The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-12-11
Charlotte Cushman's Farewell TO the
Stage.


The demonstration after the perform
ance at Booths Theater on the night of
the 7th inst, in honor of Charlotte /
Cushman, was very largely attended.
In the auditorium of the theater sat
many of those foremost in the ranks of
literature and law. After the prelimi-
naries Of the programme were disposed
Of, William Cullen Bryant addressed |
Miss Cushman as follows:
"Maddnle-The members of the Ar
cadian Club have desired me to present /
to you the crown of laurel. Although ]
of late years little familiar with matters |
connected with the stage, make it a |
pleasure to comply with their request. |
Be pleased to receive 1t as q token Of
their proud admiration of your genius,
and their high esteem for your personal
character. You remember the line Of
the poet Spenser,
"The laurel, need Of mighty eonquerors,"
"Well is that line applied in the pres
ornament for the brow of one who has
won so eminent and enviable q renown
by successive conquests in the realm of
histrionic art. You have taken a
queenly rank in your profession. You
have carried into one department of it
after another the triumphs of your gen.
/ ius. You have interpreted through the
eye and ear to the sympathies of vast
assembiages Of men and women the
words of the greatest Of dramatic writ
ers.
"What came to your han1s in the
skeleton form, you have clothed with
sinews and flesh and given it form, blood
and beating heart. Receive then the
laurel crown as token of what is con-
ceded TO you as a symbol of the regal
state in your profession to which you
have risen and so illustriously hold"
The audience displayed the greatest
enthusiasm as Miss Cushman advanced
to reply, as follows:
"Beggar that / am, am even poor in
thanks; but l thank you, gentlemen
the heart has no speech. Its only Ian
guage is tear, or pressure OF the
hand, and words very feebly convey or
| interpret its emotions, yet l would beg
you to believe that in the three little
words l now speak, Il thank you,' there
are heart depths which | should fail to
express better, though l should use a
| thousand other words. thank you,
gentlemen, for the great honor you have
offered me. / thank you, not only for
myself, but for my whole profession, to
which, through and by me, you have
paid this very graceful compliment.
"If the few words am about TO say
SAVIOR of egotism or vain glory, you will,
/ am sure, pardon me, inasmuch as
am here only to speak of myself You
would seem to compliment me upon an
honorable life. AS / look back upon
that life it seems to me that it would
have been absolutely impossible for me
to have led any other. In this, / have
perhaps been more fully helped
than are many Of my more beautiful
sisters in art L was, by press of cir
cumstances, thrown at an early age into
a profession for which had received no
special education or schooling, but had
already, though so young, been brought
face to face with necessity. / found
life sadly real and intensely earnest,
and In my ignorance of other ways OF
study, | resolved to take therefrom my
) text and watchward. To be thoroughly
in earnest, intensely in earnest, il
all my thoughts and in all my ac
tions, whether in my profession or ou
of it, became my one single idea, and
honestly believe here lies the secret o
my success in life.
''I do not believe that any great sue
cess in any art can be achieved withou
=. ] IL. sly lllS ~ kAlE uGElulGlH III
profession, and l am sure ali the asso
ciates in my art who have honored mi
with their presence on this occasion
will endorse what l say in this: 'Art Il
7 an absolute mistress. She will not b,
: coquetted with or slighted; she requires
, the most entire self-devotion, and sh,
repays with grand triumphs.'
! TO you, gentlemen of the ArcadiaI
Club, and to all who have united TO dC
; me honor, to the younger poet who hai
: enthroned me in his verses, and TO tn,
: older poet who brings the prestige o
! his name and fame to add glory TO tn,
, crown he offered me, to the managers o
: this theater who have so literally me
: all my wishes and requirements during
this engagement, as well as to the mem
bers of the company who have 50 cheer
fully seconded my efforts, and last, no
4 least, to the members of my profession
], who have so graciously added by theil
, presence to the happiness of this occa
) sion, | return my cordial thanks.
> ITO my public-what shall | say
From the bottom of my heart | thank
y you, who have given me always cOnsid
! Grafton, encouragement and patience
i who have been ever my support, my
: comfort, my main help. do not now
say farewell to you in the usual sense o.
n the word. In making my final repre-.
, sentations upon the mimic scene in the
q various cities Of the country, have re.
I served to myself the right of meeting
you again where you have made me be,
lieve that gave you the pleasure which
/ receive myself at the same time at the
, reading desk. To you, then, say, may
you fare well, and may l fare well, until
, at no distant day we meet again there
Meanwhile, good, kind friends, good
night, and God be with you"
She concluded amidst the greatest en-.
thusiasm.
a poem was read by Mr.. Stoddard en-.
titled "Salve Regina" concluding a:
follows:
Bring laurel-gO ye tragic three
And strip the sacred laurel tree;
At her feet lay down
Here now triple crown.
Salve Reginai art and song
Dismissed by thee shall miss thee long,
, And keep thy memory green,
Our mOsl illustriOus Queen.
: The other parts of the ovation wer,
r carried out according to programme.
: RTIInTNG CHARAf-rrp There - .