The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-06-01
CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN.
An UnpubIIsISed story, forming one OGtIIe
Important Events i'm the Late
Actress's Life.

Celia Logan prints n story which she
says is 4 hitherto unpublished episode in
the late Charlotte Cushman's lie. When
the great actress was middle aged and
ugly, so the writer says, she was playing
an engagement at the old National thea
ter in Cincinnati. Conrad b. Clarke,
much Miss Cushman's junior, and a very
handsome and promising actor, was then
leading man of the company. Miss
Cushman at once took a fancy to the
young actor, who, in time, became her
most obseeuious follower, and Miss Lo-
gan believes that Miss Cushman's liking
for Clarke was much more than mere
admiration. The story continues Mat
ters had stood thus for some menths.
One evening Miss Cushman was going to
the theater alone, when a weak, haggard-
looking woman approached her, with a
baby in her arms. She was a small, red
haired, fragile looking creature. Laying
her hand on Miss Cushman's shoulder,
she said: Miss Cushman, l think a
woman of your genius and position
might have plenty of admirers without
taking up with the husband of a poor
woman like me-" The hUgedienRc paused
in blank amazement " Are you talking
of me?" she asked. "I am" And
you say have taken your husband from
your Yes, you, Charlotte Cush-
man." "I don't know you. May ask
the name of this precious husband of
yours. Conrad Clarke" was the
reply, "What !" exclaimed Miss Cush-
man, aghast GO didn't know he was
married" Yes, this is his baby.
Good Heaven, woman, you surprise
me. l ask you to believe that | knew
nothing of your existence until this
moment; and now let me go, as am late
But relieve your mind, Mrs. Clarke, as
far as l am concerned. When this en-
gagement is over she never acts with me
again. ," So saying the great actress
hurried away. All smiles, lows and
honeyed words, Clarke greeted her that
night. She gave deathblow 20 all his
hopes-not as tenderly as many a woman
so situated might have done, but with
characteristic decision. Clarke, said
she loudly, in the presence of every body,
eff you ever dare to open your mouth to
me again, ] will jump straight down
your throat; will, by God. So unex-
pected was this shot that Clarke fairly
reeled under it. On learning from his
wife what she had done, lie became furi- |
GUS at what he declared was malicious
scheme to ruin him ; and, leaving her, he |
swore never TO live with her again. !
Annie Clarke easily obtained a divorce |
from him, and shortly after married an |
actor named Forrest, of Cleveland, with |
whom she lived wTetcbedly, and in |
year or two died miserably, her whole |
career having been sad and unhappy |
from first to last. Nor wss Clarke's fate
any better. He gave himself wholly to |
drink, sank lower and lower, and finally /
he perished an Outcast and beggar, and |
was laid in a dTunkard's grave. By a
strange series of circumstances Clarke's |
child was adopted and most tenderly |
reared by one of our brightest wits-the
ouly one of his peculiarly caustic kind |
left, man who wields powerful weapon |
with his pen, wh0 has two parties, for |
and against him, one which hates and
fears him, the other which loves and
praises him-Don Piatt. Some one who
passed that night with Charlotte Cush-
man told me that on arriving at home
after the performance she sank down on
the floor, and crouched there in her
clothes, in abject despair, until day
break She had been touched in her
affections. At middle age woman often
loves more fervently-mOre with her
mind than her heart-than in her green
and gala days. She had also been deeply |
wounded in her pride. She had deigned
to smile upon an obscure actor, had tried
to raise him to an equal position with
herself and he had deceived her as to
his status, had neglected a wife for her
sake. Never after, when his name was
would she say more than
&c he is a clever actOr-a very clever
actor. - Cincinnati Enquirer.