The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-04-06

demand"
"ObeyN Numbered voice from the
open door. "Let her lightest wish be
law, or beware! My fate may be
yours!'
The deep, tragic tones in which these
words we're uttered, the erect, dignilied
form standing upon the threshold with
threatening forednger pointing directly
at the object Of his attack, the flashing
magnetic eye that compelled attention
and obedience-all invariably reminded
me Of an evening some forty years be-
fore when had seen the elder Kean
advance to the footlights, and, with
rapid, unexpected speech, electrify
the audience, So, too, had seen re-
ligious revivalist single out some stiff
necked sinner in the crowd, and with
darling forefnger pour ont the vials of
scriptural vengeance on the unbaptized
head.
1.-THE man must be mad, or stroll
ing actor playing u pau? cried Char
lie, who was the first f. recover from
the general amazomrnt
The effect Of lhi, remark on the man
| was magical; the extended hand
dropped his figure ,hrank and dropped
into its former li,lloss attitude; the fire
died out in his eyes. and his coat once
more revealed its rents willie bis voice
low and hoarsc, mutered an apology;
Forgive me. ! ioreol whore | was
and who am. No, can never forget
that | cannot escape myself
Neltie's sympathetic soul was
touched.
perhaps you would like to tell us
about yourself That i. YOU might like
to feel that there were those who pitiod
your misforunes, My brother is some
times hasty, but always kind-hearted.
We would all be glad to assist you if
! we can
"My tale is one Of horror and could
gain me only your detcStalion; yet why
should shrink from the recital when
the pain thereby inilict on myself is
the only penalty | can pay Tor my
crimeP
II am he continued, ''or rather
was, an actor, and 50 was my father be-
fore me. As a child | mimicked the
set phrases and gestures of the actors
about me, and early learned to look
! upon the playhouse rs my home and
the field wherein should develop what
ever talents might possess, My faith
er occupied the position of leading man
at the B theatre, and was the most
popular actor in town. He basked in
the glare of the theatre, eXertod, nay,
exhausted, himself in the effort to please
| tickle public and possibly looked up
on his home only rs a retreat where he
might recuperate his exhausted encr-
gies and equip himself for fresh con-
quests My mother naturally looked
upon the theatre as n rival, and a sue
cessful one, TO the home, Yet, for all
that, she never relaxed her efforts 10
make that home pleasant and at
tractive one, Whatever her Suilerings
and despair might have been, she never
voiced them. Only remember on one
occasion she had playfully asked me
wha, ] intended to be when | grew up
to manhood, and | replied: AN actor,
mamma, an actor, by all means She
pressed me closer in her arms, and |
felt her warm tears on my face a. she
cried out; Oh, not that, my SOM Any
thing but that Choose again, lust to
| please your mother But obduratelv
| insisted that | would be an actor and
nothing else, From that moment my
mother seemed to regard me with great
apprehension, and am afraid would
have secretly rejoiced if my first APP
pearance had been such an utter failure
as to deter me from taking any further
steps in that direction But my father
aided and encouraged me, Himself
careful, conscientious student, he would |
qucnch my too ardent enthusiasm by |
an immersion in the ocean Of work that
lies between every artist and his goal
and anon, lifting mo up to his own
lookout, he would point out some new
and undiscovered country where fresh
glory awaited the first conner Alter
nately simulated and held IN check, |
rapidly grew in popular favor, and di-
vided almost equally with my father the
smiles and tears Of the town. Oh! he
alone who has commanded them can
testify to the sweetness of the power.
about this time there appeared on
the scene one whom my father nervous
| ly feared MS a possible rival He played
| parts that my father considered pecul-
iarlv his own by right of repeated rep
resentation, and, being young, hand
some, and of good address, secured
large following Of friends, The mlsun.
Outstanding between this stranger and
my father was Of so serious character
that they only spoke to each other when
the demands Of their profession forced
some courtesy from one or the other,
and it required all the hrmness of the
stage manager to keep them TO their
duties. One night, late in the season,
when all the new plays had been worn
threadbare. an old melodrama was re-
yived, and to my father and this new
conner the principal parts were assigned.
Each now started out in the race to en-
list the applause Of the audience My
father watched the house nervously,
both of and on the ,tage,to see TO which
side il' favor might incline lie seemed
to feel the laurclS piucked from lis
own and bound on younger brow.
Near tho close of thep play my father was
| 10 shoot his opponent, who wac TO fall
dead At his feet You have already ap-
| pretended the sequel, The gun, an
| old, unused one, supposed Ia be loaded