The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1869-03-26
Anecdote Of the Elder Booth.

/
Mr.. Elihu Burritt contributes TO the Feb
rusry number Of Psckard's Monthly an 10
'eresting article. under the title OF Breath
ing . Living Soul into Dead Words,, IN
which the following snecdotc is told Of the
elder Booth: The elder Booth was a man
who thew into his impeysonstioDs ~ am oun,
OF earth and soul which his originals could
scarcely have equsled. He did Richard Ill
10 the lie. and more He made human mas.
sions, emotions snd experience his Iife's
study. lie could not only act but feel
rage. love. despair, hate, ambition. iury, hope
sud with a depth and force that hsl amszed
his auditors lie could trsnsmute himse n
into The hero Of his impersonstion, and he
could breath power into other mems writ.
ten words which perhaps was never sur.
passed. And what is rather remarkable.
when lie ives inclined 10 give illustration ne
OF this faculty 10 private circles Of frie nds,
he nearly always selected come passages
trom Job David or Isaiah, Or other holy men
OF old. Whe" an aspiring young professor
Of Harvard University vert 10 him bv
night, 10 ask little advice or instruction 10
qualifying himself for an orator, The veteran
'rsgedian opened the Bible end read Few
verses from Isaiah in a way that made the
Csmbridgs scholar tremble with ave-. az il
The lrophet had risen from the deod and were
ut'eriog his eublims visions 10 hjs ears -
He was then residing ia Baltimore, and a
p'ous urbsne old gentleman in ,hs, city :,
hearing Of his wonderful power Of elocu,jon
one day invited him 10 dinner, although de.
preciating the stage and eli the ea,ricsI per.
ioIm,ncas.
"A large company sat down 10 the table
and returning 10 the drawing. room one OF
them requested Booth. as a special favor 10
hem oil. to repeat the Lords Prsyer. HeI
''g"ified bis willingness to crafty them, al
''l eyes were fixed upon him. lie slowly
md ieveren'ially arose kom his chair tremb.
ing with the burden of two great conceo
ions. lie had to reslizs the character. a,
nbu'es and presence Of the Almighty BE
og he was 10 address. lie wss 10 trsos
urn himself into poor, SHINING. stumbling.
eb'ehted, needy sopplisnt. offering homsg 20, /,
skiing bread. pardon. light and guidsnce.-
'ays one OF the company present: Itwas
'onderful TO watch the play OF emotions
hat convulsed his couniensnce. He be.
sme deathy psIe. and his e,ee. turned
'emb'ingly upwards. were wet with tears.
IS yet he had not spoken, The silence
ou'd be felt; il had become absolutely pain
y. until at Lost the spell wee broken :,
. 1t bv IN electric shock, as his rich ton ed
oice, from white lips. syllsbled forth Our y
a'her, which su 10 Heaven &C.. with !,
'ihos Of fervid soIemnily that thrilled slII :,
carts. He finished; the silence continued:, !.
ot voice was heard nor a muscle moved
MS rapt audience, until. from remote
rner Of the room, q subdued sob was heard
% the old gentleman (the host) stepped :,
rws'd, with streaming eyes and tot,ering
'me and seized Booth by the hand. Sir, ),
ID he. in broken accents. you have af.
rded me pleasure for which my whole fu.
70 will feel grateful. am an old man. W
d every day from boyheod 10 this time. IIbv
ought hsd repeated the Lords Prey er; Ire
l never heard II before. never.' ca
" You are right replied Booth. To tn
i'd that prayer as !. should be read caused er
) the severest study and labor for thirty Ii
srs, and ] am far from being satisfied with i,y
: rendering of~ihat wonderful production. ch
'rdly one person in ten thousand compre. lciI
nds how much beauty. tenderness and te,
sndeur can te condensed in a. epace so an
NIL and in words 80 simple. That prayer ~
elf sufficiently illustrates the seal Of di. -. -,
'ity.' SO grea: wss the effect produced, In,
1s our informant, that conversation wss III,
stained but short time longer, in sub. ,'''
ed monysyllsbles. and slmoet entirely 10 -.
'sed, and soon after, at an early hour. the he
npsny broke up and retired 10 their sew. die
Il homes, with Cad tsces and foil hearts" IRA
in
~ Hon. James Guthrie, Isle United sci
ties Senator from Kentucky. who won . o. u'n
ionsffame az Secretary % the Treasury, -. -.
i'm ~ GenoPal pieecoss adsdiniasps sioc scd -