The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-05-31
CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN.
An Unpublished story, forming one ofthe
Important Events in the Late
Acireas,A Life.

Celia Logan prints story which she
says is a hitherto unpublished episode in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 i. Clarke,
much Miss Cushman's junior, and very
handsome and promising actor, was then
leading man of the company. Miss
Cushman at once took fancy to the
young actor, who, in time, became her
most obsequious 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 mentks.
One evening Miss Cushman was going to
the theater alone, when weak, haggard-
looking woman approached her, with a
baby in her arms. She was small red
haired, fragile looking creature. Laying
her hand on Miss Cushman's shoulder,
she said: Miss Cushman, | think a
woman of your genius and position
might have plenty of admirers without
taking up with the husband of poor
woman like me-" The h'dgedienne paused
in blank amazement. care you talking
of me?" she asked. al am" "And
you say ] have taken your husband from
you?" "Yes, you, Charlotte Cush
man." 81 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; al didn't know he was
married" Yes, this is his baby" !"
"GoOd Heaven, woman, you surprise
me. | ask you to believe that | knew
nothing of your existence until this
moment; and now let me 60, as ] am late
But relieve your mind, Mrs. Clarke, as
far as | am concerned. When this en-
gagement is over '..he never acts with me
again. ," So saying the great actress
hurried away. All smiles, bows and
honeyed words, Clarke greeted her that
night. She gave deathblOw to all his
hOpes-pot as tenderly 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 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, he 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 divorce
from him, and shortly after married an
actor named Forrest, of Cleveland, with
whom she lived wretchedly, and in a
year or two died miserably, her whole
career having been sad and unhappy
from first to last. Nor was Clarke's late
any better He gave himself wholly to
drink, sank lower and lower, and finally
he perished an outcast and beggar, and
was laid in drunkard's grave. BY a
strange series of circumstances CIarke's
child was adopted and most tenderly
reared by one Of our brightest wits-the
only 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 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 wife for her
sake. Never after, when his name was
mentioned, would she say more than
"he is clever actor-a very clever
actor. "--Gncinndi Enquirer.