The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-05-24
CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN.
an TnpubIIAIleaI STORY, forming one OGIb'
Important Events In the Lnte
ACtreEs'a Life.

Important Events In the Ante
Actress'H Life.
Celia Logan prints story which she
says IS a hitherto unpublished episode in
the late Charlotte Cushman's liIe. When
the rreat 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. Mis-
Cushman at once tOOK a fancy TO the
Young actor, who, in time, became heU
most ObseaUiOUs follower, and Miss 10
can believes that Miss Cushman's liking
for Clarke WAS much more than mere
admiration. The story continues: : Mat
teTs had stood thus for some menths-
One evening Miss Cushman was going tU
the theater alone, when a weak, haggaTd-
looking woman approached her, with
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, / think
woman OF your genius and position
might have plenty of admirers without
taking up with the husband Of a poor
woman like me- The trogeajcnac paused
in blank amazement. " Are you talking
Of me ," she asked. g am Ard
you say | have taken your husband from
YOU ?' '' Yes, you, Charlotte Cusb
man. 50 don't know YOU. MAY / ask
yours. " d" Conrad Clarke, " was the
reply. " What exclaimed Miss Cusb-
man, aghast; didn't know he Wa
married. " " Yes, this is his baby.
q" Good Heaven, woman, you surprise
me. ask you to believe that ! knew
nothing OF your existence until this
moment and now let me go, as i am late
But relieve your mind, Mrs. Clarke, a.
far as ] am concerned When this en-
nragement is over She never acts with me
again " 20 saying the great actress
hurried away. All smiles, Rows and
honeyed words, Clarke greeted her that
night. She gave a deathblOw TO all his
hopes-not as tendcrly as many woman
so situated might have done, but with
characteristic decision. Clarke, " said
she loudly, in the presence Of everybody,
IF you ever dare to open your mouth tu
me again, ] will Jump straight down
your throat: ] will, by God. so uneN-
pected was this shot that Clarke fairly
reeled under it. On learning from hi
wife what she had done, he became flIri-
Gus at what he declared was malicious
scheme to ruin him and, leaving her, nc
swOre never 10 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 wTetChedly, and in =
wear or two died miserably, her whole
career having been sad and unhappy
from first 10 last. Nor was Clarke's iatc
any better He gave himself wholly to
drink, sank lower and lower, and finally
he UeTished an Outcast and a beggar, and
was laid In A drunkard's grave. By
strange series Of circumstances Clarke
child was adopted and most tendeTly
reared by one Of our brightest wits-thc
oulv one Of his peculiarly Caustic kind
left, man who wields powerful weapon
with his pen, who 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 Cusb-
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 dav-
break She had been touched in her
/ affections. At middle age a woman often
. loves more lervently-mOre with her
mind than her heaTt-than in her green
and gala days. She had also been deeply
wounded IN her pride. Sae had deigned
TO smile upon an obscure actor. had tried
20 raise him to an equal position witt
herself, and he had deceived her "a (,
his status, had neglected wife for he
sake. Never after, when his naIBe wa
mentioned, would she say more thar
he il clever actOr-a very cleve
actor. - Cincinnati Enquirer.