Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-05-16
A HumOrist's Love Story.

Bob Burdette is known the world over as
the humorist of the Burlington Hdwkeye. He
is the most successful of our funny men.
His books have constant and increasing
sale. His salary from the Ha,cteye gives
him handsome income, and his little
sketches command the best prices from the
magazines. In addition he has $3.50 to
$3.50 night whenever he wants to take
lecturing tour of one or twenty weeks. His
humor is delicate, true and abundant, and
he is an honor to the lighter American let
ters because of his literary achievements.
But better and more honorable than all this
is the story of his hearthstone. When he
was young man of twenty-six he was en-
gagged to Miss Carrie Garrett of Peoria, Ill.
She was frail aud delicate girl, and one
evening Burdette was summoned to her
bedside with the message that she was dy-
ing. Little hope was entertained of her
life when he reached her. 1t was deter
mined at the wish of both he and she that
they should be married, even ifdeath should
at once claim the bride. The ceremony
took place in fifteen minutes, the little lady
being able to respond only by motion of
her eyes and gentle pressure of the hand.
In spite of the doctors predictions she
rallied, and was finally able to move to the
vided for her. But she has been an invalid
all her life. More than once her life has
been despaired of. Usually she has been
confined to her room and unable to walk.
One night at theater in Philadelphia the
writer saw pale and earnest man making
his way to a private box, with delicate,
clinging woman in his arms. Her girlish
face was full of pathos that passes descrip.
ton, but was wonderfully pretty, and
strangely happy, too-filled with content.
Everybody made way for the little lady,
and her great, tender eyes seemed to send
thanks to every gentleman who moved aside
in courtesy. 1t was Bob Burdette and his
invalid wife. This is an index of his life.
The temptations of the world, the dazzle
and glitter of the society that has welcomed
him-the converse with brilliant men, the
club, the theater wealth, fsme-all and
either of them failed to win his heart away
from the little woman who sat at his fire.
side and lived on his love and sympathy.
Nor was there lacking a practical reward
of his devotion. Mrs. Burdette has been
the inspiration of her husbands life--at
once his spur and his counselor. She first
discovered the rich quality and the spon-
taneity of Bobs humor, and the homely
flavor that would carry it to the heart as
well as the intelligence of the public. I'M
agine the humorist reading the most laugh
able stories at the bedside Of his invalid
wife. He tells himself how she forced him
to write his first lecture, in these words !:
zone day when she was lying helpless, she
said that she believed that l could write
lecture and deliver it successfully, and so
she sat me down to write that lecture, and
from time to time l rebelled with tears and
groans and prayers. l told her was too
little, that l had no voice, and that l
couldn't write a lecture anyhow. She kept
me at it, and in due time we had lecture
on our hands, The Rise and Fall of the
Moustache.' This was all right enough.
But how to get the audience. l thought
would try it first at Keokuk. If delivered
it first in Burlington, even though it were
tame, tanner, tamest, | thought they might
put me on the book. But Keokuk hated
Burlington, and | knew if it was fiat that
the Keokuk people would say so. Mrs. Bur
dette said as she was responsible for that
lecture, she was going to hear it delivered
So carried her aboard the cars. We went
to Keokuk and the people pronounced it
good" From that day he has prospered
wherever his homely, insignificant little
figure has been seen.-Selected.