ANECDOTE OF SHUTER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3229, 4 November 1881, Page 4

ANECDOTE OF SHUTER.

No comedian upon, the English stage ever had more friends than had Shuter, and yet he was an eccentric genius ; strong-headed and wilful; a man who would rather take a plunge into the riV.er in midwinter than acknowlege himself in error- Once upon a time, Shuter had so directly and unmistakably insulted his audience that they demanded an apology from him. 'An .apology! An apology!' was shouted, from pit to gallery ; but he swept the house with a defiant look and left the stage.

He had left the principal female character on the boards behind him, and the lady struggled hard to go on with her part; but the audience would not listen. Nothing would do, at that moment, but an apology from the offending favorite,.and they were determined to have it. And they called for him loudly,

The actress, now the sole occupant of the stage, stepped towards the footlights and raised her hands imploringly to the excited, turbulent mass. Hut they would not heed ; they shouted louder and louder :

' No ! no ! Shooter ! Shooter V

At that juncture the incorrigible cemedian came upon the stage at a bound, his mobile face the very picture of agonised terror— leaped towards the supplicating actress with his hands, also, outstretched.

'O!—IVo! no! no! Do not shoot her. It is monstrous —monstrous! Tf you must blame anybody let your blame rest on me. Spare this good lady, I pray you !'

And as he profoundly bowed to the audience, a storm of applause burst forth, tolling very plainly that he was forgiven.