Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-21
Aneede;e Of the Elder Booth.

Mr.. Elihu Burritt contributes to the
February number of Packard's Monthly
an interesting article, under the title Of
8 Breathing a Living Soul into Dead
Words, in which the following anee-
dote is told of the elder Booth
The elder Booth was man who
threw into his impersonatiOns an amount
of heart and soul which his originals
could scarcely have equalled. He did
Richard III 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 him
self 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 pri-
vate circles of friends, he nearly always
selected some passage from Job, David
or Isaiah, or other holy men of old.
When an aspiring young professor of
Havard University went to him by night,
to ask little advice or instruction in
qualifying himself for an orator, the
veteran tragedian opened the Bible and
read few verse from Isaiah in a way
that made the Cambridge scholar trem-
BILE with awe, as if the prophet had risen
from the dead and were uttering his sub
lime visions in his ears. He was then
residing il Baltimore, and piOus, ur-
hane 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 of them requested Booth, as
special favor. to repeat the Lord 5
Prayer. He signifed his willingness to
crafty them. and all eyes were fixed up
on him. He slowly and revereDtially
arose from his chair trembling with the
burden of two great conceptions he
had to realize the character, attributes
and presence of the Almighty Being he
was TO address. He was to transform
himself into poor, SHINING, stumbling
benighted, needy suppliant, offering
homage, asking bread, pardon, light ana
| guidance. Says one of the company
| present - 1t was wonderful to watch
the play of emotions that eonvulsed hi'
countenanee. He became deadly pale
and his eyes, tUrued tremblingly up
wards, were wet with tears. As vet h'
had not spoken. The silence could bt
felt; it had become absolutely painful
at last the spell was broken as if by al
electric shock, as his rich-tOned voice
from white lips, syllabled forth On
Father. which art in heaven" ETC., witt
pathos and fervid sOlemnity tina
thrilled all hearts. He finished tn
silence continued not voice was hear
nor muscle moved in his rapt audience
until. from remote corner Of the room
a subdued sob was heard and the oil
gentleman (the host) stepped forward
with streaming eyes and tOttering frame
and seized Booth by the hand. Sir,
said he, in broken accents, you hav
afforded me a pleasure for which M.
whole future life will be grateful. | an
an old man, and every day, from boy
hood to the present time, I thought
had repeated the Lords Prayer; but
never heard it before, never.
You are right, replied Booth. " i
read that prayer as it should be rea'
caused me the severest study and labo
for thirty years, and l am far from be
ing satisfied with my rendering of tina
wonderful production. Hardly one per
: son in ten thousand eOmprehends ho7
much beauty, tenderness and grandeu
can be condensed in space so small an
in words so simple. That prayer ltsel
sufficiently illustrates the truth OF tn
9 Bible, and stamps upon it the seal
divinity" $50 great was the effect pro
; dueed, says our informant, that cor
yersation was sustained but short tim
: longer, in subdued monosyllables, an
! almost entirely ceased; and soon afte
at an early hour, the company broke u
and retired to their several homes, wit
sad faces and full hearts.