, 1874-05-24
LITTLE BIJOU HERON.

/
| Yesterday met little Bijou Heron, tho child
actress. wss 30 delighted with tho sprightlJ
little thing that T told her wanted to como oTeE
to Second avenue rnd eco her mamma. =,
| "Cone,"' saia Blj jou: - but maybe she vii
Bee you and maybe she WON'T. But Ill tell hei
| about you, and think she II want to sec you.'
| I find everybody is talking about the llttlt
| prodigy Mr. Daily has eecuEod,. and everybody
| wants to know about her mother. D1ayor Hal
| aud George Francis Train both took 80 much
interes. in Matilda Heron, tie once powerful and
| beautiful ippe1sonator OF Camille, that they
I each gayo mo letter to her. 80 yesterday
took the lottera and made the call for my trGph'e
| readers.
! But a1ssl the letters weze OF no Use. Tho
| great actreas could not read them. found Ma-
| tilda Eoron's residence in All obscure tcnement-
houso On Second avenue, near l"enty.socond
street. The house ia Kept By & slTer- haired old
Irish lady, who says tho aick actiess upstairs
does such queer things"
What things?" asked.
s'Why, sure enough, man, che sings when
otler people cry, sits up o nights and sch!aFes
day-times, oats when I fast, aud siuds for a
p1as:e when she ought to send for q doother,
sure"
As entered the front door heard loud t.1k-
ing in tho room at the head Of tho stairs voice,
inlpasaioned but shattered. Tas incoterently
"Damons-ang This il not fair. They
shall not play Camille. Camille is for Bljou,
and Ill tear the eyes ont OF any one who dares
+ to p R3.sy it! But-ah' never mind; I will sleep
In moment little Bijou came to the head OF
the stairs. and, artlesaly taking my hand, half
way led and pulled me- into the room. But oh!
what \ sight met my gaze! The room was lit
tered and poverty STRUCK. There WAS IN old
faded JeWsharp cook-etove, With the gr'ddles
scnttered around the aoor. On the atoye, in
place Of griddles, was an old faded bouquet,
dried and dusty; ana there, sprawled upon an old
lounge, wan tho once beautiful actress. Hor
feet we're nhoeless dress 1aH-uubuttoned, aud
her beautiful dark hair, which We have SO often
seen relieved by the "hte cs1nelia was cut tight
to her head. In place OF long, 'si!ken tresses
wers short, bristling hairs, each standing
straight up. The sweet, palo face, aud the neck
OF gracefully-cursed alabaster, were gone, and
tures seen only among poor md miserable peo-
pie. Tho mind Of the great actress mas partly
gone, the fire OF her eye had fIckered out, and
saw before me poor woman helplessly crazy-
foulishly inaan6.
do not write this unfeelingly. This state
1nent Of fact does not detract one iota from tho
honor OF glory Of Matilda Heron, but it calls
upon Us all to give her onr sympathy and love.
A great actress belongs to the people, and they
have right to know everything about her, and
then they caa como forward with aid and sy7nps-
tby. Matilda Horon's insanity should ba known
as wall as Horace Greeleys. i
But I found the great actress more than in
zane: Her insanity prompts her to indulge in
atlmnlants; and insanity, poverty. and strange
appetites make her trebly tho object Of our pity
and sympathy. Something must be done for
Aiatilda Heron.
Az little Bijou led me into the room, har
mother said, smilingly:
''In tell you how it Was, sweetheart. Tn
Catholic, Henry Ward Deecner is the Redaemer
Of the world. One day, tEeuty years ago,-rm
Il years old now,-one day Fanny Kamble aud
we're up in tho mountains in Massachusetts.
Lots seo.-we were building bridge. and was
a young, honorable Catholic girl, and Beecher,
ho-he-he-h-e,-weH don't really remember
how it VAS and the once beautiful impernon-
ator Of Camille placed her hands on her brow, ss
II trying to follow the thread OF broken thought
In moment she eaid:
bjou, tell his e1celency about Camilla
Tell 1t nicely"
WELL" commenced Bijou, with great deli
beration, :" NJ. Palmer. Of the Union Square |
mas play, and that she had right to keep any |
one from playing it, the Same as Mr.. DAILY has |
the right to 'Alphonse.' So, after Hiss Clara |
Morris had played it At q benefit mamma didn't |
care anything about that, you know, but mean
After they got I'll tho scenery for the play, and |
Clara Morris Was going to play it again, man. |
ma objected Then hi. Palmer and Mrs Shook |
called on mamma. and said they didn't know
Camille Was her play, and wanted mamma to
lot them play it, and mamma conssnsed j to do
Z" L. it in ths paper, by the kind permission
of Matilda Heron I asked Bijou's mother.
"Yes, mamma"
"1 It Was well said, Bijou-thank you!"
F" You heard me, Bijon ?" continued the /
actress
ayes, mamma" said Biiou.
49, Then thank me-"
"Thsnk you, mamma" said Bijou, courtesy
ing to her mother.
found that little Eijou had to make this
courtesy good many times day, and the little
Thing Was 50 young and inexperienced that she
didn't know but what 1t Mns the proper thing
10 do.
:" How did you come to play in the theatre ?"
her hand on nv shoulder.
" Vel. 1 Vas going to Mard-schoo1, and ono
lay little Gertrude Norwood, who used to play
:ho child's parts, fell sick, and Mr. Hawkins
,ama round for me to take her part went
,ince"
,tsge-feel like crying ?"
.sYes. felt frightened the first night, and tho
'ther night felt strange when didn't get an
'ncore. It vas the frst night hadn't had it,
md felt like crying. That night forgot, aud
'tarted homo from the theatre alone, and camo
IL the ray alone to Second avenue. didn't
rant ANYBODY with me, was too busy thinking
Alas, this was tho first disappointment in the
meet little angels life. Ejou could live on
:rusts sleep on pallet OF rags 10 the arms of
Ter crazy mamma, and be happy and here she
~
lar regular encore.
How old arc you, Bijou ?" 7 asked, taking
ne band OF the little actress.
I'n 10 yeare old and A,n't 1t real nice for
ne to make e25 a weol for namma ?" and uttlo
djou looked "a proud as aquccn.
~ Do you like acting in the theatre ?"
30, guess do! Tn always going to act
I 3 lovely. You just try it once!"
Can you do anything else es well as YOU do |
1d.1enne in 'Aphonse,' Bijou?"
Yes, they're all alke to me. I'll say Mss
8ounce5's part in Box and Coz il you want
no to-"
All right, Bijou; let's hear you"
DO the little thing got two chai1B, pu. q pilIov
n each, txed the Keys in the doors, aud com !
aenced. WAS deGghted-entranced. Why. no
no has seen little Bljou act yet. She has mag
cts1n, power, gesture, aud eloqucnce enough to
axe tho most difficult role in comedy or tragedy.
lnd a, al so natural-so sweetly Innocent.
'' Who taught Bijou this ?" asked her mother.
mo Aaa been sleeping for few moments
40 ooe, sweetheart. 1t is tho God Almighty ,
4 the child" Then, turning to the little Won
er, she said, Is Come here, Bijou, to your moth
rs arms" In moment little Biiou vas kiss
as the dimmed face OF her poor unfortunate +,
lother, as ii she lad boon an ango}. Indeed. {
he is not yet old enough to know that apythiua
tile matter will, hnrT !