The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-05-12

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 nervousIy
feared as possible rival. He played
parts that my father considered pecul-
larly his own by right of repeated rep
resentation, and, being young, hand
some and of good address, secured
large following of friends. The misun-
derstanding between this stranger and
my father was of so serious O character
that they only spoke to each other when
the demands of their profession forced
some courtesy from cne or the other, and
1T required all the firmness of the stage
manager to keep them to their duties.
One night, late in the season, when all
the new plays had been worn thread
bare, an old melodrama was revived, and
TO my father and this newcomer the
principal parts were assigned. Each
now started out in the race to enlist
the applause of the audience. Nv faith
er watched the house nervousIy' both
OF and on the stage, to see to which sido
its favor might incline. He seemed to
feel the laurels plucked from his OWE
and bound on q younger brow. Near
the close OF the play my father was to
shoot his opponent, who was to fall dead at
MS feet. You have already apprehend-
ed the sequel. The gun, an old, unused
one: supposed to be loaded with small
charge of powder, went off in my faith
ers hands, and the rival, whom he had
so lately feared and hated, lay dead be-
fore him.
have related this incident to show
you the cloud Of misfortune that hung
over our family, and shortly aIterward
enveloped me in it's folds
although probably no one actually
believed that this tragedy was other
than sad accident, yet some there were
who, recalling the enmity between the
two men, were malicious enough to whis-
per that the shooting was premeditated
under cover of the play. These umors
coming to my fathers ears cut short his
stage career. He secluded himself close
lY at home and would see no one. Ono
night, recollect, he called me into his
room, and said /: my son, it would have
been far better for me if I had purposely
Killed that man, for in that case my pun
ishment would be deserved and sure.
This distrust, the avcrted eyes of those
who were once proud to call themselves
my friends, is killing me- He must
have spoken i'll a spirit of prophecy, for
on the following morning he died.
Soon after this event L was the re-
cipient of some fattering offers from
theatrical managers, and L determined
TO return to the stage, although my
mother bitterly opposed it. Oh that /
had listened to her gentle plcadings,
But youth is proud and headstrong, and
inviting to heed words of caution.
Was | not desirous of providing for all
hcr present and future needs? Had I.
ilth"UGh acting contrary to her wishes,
my other object than her ultimate hap
riNcSS III view? Would she not, sooner
or later, come round to look at things in
my way?
My return to the stage was followed
nN almost immediate promotion. and the
people tlocked to see me in parts which
my father had rendered famous. Many
of my friends were anxious to see ne
,ttrmpt the higher walks of my art and
partly to please them, as well as to air ,
certain theories and innovations of my
own, l gave out that [ would shortly es-
say the rolo of Othello. For weeks
and months / studied this creation of
the great dramatist, and succeeded in
thoroughly identifying myself with the
part. On the night before my debut as
tragedian was to take place I retired
carly, but my sleep was disturbed by
dreams. BY turns was the fond and
tender lover, the proud and powerful
General, the crazed, relentless muir
dercr.
"The morning dawned and developed
III my own home more horrible tragedy
than was ever conceived by dramatist,
for while slept and dreamed bastard
ly assassin had crept into my mothers
chamber and strangled the life from her
sweet body. Upon her fair white throat
was tho cruel imprint of the murderous
hand, and, oh, God while slept, un-
conscious of her agony, she was strug-
Cling with her slayer.
Weeks and months passed, but no
clew to the murderer could be discovered,
nor the object of the crime imagined,
My life, robbed of it's truest friend,
seemed dull and melancholy. There
was but one thing left for me to do, and
that was to recall and act upon her ad-
monitions, SO that, if haply her spirit
looked down on me, she might bless my
efforts. / left the State and sought in q
Western State to give new direction to
my life. But even here my reputation
as an actor had preceded NE, and was
waited upon one evening by the man
ager OF the local theater with the re-
quest that would take the place Of his
leading man on the following evening,
he being incapacitated by sickness from
appearing. The piece was to be "Othel-
To-" accepted the proposal, pleased that
my name had not been entirely forgotten
by the public. The hotel at which I
stopped was overcrowded, and the land
lord informed me that 1 would have
to share my room with stranger.
But the stranger when he came in,