The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1869-03-12
Anoodote of the Elder Booth.

AnCCQOIe OF the EIQer 6OOLn.
Mr.. Elihu Burlitt contributes to the
February number of Pdchdrd's Monthly
an interesting article under the title Of
" Breathing Living Soul into Dead
Words" in which the following anecdote
is told of the elder Booth:
The elder Booth was a man who threw
into his impersonations on amout Of heart
and soul which his originals could scarcely
have equalled. He did Richard Ill, to
the life, and more. lie had made human
passions, emotions, and experiences his
life's study. He could not only act but
feel rage, love, despair, hate, ambition,
fury, hope and revenge, with depth
and force that half amazed his auditors -
He could transmute himself into the hero
of his impersonation, and he could
breathe a power into other mems written
words which perhaps was never surpassed.
and what is rather remarkable, when he
was inclined to give illustrations of this
faculty to private circles of friends, he
nearly always selected some passages
from Job, David, or Isaiah, or other holy
men of old. When an aspiring young
professor of Harvard University went to
him by night, to ask q little advice or in
struction in qualifying himself for an
orator, the veteran tragodian opened the
Bible and read few verses from Isaiah
in way that made the Cambridge
scholar trembled with awe, as if the
prophet had risen from the dead and was
uttering his sublime visions in his car
He was then residing in Baltimore, and
pious, urbane Old gentleman of that
city, hearing OF his wonderful power of
elocution, one day invited him to dinner,
although strongly deprecating the stage
and all theatrical performances.
A large company sat down to the table
and on returning to the drawing room
one ofthem requested Booth, as special
favor to them all, to repeat the Lords
Prayer. He signifed his willingness 10
CRAFTY them, and all eyes were fixed up
on him. He slowly and reverentially
arose from his chair, trembling with the
burden of two great conceptions. He
had to realise the character, attributes,
and presence Of the Almighty Being he
was to address. He was to transform
himself into a poor, shining, stumbling.
benightcd, needy suppliant, offering no.
mage, asking bread, pardon, light, and
guidance. Says one of the company
present: 1t was wonderful to watch the
play of emotions that convulsed his coun-
tenance. He became deathly pale, and
his eyes, turned tremblingly upwards,
were wet with tears. AS yet he had not
spoken. The silence could be felt; it had
become absolutely painful, until at last the
spell was broken as if by an electric shock,
as his rich-toned voic, from white lips,
syllabled forth "Our Father, which art
in heaven" &c, with pathos and fervid
solemnity that thrilled all hearts. He fin
ished; the silence continued; not a voice
was heard nor muscle moved in his rapt
audience, until from remote corner of
the room, q subdued sob was heard, and
the old gentleman (the hosD stepped for
ward, with streaming eyes and tottering
frame, and seized Booth by the hand
"Sir," said he, in broken accents, ''you
have afforded me pleasure for which my
whole future life will feel grateful I am
an old man, and every day, from boyhood
to the present time, thought | had re-
peated the Lords Prayer; but l never
heard it before, never"
you are right" replied Booth. "To
read that prayer as it should be read caus.
ed me the severest study and labor for
thirty years, and l am far from being sat
isfed with my rendering of that wonder
full production. Hardly one person in ten
thousand comprehends how much beauty,
tenderness and grandeur can be condens.
ed in a space so small and words so sim
pie. That prayer itself sufficiently illus,
trates the truth of the Bible, and stamps
upon it the seal of divinity" $50 great
was the effect produced" says our in
formant, "that conversation was sustain
ed but short time longer, in subdued
monosyllables, and almost entirely ceased;
and soon after, at an early hour, the COM
pany broke up and retired to their several
home, with sad faces and full hearts"
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