The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-08-02

his cheeks as he told me how he once
treated his boy.
&c came home,' he said, 'irritated
with drink, and ready to vent my anger
upon anything. My boy came in, but the
moment he saw me he darted away. |
called him back, and then saw that his
face was bloody; his lip was cut and his
eye swollen. What have you been do
ingp ... ,..
live been fighting, father
.'What forr
Don't ask me, father, don't want to
tell YOU" ...
"'What (n an angry tone) have you
been fighting abou.i-tell me this in
| stant.'
/ "'Oh, don't ask me, father, I can't tell
you ~
81 took the boy by the collar and
struck him with my shut fist on the side
Of the head. Boy said fiercely, 'now
tell me, or III cut the life out OF YOU
a. don't want 10, father
a. struck him anoLher blow, and then
he rubbed his hand across his ewes, bring
ing away tears and blood, and said,
"'Don't strike me any mon, father,
and III tell YOU
"'Well, what is iti"
"a boy down there told me my faith
er was poor old drunard, and fought
him for it /: aud if he tells me so again,
iii whip him again, if you kill me for
it,"
Mr.. Cough is also master of humor.
! He evokes shout Of augher while the
tears are still in his hearers eyes. He
assumes alhcharacters by turns-and he
presents them before you in more natu-
raj, life-lke, vivid manner, than any mere
not except Macready, Robson, or Brooke.
We think he comes the nearest to old
Kean in tragic power Of any man who has
appeared in public since his day. Like
Kean, Mr. Coughs appearance is compar-
atively insignificant. His figure is. spare
and small, his countenance is wan and
sallow, his voice is not very good. But
| all his personal defects are soon forgotten
in the vigor, the fire, the vehemence Of his
oratory. His form dilates, his features,
when inspired Ivy his subject, become even
handsome in appearance, and his voice is
exqnisitely modulated to the passions, the
affection, or the. humor which he por-
trays.
Mr.. Cough is Born orator and actor.
He himself was not aware ofhis own pow.
er when he first appeared on public
platform. But his success was so extra
ordinary that public speaking at once be-
came hts sole vocation. He himself has
told his. own story in his autobiography,
which has been extensively published in
this country in very cheap form and
il is we'll worthy Of a persuaI. 1t ippears
from this story Of his life, that he was
born at Sandgate, in Kent, ofpoor but re.
spectacle parents, and at an early ago he
was sent out with an emigrant family to
the United States where his mother and
sis ter shortly after Joined him, but his
mother died very soon after, while the
family were plunged in great poverty.
| Cough had learned the trade Of book
binder, but work was rather precarious.
After his mothers death he lived for some
time in New York, frequenting the thea
tres, and with his strong genius for acting,
we do not wonder at his statement that
he applied for and obtained an engage
ment at the Bowery Theatre as an actor
aud comic singer. He afterwards per-
formed at the Franklin Theatre, where,
he says, "A comic song Of nine was so
encored that was encouraged to pursue
the course entered on" lie afterwards
became regular actor in the low come
dian line, and gained some reputation in
that way. Alternately acting and work
ing'at his trade, he contrived TO live; but
having now contracted habits Of drunken.
ness, he was always on the verge Of pow
erty, generally in q state Of distressing
misery. He next made = voyage to
Ch ,leur Bay as seaman before the mast,
in which he narrowly escaped sbipwreek.
lie earned sufficient money by this voy-
age to enable him to marry and set up
housekeeping but unfortunately, lie
again became involved in dissipation, and,
to all appearances, he was now an irretriey-
able drunkward. lie went from bad to
! worse-passed through tile agonies OF
deIiriuns frensens--recoyered, and went
on drinking; his wife and chield died, and
while they lay dead, he lay drunk. The
picture drawn by himself Is horrible, but
Il is portrayed with purpose. At last,
Mr. Cough, reduced 10 the lowest state
of degradation and misery, fell among
Samaritans, who inducr him to sign the
temperance pledge, and almost nj once
he rose up again man. We recon-
mend his own story Of his suffering and
experiences for the persual Of our readers.
AL will be snterested--many may be
greatly profted by it--Eiisa Cooks
JoaraaI. T.