Daily globe., 1882-09-18
THURLOw WEED AT HOME.
The Story he TOfN Young Girl sch
Sought his 1drice AJOat Bec0nsing "a
New York Sun.

The story he Told Young Girl srho
Sought his 1drice AJont Bccon,ing an
Actress.
New York Sun.
Sun reporter called at Mr.. Thurlow
Weeds residence in Twelfth street, on Sat
urday evening to make inquiries as to his
health. 1t was reported in the afternoon
that he had been seized with a chill on the
previous evening, and had suffered consid-
erably during the night. A trim servant
girl answered the bell and ushered the
visitor through the broad, brightly lighted
and marble-tiled hallway into a cosey
and richly furnished reception room on
the left. The room was dark but by the
gleam OF the globed gas jets IN the hall
Mr. Weed was discerned seated upon
sofa, his feet stretched out comfortably on
the thick, soft carpet His long. silvery
locks fell to his shoulders, and over the
collar of dress coat was iow-cut waist
coat and trousers of the same material,
and plain studs shone IL the snowy front
OF his frilled shirt. On the sofa. sat
Lady dressed in deep black. At his lett also
on the sofa, sat q girl of probably fifteen
summers. She was clad in garment of
light color, and had a pretty and intelh-
gent face and large, expressive eyes. They
both listened attentively to what Mr.. Weed
was saying. After greeting the reporter,
and inviting him to seat, he resumed the
narrative of the following anecdote of a
well known scientific man.
when was younger man in Albany"
he said, ''there was young apprentice to
Mr.. Doty, silveasmith, who appeared to-
be very bright fellow, of seventeen years.
He read books with avidity, but none with
more pleasure and eagerness than Shakes
peare and the works OF other dramatic
writer's. He seemed to have an especial
passion for such, indeed, coupled with an
inclination for the stage. The time came
soon for the indulgence of this taste, and
ne joined company of young amateur
actors who played at a little theater
called the Thespssn; The young
apprentices talent for dramatic i'm
personation became the talk of the town
before long, and when. Mr.. Bernard, no
ted manager in those;days, came to'Albany
with his own strong company of profes-
ional actors, he was impelled to visit the
Thespian theater to see the young anna
teur of whom he had heard so favorably.
The play that nigat wps, Hamlet and the
manager was so struck with the young ac-
tors ability and intelligence that he sent
for him and made him g. very tempting of
fer to join his own company and adopt the
stage as profession.
''Just before this explained Mr.. Weed
to his auditors, 1.-The youelg man had re-
ceived an. offer of a gratuitous education
from Dr.. Beck, the President of the Albany
Academy, and the night the manager spoke
to him he sought the counsel of two of his
'chums.' One of these two was Master
ThurlOw Weed, then a ycung journeyman
printer. Both advised him strongly to ac-
cept DR.. Beck's offer. But the young ap-
prentice was still in doubt His inclina-
tion prompted him to go On the stage,
while his Judgment dictatad the acceptanaa
of DR.. Beck's kind offer. He left at last.
saying he would talk with his employer
about It..
Silversnsith Doty liked the lad, and be-
lleved that he had career of usefulness
before him in some learnad profession; so
whensthe lad told him of the two offers he
had received, he said kindly but firmly:
Joseph yoH are under indentures to me
for two years yet. If you will accept the
offer of a free education, will let you 90
freely. But if you conclnde to go on the
stage, YOU naust make. goad to me the loss
of these two years of sarvice." This de
termined ahe lad, and he went to Dr.
Beck's, studied faithfully, graduated with
high hOnors, and became one of the first
scholars Of his day.
''Of course" said the narrator, with a
quiet smile, you are curious to know who
he was. I will tell you. The lad was DR..
Joseph Henry, Late president of the
Smithsonian institute, and whenever he
came to- see me in New York before his
death- he and l used to- recall how small an
incident 1t was that turned the tide of his
life into its current Of widest usefulness
The Lady and girl arose and bade Mr..
Weed good night. As he rose and walked
to the door with the reporter, he said:
Perhaps you wonld like to know who
the lady and the little girl who just left
are. Well, the Lady was an old friend,
widow, and a teacher, who was one of the
persons who was very anxious that young
Henry should accept the offer that opened
his brilliant career to him. The little girl
is her daughter, whose fondest wish is to
become an actress. They came to see me
about it, and so 1 told them the anec-
dote you have taken note of
Mr.. Weed, referring afterwara to his ill
ness; said that he had had a chill that
shook his body severely for an hour and
half on Friday night, but added that he re-
covered, and now did not feel the slightest
injurious effect from the attack.