The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-03-13
A HUMORIsT's WIFE.
Making Fun for the Masses at n Sic
------ -.-'--.-. Nyoman's nedslds ----- ~.

Making Fun for the Masses at n Sick
-. $500 Woman's Bedside. - itso,s
:, Bob Burdette is known the country over
as the humorist of the Burlington Hawk
eye. He is the most successful of our funny
men, His books have constant and in
creasing sale. His salary from the Hawk
eye gives him handsome income, and his
little sketches command the best prices
from the magazines In addition, he has $3.50
to $3.50 anight whenever he wantst to take
occurring tour of one or twenty weeks. His
humor is delicate, true and abundant, and
he is an honor to the lighter American
writer's, because OF his literary achieve
ment.
But better and more honorable than all
this, is the story of his hearthstone. When
he was a man OF twenty.six he was engaged
to Miss Carrie Garret, of Peoria, Illinois.
She was q frail and delicate girl,
and one evening Burdette was
summoned to her bedside, with the
message that she was dying. Little
hope was entertained for her life when he
reached her. IT was determined. at the
wish Of both he and she, that they should
be married, even though death should at
once claim the bride. The ceremony took
place in fifteen minutes, the little lady
being able to respond only by n motion OF
the eyes and gentle pressure OF the hand.
In spite of the doctors predictions she
rallied, and was finally well enough to move
to the quiet and cosey home her husband
had provided for her.
But she has been an invalid all her life.
More than once her lite had been despaired
of. Usually she has been confined TO her
room and unable to walk. One night at a
| theatre in Philadelphia the writer saw n
pale and earnest man making his way to a
private box, with delicate, clingng
woman in his arms. Her girlish face was
| full of pathos that passes description,
but was wonderfully pretty. And
strangely happy, too-flled with con-
tent. 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 Bot
Burdette and his invalid wife. This is an
index of his life. The temptations of the
world, the dazzle and glitter of the society
thaD has welcomed him, the converse witt
brilliant men, the club, the theatre, wealth
jfsme--all and either of them failed to wiz
his heart away from the little woman VIII,
sat at his fire. side and lived on his love ant
sympathy.
Nor was there lacking practical reward
of his devotion. Mrs. Eurdette has beer
the inspiration of her husbands life. u
once his spur and his counsellor. She frs
discovered the rich quality aud the spon
taneity OF Bob's humor and the homell
flavor that would carry it to the heart Il
well as to the intelligence Of the public
Imagine the humorist reading the mos
laughabe stories at the bedside of his inva
lid wife. He tells himself OF how she force
him TO write his first lecture, in thes
words:
zone day when she was lying helpless,sh
said she believed that could write lee
ture and deliver it successful ly, and so sh
sat me down TO write that lee
ture, and from time TO tim
rebelled with tears and groau
and prayers. | told her that | was to-
little, that | had no voice, and that
couldn't lecture anyhow. She kept me u
! it, and in due time we had lecture on GU
hands, The Rise and Fall of the Mustache
This was all right enough, bu
now, how to get the audience.
thought would try it first a
Keokuk. II delivered it first in Burling
ton, even though il were tame tanner
; tamest. thought they might put him o.
the book. But Keokuk hated Burlington
and knew if it was Hat the Keokuk peopl
would say so. Mrs. Burdette said she wa
: responsible for that lecture, she was goin
to hear it delivered. So | carried he
: aboard the cars. We went TO keokuk, an
the people pronounced 1t good"
From that day he has prospered whereve
his homely, insi gniicant little figure hs
been seen.-I Atlanta Constitution.