Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-04-04

j
board at Delmonico's. A years
trial, however, should solve the
problem of this hotel for women.
The common impression in the city
is, that having gone through
form of dedication to the purpose
of the founder, the house must ul-
timately turn into the ordinary
travellers hotel, for which its situa.
ton is SO peculiarly suitable.
How Play Came 20 be Written.
New York Graphic.l
Mrs. NJ. ii. Fiske relates the fol-
lowing incident: A great many
years ago celebrated melo-dramatic
actor named Goodale, and fine
actress named Fanny Wallack, were
playing in the little theater at Troy
version Of Oliver Twist, to show
themselves in their pet parts Of
" Bill Sykes" " and Nancy" The
"0liver" of the occasion was
played by the managers wife, Mrs.
G. G. Howard.
In the adaptation used by Good
ale was a child's character not seen
lately on the stage, that of little
d" Dick" the sick pauper boy, who
intercepts "0liyer" in his flight
from the poor-house and takes a
fearful farewell of his only friend.
Running about the theater was the
managers eldest child, a fat, jolly
faced girlot three, and Mrs. How
ard good-naturedly offered to dress
little Oordelia in her brothers suit,
put her behind the paling of the
poor-house yard, and make her
serve the purpose of little "Dlck." "
There was no thought of teach
ing her the two or three speeches
written for the part. She would
only supply a bit of "business +"
aud give "0liyer' the opportunity
of speaking some effective lines ;
but when the mother caught the
baby up and in broken accents went
through the scene at the rehearsal,
the infant Cordelia jumped in at
the proper place with
"Dood bv-tum again soon."
"WelI, now" said Mrs. Howard,
elf she is going to do anything like
that, better teach her the lines
And accordingly, during the day,
Miss Della, in her mothers lap,
was taught the speeches of little
"Dick."
Night came; the rotund baby
face was skilfully lined to represent
the consumption "Dick " was sup
posed to be suffering from, and clad
IN the worn suit and with a small
spade in her fat fist, Cordelia How
ard made her first appearance on
any stage.
On came the fugitive "0liver,"
while Cordelia, according to direc-
tion, dug vigorously at the pile of
dirt dumped in the corner by the
paling. Mrs. Howard paused and
affected to discover the sickly
"Dick - who was much more
dropsical than consumptive in this
case - crept up to the fence, and
cautiously impaired this informa-
tion.
81 am running away, dick ."
Lunning away, is you?" re-
turned the new artistic, behind the
paling. Then, with a full percep-
tion of the character, and the most
self-possessed oblivion as to the
written words, the child gave, in
her own language, the sense of the
text.
"I'll come back and see you some
day, Dick" said Mrs. Howard, as
"0liver."
"It yount be no use, Obey dear, "
sobbed the infant actress. "When
you turn back l yount be digging
little graves-Pll be all dead an in
a little grave by myself"
Fanny Wallack stood in the wing
and wept. Goodale blew his melo-
dramatic nose with emotion and
"Bill Sykes" red handkerchief.
The " Oliver" of the evening broke
down, and the house broke forth in
round after round of applause. For
the baby's voice was as clear as a
bell, and the imperfectly formed
words fell tremulous with well
feigned emotion, but energetically
distinct to the farthest auditor in
the theater.
That little speech was the means
Of giving 10 the world the most
famous and popular play Of modern
times, The book of Uncle Toms
Cabin w#ss wass having tremendous
success among the religious trading
public who could not endure It
should be called a novel In those
days the dramatiSt and adapter was
not 80 rampant in the land, Clever
stories of good dramatic capacity
ran their length and ESCAPED the
process termed dramatizaton, But
the discovered talent Of Cordelia
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