The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-01-02
ANNA DICRINsoN.
Some of the Reasons why she RETURN
% the Platform.

Some Of the Reasons why she Return
10 the Platform.
piltitou (Pa.) Latter 70 PhilAdSiphia Timss.
There Is NO doubt at all but that the CD
riOus world is asking why Anna Dlekin
sen has abandoned the stage. It's nhtura
that the query should arise, and, while
may involve the great displeaSure Of tn,
lady In question, still II Is due tina. tn,
public should know something about III,
cause Of her return 10 a business which
only short time ago she vehemently pro
claimed she would never, never resumt
again. On her retirement from the lee
ture field everybody supposed that Mis-
Dickinson had an excellent bank account.
Two hundred dollars q night for years
through the lecture season, It was thought,
oughtto have secured q snug sum for the
rainy season, It Is perhaps nobody's
business how the lady managed to keep
her name of the books Of banking insti.
tutlons or why she was never called upon
TO discount large notes. She did SO man.
age, and that Is enough. To her credit be
u said, however, that while she was lee.
turing she was generally flush, and was
not by any means stingy. But once upon
o time she lost her wits and invested all
she had In some land speculation In the
West which proved unfortunate.
Annals Joan D'Arc" lecture was the
stepping:stone TO the stage. In II she first
gave to the critics glimpse OF dramatic
art which some thought would lead her up
the ladder Of fame very rapidly. Cushman
was dead, and the world wanted another
like her Here were the opportunity and
the temptation, and Anna, not entirely OF
her own accord, was led from the lyceum
to the green room. This was oil done in
fastidions Boston. There the critics were
sure Of her success. There she found
among the refined and classically cultured
circles many to urge her forward, and
there, too, whom she wanted $4,000 to
start her in her new career, she found
friend to advance her that amount. Can
anybody really blame her for indulgng In
dreams Of star.crowned nation, under
the circumstances2 It only required a
minute for Anna Dickinson to make up
her mind TO enter upon the new business.
u Is said she did It In less time than that.
She didn't stop 10 think anything about
what the world would say when she
stepped for the first time before the foot.
lights as Anna Boleyn. She only thought
about her ability to conquer a success.
Anna Dlckinbop went on the stage and
worked hard to win the golden prize that
glittered before her eyes. The world Is
familiar with her experience in one way,
but not in another. They saw her before
the scenes, but not behind them. Just
across tho river, IN West Pjttston, lived a
Quaker mother, far passed tho allotted
term OF human days. During her daugh.
ter's early career on the stage she drifted
between Philadelphia and Pittston, and
Tor nearly year she was unconscious OF
The change made by Anna In her business,
The secret was kept from her BY system
ot espionage, that was creditable to those
who wished TO postpone q sorrow that
hey feared would break her heart when
she became acquainted with It. There is
no need 70 say that her strict Quaker soul
when she learned that a daugh-
:er OF hers had become ''play actor"
When, by accident, Ghe became informed
II 1t her distress was terrible. In the
meantime Anna was receiving hundreds
u letters every week from her blossom"
friends, some OF them women distinguished
n the literary world, urging her TO aban. |
lon the step she had taken,
Many informed her that they were
praying nightly that she would fail in her
theatrical undertaking, In the opinion Of
many good people the stage appeared 10 be |
The door TO the Internal regions. but Anna
to act, and finally stopped. Not
because Of the admonitions and suppliCa.
tIlaps, but because-to put it mildly-she |
lid not Pset all the Eeq1iremeRts Of the
present day tastes. Then she went into
and then, for the first time,
tho began to feel the sting OF poverty.
Anna Dickinson WGs worse than flat
broke; she was deeply In debt aud no
hope to earn money in her new aVoCation.
There were $4,000 wrapped up In Gilt.
tering wardrobe, but this was mortgaeed
and could bring no immediate relief.
There was T. little home in pittston that
needed her help, too, and she gould give
no suCcor. Then her health broke down
and she was IN asorroWful position.
friends who suggested her lecturing
again were met With DIRECT appeal Hott0 |
mention that subject, as she would never
do It Pride, strong and remorseless pride,
built . bnlwark around her and the voice
Of wisdom could not a;erce II. The days,
weeks and months went by and the world
heard lt Anna Dickinson occasionally as
engaged In studying or writing Q new play.
Now she was 10 be brought out In Tie
spring and now in the fall, but the sea.
SaHs slipped by and Anna sank at last al.
most tRtA ohliHiaH, Now she is announc.
ed to lecture, but the announcement Is
coupled with the assurance that It Is only
10 I'LL w 3 temporary gap in her DRAMATIC
career. She goes bapk 10 the stage by.and.
by. But there arc those who Rnow that
Anna Dickinson hos made herl last appear.
ance Us an actress.