Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 8.djvu/221

 EDWIN FORREST 848 EDWIN FORREST* By Lawrence Barrett (1806-1872) mviN Forrest was born in the city of Philadelphia, March 9, ■ 1806, his father, a Scotchman, having emigrated to America during the last year of the pre- ceding century. The boy, like many others of his profession, was designed for the ministry, and before the age of eleven the future Channing had attracted admir- ing listeners by the music of his voice and the aptness of his mimicry. His memory was remarkable, and he would recite whole passages of his preceptor's sermons. Perched upon a chair or stool, and crowned with the proud approval of family and friends, the young mimic filled the hearts of his listeners with fervent hopes of his coming success in the fold of their beloved church. These hopes were destined to be met with disappointment. The bias of the future leader of the American stage was only faintly outlined as yet ; his hour of development was still to come. He must have learned early the road to the theatre, permitted to go by the family, or going, perhaps, without the knowledge or consent of his seniors in the overworked household ; for, before he had passed his tenth year, our young ser- monizer was a member of a Thespian club, and before he was eleven he had made his appearance at one of the regular theatres in a female character, but with most disastrous results. He soon outgrew the ignominy of his first failure, however, and again and again sought to overcome its disgrace by a fresh appear- ance. To his appeals the irate manager lent a deaf ear. The sacred portal that leads to the enchanted ground of the stage was closed against young Forrest, the warden being instructed not to let the importunate boy pass the door. At last, in desperation, he resolved to storm the citadel, to beat down the faithful guard and to carry war into the enemy's camp. One night he dashed past the aston ished guardian of the stage entrance just as the curtain fell upon one of the acts of a play. He emerged before the footlights, eluding all pursuit, dressed as a harlequin, and, before the audience had recovered from its astonishment at this and the United States." Actors and Actresses of Great Britain
 * Reprinted by permission of The Cassell Publishing Company, from '