The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1883-02-22
ALAS! POOR YORICk.
Burial of Charles X. Thorne, for Many
Years One ofthe Leading Actors
OF America.
The Compact He Made with Artist Friends
to Keep Preachers From
His Funeral.

IL years ago, Charles X. Thorne, Jr., Stuart
Robson and Robert Craig were discussing the
quiet burialof Charles Dickens, and fell to
talking about unpleasant funeral sermons that
had been preached over actors. Craig said
that he would have no clergyman speak at his
| funeral. at was then," Mr.. Robson said,
''that Thorne, Craig and l made compact
that who ever survived the others should do
what could be done to keep the preacher away
from the funeral. Thorne went to Europe;
Craig died suddenly. His family insisted on
having the usual religious services at the fun
eral. l told them of Craig's well known wsh
| in the matter, but they insisted. The minister
who conducted the service was an educaled
man, but he had all the prejudices commoner
| to his profe ssion then than now. He imme-
dlately began to make an apology for the evil
which this young man had committed.in adopt
ing, profession that had so many evil asSo-
Citations, when his talents, in respectable call
| ing, might have brought him great honor. He
| thought he was justified in asserting that de-
| spite of this Mr.. Craig might have
HOPE OF HEAVEN.
told Thorne this when he returned from
such proceedings. He said he did not wish
all sorts OF people 10 be running to his funeral
at the Little Church Around the Corner Just
because he was an actor, and the last word
he said to his wife was, mo preacher; tell
Rob-" In accordance with this wish of Mr..
| Thorne his funeral was conducted early in
the morning. Ii was at the house, 81 Union
Place. The coffin, covered with black cloth,
lay in the centre OF the room. The face OF
the actor was exposed. Those members of
the profession and friends of the family in the
room were Mr.. A. M. Palmer, Will II.
Morton, w. II. Crane, Charles X. Thorne,
ST., Will Thorne and his wife, Messrs. John
Chamberlain, Walden Ramsey, John
Matthews, DR.. Haywood and Stuart Robson
and his daughter, Alicia. At 9:3o O'Clock
Mr.. Robson crossed the room and stood be-
hind the coffin and said in his peculiar voice:
at was often the..expressed wish of our dead
friend during the illness which resulted in his
death that no performances of a religious nature
should be permitted at his funeral. In con-
formation with this wish let us bid goodbye
to him simply and briefly. This man had
few enemies and many friends. Narrow men
did not love him;
GENEROUS MEN DID.
He was liberal to fault, honest, manly and
| true. Those who knew him best loved him
best. Hot tempered at times-as all good
men are-if led hastily into an injustice he as
quickly saw his error and rectifed il. 1t is
| source of qualification for us to know that he
| who lately feared death as the most dreaded
of all evils, when the time came welcomed it
with all the heartiness of his great nature.
His end was peaceful and painless, and he
died with the calmness OF a sleeping child.
He had few regrets for the past, and none for
the future. If Charles X: Thorne had faults,
l never saw them. My great love for the
man clouded my judgment, perhaps, that
could only see the good in him. When saw
him last, he asked me, in laughing way, if
had any clearly defined duties in respect to
the future state. replied as vaguely as
could, that supposed the subject was rather
knew, and several other current phases in pop
ular use. He said that
DURING HIS ILLNESS
he had read literally on this theme, and saw
nothing more suitable to his views than the
| following lines:
THE future is dark, impenetrable curtain,
which no human being has ever drawn aside
| and come back to tell the tale.
"rhe conclusion Of my brief task cannot be
better reached than by the recital of the fol-
lowing beautiful words from the immortal
masters Tempest" which Mr.. Thorne ire
quently recited with a tenderness which has
not been equalled in our time:
| ''These, our actors,
| As foretOld you,
Were all spirits, and are melted into air-into
| thin air.
| And, like the bazeless fabric of this vision,
| The handicapped towers, the gorgeous pal
| aces,
! The solemn temples the great globe itself,
| Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve
| And, like this unsubstantial pageant, faded,
| leave not a rock behind.
| We are such stun
| AS dreams are made of, and our little life
| is rounded with sleep"
Mr.. Robson then read this telegram from
Robert g. Inger soil: 'Say what your heart
prompts. A few tears, few words, a few
flowers are all that the living can give to the
dead. The tragedy has ended-the curtain
has fallen-applause cannot lift it up again,
but memory and hope remain. Give my sin
cere sympathy to those who weep"
The pail bearers lifted the coffin into the
hearse, which was driven to the Grand Gen.
trail depot, the 1890 O'Clock train bearing il
to Woodlawn cemetery. Here, without any
words of farewell, il was placed in receiving
vault BENEDI.scTU
Connecticut is rapidly advancing in the Gull
tlvation of oysters About 10000 acres are
n W planted, and go steamers and many sail
inc ole i =. al a