Louisiana capitolian., 1880-05-29
The Beautiful Snow.

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Indiana. Her parents were plain, hon
orablc people, blessed with plenty,
though not rich. as the world goes
They loved their beautiful Dora, and
bestowed on her an education which
very few females ever receive. That
ACCOMPLISHED, to wed her to some veal
thy and distinguished gentleman, rs is
too often the case, they had the fatal
dclnsiOn that the daughters viii should
be sacrificed upon the altar of malnnoh
that wealth and ambition should be pre-
tcrred to love
I'm 1850, +. :. LeI'aun and Dora Shaw
were married. LeBaHm was citizen
and the posscssOr of an immense prop
rrty in st. Louis. Being i'll the Wabash
Valley. on business for his house, he saw,
loved and woocd this young and bcautl-
fu| woman. He then obtained her pa
rents consent, and marriage, which fol-
lowed. was hallowcd by 10 love, save
upol thc side OF the husband,
Taking his bride home to his splendid
palace in the city, she was there given
everything that wealth could bcstow.
Still she was not happy. Did You ever
see contcntcd eagle in II gildcd cage
The young wife was at once lntrod''c-
ed to and brc;n,r tho admiration OF the
hest people of the city. To the outward
world she appeared the happicst of NOR
tails. illustrating how few there are who
really know the secret SORROWS OF the
human heart She passed her hours III
splendid misery.
At the time, the famous theatrical
manager, Ben DeBar. had q fine compa-
nv at the st. Louis Theatre. His leading
star was Miss Annette lnce-io less re-
ncwncd for her acting mimic life than
her beauty and many woman!y virtues.
TO this theatre Mr.. and Mrs. Lcf'aum
went one night and witnessed Il play.
Dora had never been inside . theatre
before, and before the curtain fell upon
the second act she had made rcsoln-
tion that would change the whole course
of her lifc-slc had determined to be an
actress like Miss fncr.
Am interview with the manager was
easily obtained who saw III the aspira-
tons Of tlc lady u happy hit, and pnt
gold in his purse. He gave her cnrour-
orcInc,t, dismissed the ilca Of her first
assuming second part, but assured her
she should make her debut in the lead
ing character of the play she bad wit
messed Julia" in the "linncl,bacl<. ~
More than encouraged, indeed COM
plctcly resolved, Dora ut once conncn-
cc,l the study of the play and, possess
ing quick intelligence, was ut least
master Of the language in II few days.
Private rchearsalS appeared to give per-
feet satisfaction to the manager, rs
well as to The company trained for that
particular purpose and for that occasion.
All tlis was kept from the husband.
One morning the city was thrown
into fever by the announcement in all
tue journals, aud upon the bulletin
boards, tIfa. Miss Dora Shaw world ap-
pear that night as Julia, Sheridan
Knowles great play, entitled the
Hunclbmk.' LcBaum and lis friends
were struck ~ if by tl,lndcrbolt from
Ifcavcn. H. first cntrcatcd, appealed
and threatened his wife, and next the
manager, AMI finally declared his ntrn-
,un to murder her upon the moment
she made l,pjacr pcarmcc The ,nana-
ger daily had all this passed into the
streets, which of course increased the
sensation and strengthened the desire to
attend.
Every tirkrt was sold by nine o'clock,
and it were needless to say that when
night came that place of amusement oc-
cupcd the thoughts OF the city.
TIE curtain rGsc-l'ora appeared,
walked, stan,mcrcd, blushrd aud re-
pcatcd her part mecllanicaily--likc any
sjrl reading her composition at an ex-
animation, the audience was pleased
by the novelty of the occasion. The
next the third, the fourth and fifth
nights acrc like the first. The morbid
appetite OF the public, satiatcd with
novelty, demanded good acting. This
Dora could not supply. The audience
fell OFT, the manager became restless
and retased to offer n re-cnvarrmcut
hut intimatcd that she had hest 90 to
another city
In the meantime Leisaum sued for
divorce, which was readily granted by
the court The next appearance of
Dora was III New Orleans, where her