sweatin a hair. He meets Roderigo & proceeds for
to smash him. A feller named Montano undertakes
to slap Cassio, when that infatooated person runs his
sword into him. That miserble man, Iago, pretents
to be very sorry to see Mike conduck hisself in this
way, & undertakes to smooth the thing over to
Otheller, who rushes in with a drawn sword & wants
to know what's up. Iago cunninly tells his story,
& Otheller tells Mike that he thinks a good deal of
him but he can't train no more in his regiment. Desdemony
sympathises with poor Mike & interceeds for him
with Otheller. Iago makes him bleeve she does this
because she thinks more of Mike than she does of
hisself. Otheller swallers Iago's lyin tail & goes
to makin a noosence of hisself ginrally. He worries
poor Desdemony terrible by his vile insinuations
& finally smothers her to deth with a piller.
Mrs. Iago cums in just as Otheller has finished the
fowl deed & givs him fits right & left, showin him
that he has bin orfully gulled by her miserble cuss
of a husband. Iago cums in, & his wife commences
rakin him down also, when he stabs her.
Otheller jaws him a spell & then cuts a small hole
in his stummick with his sword. Iago pints to Desdemony's
deth bed & goes orf with a sardonic smile
onto his countenance. Otheller tells the peple that he
has dun the state sum service & they know it; axes
them to do as fair a thing as they can for him under
the circumstances, & kills hisself with a fish-knife,
which is the most sensible thing he can do.
This is a breef skedule of the synopsis of the play.

Edwin Forrest is a grate acter. I thot I saw
Otheller before me all the time he was actin, & when
the curtin fell, I found my spectacles was still mistened
with salt-water, which had run from my eyes
while poor Desdemony was dyin. Betsy Jane—
Betsy Jane! let us pray that our domestic bliss may
never be busted up by a Iago!

Edwin Forrest makes money actin out on the
stage. He gits five-hundred dollars a nite & his
board & washin. I wish I had such a Forrest in my
Garding!