The daily gazette., 1876-12-20

Lunacy Of a. Eragcdian.

y NONCEhNING THE
ELDER BOOTH AND HIS DEAD CHILD.
'.Shade of kemble.'' calculated Ward,
at that time manager for Jefferson Nc
Kenzic, Baltimore ''here it is past seven
o'clock, and crookcd-backed Richard not
! in his dressing-room."
"My dear sir" said the most original of
all men, the imperturbablc Thomas w.
Gamner, edo not precipitate. When the
late Daniel Reed"
'As you love me, Hail." interrupted the
| stage manager, 'go to the devil" and the
poor manager chdZzed, as was his wont,
with his hands clasped in agony from one
side of the Holiday stage to the other.
"Ring in first music sir?' inquired the
call boy, who scratched his head and
seemed to enjoy the despair of his mana
| ger.
Ring? You red-headcd imp of Satan,
you juvenile Caliban, get out of my sight
or I'll wiring your neck off,
Away went the call-boy and away went
the manager. Ward searched every bar
room in the vicinity of the theatre for the
great tragedian, but all in vain. At last n
little boy came running to him, almost
breathless with fatigue, and told him that
| MI. bOOtn was Ill IL lldI lDll III
street. The manager found crowd of
people gathered around the building in
question, and he had some difficulty in
edeing himself through the dense mass.
Climbing up rough ladder he cautiously
raised his head above the floor Of the see
ond story, and there he saw the object of
his search seated on a rafter, with wreath
of straw about his temples in imitation of
a crown.
"Booth." said the manager imploringly
| 'for heavens sake, come down. It's nearly
s o'clock, and the audience will pull the
| theatre to pieces.
The tragedian fixed his dark eye on the
intruder, and raising his right arm ina
iestically, he thundered forth:
/ i'm seated on my throne!
As proud II one as yOn distant mountain.
Where the summaries his last stand!
"Come; my dear fellow, let's go, We'll
have glass of brandy and supper, and
all that. mepleasc come"
Booth descended gradually from his
Iyellow-pine throne and, kissing the tips
of his fingers, replied with smile: II at
tend with all becoming grace. Lead on,
my Earl of Essex. To the tower-to the
tower.
i -hil'i iIAtlN w tlN lctl lii
Iragedian to the theatre, got him dressed,
the curtain rose, and the plly went on.
just as the second act was about to COM
mence, messenger covered with dust
rushed behind the stage, and before lie
could be stopped, was in earnest conver-
sation with the tragedian.
"What ," said Booth, as lie pressed his
long fingers on his broad white temples,
as though he tried to clutch the brain be-
meath, "dead, say you? My poor little
child-my loved, my beautiful one ?"
And then seeing the curtain rise, he
rushed on, commencing:
| She has health to oprogrcss as faras Chcrtsy
| Though not to bear the sight of me, &c.
| The beautiful scene between 1nne and
GioStor was never better played. The
actor, ''thc noblest of them ALL when lie
chose to be, gave the words of the bard
with thrilling effect, but there was
strange calmness about his manner that
told that his mind was not upon his char
actcr. Still the multitude applauded I'M
It'll the old roof rang again, and those be-
hind the scene stood breathlcss with eager
delight. The third act came out. but
Booth was nowhere to be found.
| Ii was bitter cold night, and the far
mer, as he drove his wagon TO market,
was startled from his rcverie as he
saw a horscman wrapped in a large cloak
l-and as it opened it disclosed glitter
ing dress bcneath-ridc rapidly past him.
IL was Cooth in his Richard costume!
Madness had seized him, and. regardless
of everything, AZ the Still hour of mid
night he was going to pay visit to his
dead child. Drawing his flashing sword
and throwing his jewellcd cap from his
head, he lashed his horses flank with the
bare weapon until the animal snorted in
pain The tall, dark trees on each side
Of him touched his heated browwitltheir
silver frosted branches, and, thinking
they were men sent in pursuit, the mad
actor cut at them with his sword ant
, cursed them as he flew rapidly by.
Al last. after a gallant ride oftwo hour.
; the horseman came in sight of country
, graveyard, and, as he saw the white top.
of the monuments peeping through the
dark foliage like snowy crests upon the
bosom of the black billow, he raised
shout wild enough to have scared the
ghost tlom their still graves, lie dis
. mounted, and away sped the riderles
r horse over hill anddale. 1t was the worl
= of moment (and the insane are clnnin,
J. beyond all imagining) to wrench tn,
wooden door from the vault containin!
= the body Of his child. lie seized the tin,
lcofiiin in his arms, and with the stron,
arm of il desperate man he tore open tn
lid, and ina moment more the cold blu,
lips of the dead child were glued to tn
.o mad actors.
gl The next morning some member of tn
q 1 frnnnHinn'c family haarJ -
M M laughter that seemed to proceed from hi
sleepns-room. The door was forced oper
a. and Booth was discovered lying on hi
bed. gbbering in idotic madness an
caressing the corspe of his little onc.-
Brother jonathan, Junc, lS43.