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Show TAIE3 TOLD OF 8HERIDAN. Pardorable Eccentricities of the Great Playwright, ho grandfather of tho author ot "Tho School for Scandal" and "Tho Rlvnls" Is said to havo forfeited Ills chnplalncy by taking as tho text ot a Bermon nn the birthday of George I. tho words, "Sufllclont unto tho day Is tho evil thereof." But tho loss troubled him little, for hd was n gay, whimsical soul, who loved a Joke as dearly as his vorsatllo grandson did. In his schooldays thoy called II I chard ch-ard Shorldan "an Impenetrable dunce." Ho becamo tho most brilliant playwright play-wright ot his nge, ono of tho most Buccessful managers that over catered to London, and one of tho bravest and most oloqucnt politicians that has served the English peoplo. Ho was an honest man at heart, but lacked woful-ly woful-ly in n Bonse of responsibility. Ho drank to excess, but that was an almost al-most universal vlco among tho flno gentlemen ot his day. On the night of tho orlglnnl production of, "Tho School for Scandal," which was a tremendous tre-mendous success from tho first, ho was knocked down and thrown Into tho wntchhoiiBo for being drunk and qunrrelsomo in tho streets. Arrosted upon another occasion In tho llko condition, con-dition, he was asked Ills namo by tho constable. When It finally dawned upon him whnt was wanted ho struck an attltudo of great dignity, and, giving giv-ing tho revered name of tho most eminent emi-nent dlvlno In London, answered "Wll-berforce." "Wll-berforce." His admiration of Mrs. Slddons, tho tragic actrcsB, amounted to Idolatry, and Rogers, tho poet, onco said to him, "Your admiration of Mrs. Slddons Is eo high that I wonder you novcr mado open love to her." "To her!" Sheridan Sheri-dan cried; "to that magnificent and appalling creature! I should as soon think of making love to tho Archbishop Archbish-op of Canterbury." |