Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-12-25
Mary Andersou,s Early Da,s.

New Orleans Times-Democrat, relates
some interesting thugs about u visit
she made to Mary Anderson seven
years ago in the little old home on
Walnut street, Louisville, then her
home.
| was, at the time, a schoolgirl and
Mary An ierson was sixteen or seven
teen years OF age. Heriall, 1.-THE, sleu.
der figure lacking the roundness to
make ii beautiful, and earnest f,ce
that wore AN almost moody expression
OF studious abstraction, Impressed me
iudeliby when first met her Prof.
Noble Butler had taken several OF his
pupils To see his protege, this young
girl who having been student under
him, had gone to New York to be un-
der the instruction of Nandenon, and
now had returned TO Louisville for
brief interval of rest.
The house, which has since become
historical, was an old tumble-down
looking structure, which, notwith-
standing the poverty of its furnishings,
had yet AN airof home like comfort in
the small font bedroom into which
we were ushercd. / remember there
was an open piano at which Mary had
b, en- prac,icing and something was
said about her possible intention OF al
limately going on the concert stage;
Tor al this time her profession was not
chosen, aud the bud of her genius
which under pressure of circumstances
was soon to burst into full flower was
still in embryo. She reeiied Collins'
ode To the Passions aud IA scene
from THE Hunchhsck," her mother
reading the corresponding parts In
the dialogue. She threw herself
into the Ode" thoroughly, aud
have never heard il so well
rendered.; the graceful hoyish figure
swayed with passion as her genius
famed up Her clear-cut features
glowed and eyes shot fire AS she
sounded with her deep, rich voice tn.
gluut If hatred, rage and despair,
When she mad finished, her little an-
diences sat speeches. with mn awe
struck wonder, and | went home wild
with enthusiasm for this girl who had
been sort OF revelation TO me. Two
weeks later she made her debut before
n Louisville audience.
Arrayed in the garments (all too
short fIr the form "dlvincly tall, and
J
had kindly loaned her she
tloated out before the footlghts as
Iuiiet. | shall never forget with what
= 49, e~'.7J her friends aud ad
U1es.. Nnichsd her, and how we
alierwari when she told us
-hat Rome0- imhGs were In such "a
odd pom pifnti1n she hated to catch |
B ia m iiiru Hpi that he breaihed SO
hard Soc tll re eSciling p,,ssagcs |
.he WAS afs he would blow her
away .nu was That, unprephred |
1rN uuVIU,.. # theatrical training, |
..,.,H. IN stage business, undo
t..r sI Iu u.lteand thoroughly raw |
., r,Iiru. md n spite Of The ct that
,l, r,,.i.-h!ed On her train, caught her |
,ril IN such way as 10 almost lear II
ron her ..qt in the balcony scene.
.pa rfi Il unprecedented and
rushing ufue finally on the corpse OF
he uni,i pinlt. Romeo, her drbh WAS
,et not a filu'e. some OF the local
,apers G4mned her with faint praise,
,p tire was sill an impression
I.aper han this that she
COS thing extraordinary. II wa
Ell f1f e people OF New Orleans 10
inst snd fully recognize her ABILITY,
nd this they did generously and en-
This young TRACE
ienn. first aspirations for the stage
sers. IS cited by Edwin Booths rendi-
iol OF Richard III. II il said she
aune home from this presentation
and crazy 10 play the part
1 Richard. She Immediately began
h. study Of IL, and soon fenced so sue
e-sfuIly with tire broadsword that
or strp- father who was handling
weapon on one occasion,
,lthdrew vanquished from the CON
al. while she fell from exhaustion
mid the scattered remnants Of the
pandelier she had broken IN her ex-
Itment. This occurred before she
'ns sixteen years old, and the spirit
lat animated her then Is the spirit
lnt vii! eventually make a second
harlotte cushman OF her.