Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1864-12-02

Ben. BUTLER.-The following peep at the
domestic life of Gen. Butler is from a cores
pondent of the Providence Bulletin:
81 have always believed in Gen. Butler, and
recall with pleasure an evening spent at his
house in Lowell, with which many interesting
memories are associated.
Some eighteen or twenty years ago young
actress, a Miss Hildreth, played for several eve
nings at the Dorrance Street Theatre, in Prov
idence. | happened to see her in the tragedy
of Jane Shore. Her part was a secondary one,
that of the friend and confdant of Edwards
beautiful favoite but her conception of the
character surprised me by its originality and its
impressive truthfulness. | felt that she had
great dramatic talent, and often wondered that
her name had so entirely disappeared from the
stage. In the spring of lb49, while visiting a
friend in Lowell found tne morning, on re-
turning fIom a walk, card from Mrs. Benia-
min Butler. with an invitation 10 take tea with
her the following evening. d went with my
host and hostess no other guests were invited
The name OF Mrs. Benjamin Butler had COR me,
at that time, no other significance than might
have had the name of Mrs. John Smith. On
our way to the house my host Ga Webeter uhig)
spoke OF MIR. Butler not too fatterngly-as a
successful lawyer, smart but inscriptions
ready to take up with the worst cases, and no.
ted for always carrying his clients through.
On entering the parlors | was surprised to
find in tine charming and graceful lady who re-
ceived us the drematiC friend and confidant of
Jane Shore, whose talent had so impressed me
at the Dorrance Street Theatre. Mrs. Butler
was young lady of Dracut, who, fascinated by
the stage and conscious of dramatic power had
obtained an engagement at one of the Boston
,baotr I, anJ for ohnut f,vn l.,
devoted TO her profession, when Mr.. Benz. But.
Ter proffered his heart and hand, and won hel
back TO domestic ile | found that she still
loved the art, an prevailed on her TO read to
me some of her fdvorile passages in Shaks-
peare. She read, remember, The prison scene
in Measure for Measure, with Il passionate
pathos that made me half regret that the smar,
Lowell lawyer had won her away from Mclpo.
meme and all her tragic G looms and splendors
| Later in the evening Mr. Butler came il
from his office and talked politics with NJ,
friend, the Webster Wing. The political prob
lens of that day were far other than what the,
now are though their soss..an involved, more
or less directly, all the mighty interests of tn,
eventful present. A black Republican at hear
then, as now, could not but feel that the pale
half-and- half. pro-savery repubicanism of m,
friend, the Webster Wing, had little weight be
fore the more consistent logic and downright
democracy of the Lowell lawyer. As lstene,
to his terse ard trenchant talk, did not quit,
so much wonder that the young actress haC
preferred him TO Melpomene; yet how lltl,
could then have foreseen the important ant
decisive part which that indomitable will, tha
downright logic, were destined to play in tn,
greatest contest for liberty and law that eve
convused nation How little could hav,
| fnrpsepn that the ssmart laval lawva,, ,pouI,