Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-19
MAKHATTANISMS.
THE DEAD COMEDIAN AND TIE LIVING
TRAGEDIAN.
The Booth Breakfast-Mcgrtse's Portraits
a New Summer Concert Hall
Bernhardt's Engagement

trouble from i'll health, declining age and
/ lack of money. His recent pecuniary en-
barrassments had soured his naturally
genial disposition somewhat He had al
WAYS been so free with whatever he hap
pened to have, he was so glad to help any
body needing help that it probably irked
! him that he should want for luxuries in his
old age-luxuries grown to be necessities
to him. His friends proved truly such
when adversely had set in. They were
willing and anxious to assist him, but he
was Of an independent spirit, and felt very
keenly the lack of means of his own. He
might have had means in abundance had
! he not been the over-good- care
less, open. hearted, open-handed mau he
was In other words, John Br0ugham
would have been very comfortable hnan-
cially in his last days had he not been
John Brougham. He was accustomed lat
/ terry to speak Of his i'll luck.
HR HAD ILL LUCK;
But, as it is with most persons who count
themselves unlucky, Ills i'll luck was in his
temperament, not in his circumstances
He had no idea of business he had little
knowledge of men he was without prac-
ticality he learned almost nothing by ex-
perience he lacke in brief what is known
as Judgment the general source of success.
He never tried to save anything until he
was about sixty, after his health had
! failed For some years he was careful and
thrifty, getting together some $50, 900,
which he deposited with Duncan, Sherman
L Co, who failed disastrously In 1875,
paying their creditors little or nothing.
That was i'll luck for the banking firm
had stood very well at home and abroad,
and it's downfall was a great surprise in
| financial circles. But in other cases
Brougham lost or failed to get his money
from want of energy, will or insight.
TRUE MAN OF HONOR
Ii the comedian lacked Judgment, he
did not lack goodness of heart. lie never
Willingly wronged anybody, l am sure.
remember hearing story about him,
soon after he had come to this country,
story that is true and does honor to his ma
ture. he was strikingly handsome then,
and was favorite at the old Park Theater
| particularly with women, not a few of
whom were sentimentally silly about him,
as they have been, and will be about 80
many actors. He used to get notes, flow
ers and mementos to which he paid no at
tention. From one young woman, who
| signed her real name, and whom l will call
| Clara, he received note after note, and as
he took no notice Of these missives, they
grew more and more tender and imprudent
She finally urged him to grant her an in
terview, and poured forth her feelings in
80 romantic and affectionate manner that
| he yielded at last to see her, naming
time and place.
She came punctually - she was very
love-lorn-and proved to be girl OF SIX
teen or eighteen, very pretty, well-edu-
Gated, in seminarys sense, and of good
family. BrOugham was very much pleased
with her, and surprised at her rashness
but he was resolved to play the part of an
honorable man. He asked her to sit down
he had something to tell her which she
needed to hear, and he began, addressing
ing her very paternauy as "my child. ;"
With entire gentleuess, delicacy and pro-
found sympathy, he informed her of her
extreme inprudeuce, of the danger to
which she was exposing herself, or would
are perfectly innocent, | am sure" he
added Innocence alone would have such
temerity, and you shall remain innocent,
SO far as l am concerned" He talked |
to her as if he had been her father; showed |
her how reckless she had been, and be- |
sought her never to repeat her perilous ex-
pertinent "for, he said, " all men are
not John Broughams.
THE Girl. WAS MOVED TO TEARS.
She saw for the first time her monstrous
imprudence she was terrified at her own
image she thanked him from the bottom Of
her heart, and kissing his hand took her
departure His kindness and candor had
cured her she had no such girlish follies
after that. She was always grateful to the
comedian, and when she was married,
some years after, Brougham was invited to
the wedding. But he did not go. He had
been strongly attached to her, and said,
The only thing for men to do when they
are fond Of a woman and can not or do not
want to marry her, Is to resoluteiy stay
away from her Absence caves tempta-
ton. !" He remembered that little episode
with sincere satisfaction, for he admitted
that his turning preacher was on that men,
orable occasion not prompted by nature ;
ne had had much to overcome his gen
crosby was born OF the spirit of self-sscrI-
fee.
THE BOOTH TESTIMONIAL
The arrangements for the farewell break
fast to Edwin Booth next Tuesday at Del
moncos have been completed. About one
hundred prominent clergymen, lawyers,
physicians, authors, artists, journalists and
public men will be at the table to welcome
the tragedian to wish him success and bid
him good bye. He is to make a speech, of
course, and small as the matter ia, it has |
taxed and troubled him not little. |
He has tried hard to be excused, but |
the committee have insisted that he |
must comply with the time honored custom, |
and he has consented. Unjust seem strange |
that great actor who is now 10, and who |
has been on the stage since he was mere |
lad, should regard the offering OF few |
remarks ON such an occasion as so very |
formidable. But he does, and he recently |
said, 81 know l shall be frightened to |
death" He has never known what Is
called stage-fright, but to perform part
behind the foot-l lights, speaking the lines OF
an author, and appearing IN ones own
character before personal friends and ac
quaintances is quite different thing. |
Edwin Booth has never had any experience
of the latter kind. lie has never attended
public dinner or participated in any social
celebration, frequently as he has been
urged. He has a dread of such things, for
he is as shy as school girl in any mixed
company. Until within a year or so he has
not gone into general society at all on ac--
count of his extreme ditidence, which he
has latterly been laboring to overcome, and
in which he has in some degree succeeded.
No doubt his speech will be very good and
appropriate, but its delivery will cost him
dear. 1t will be a triumph of will, the
result of a strong battle against indispo-
sition.
M'ENTEE's PORTRAITS.
The breakfast-room is to be decorated
with Jervis McEntee's fifteen cabinet por-
/ D. L,