The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1883-04-14
HUMoRIsT's WIFE.
Making Fun for the Masses at . Sick
womsn's Bedside.


Bob Burdette is known the country over as
the humorist OF the Burlington Hswkeye.
He is the most successful of our funny men
His books have constant and increasing
sale. His salary from the Hawkeye gives
him handsome.income and his little ske,cbe.
command the best prices from the msea.
zines. In addition, he has $I5o and Ssso a
night whenever he wants to take n lect,ring
tour Of one or 40 weeks.
His humor is true, delicate and abundant.
and he is an honor to the lighter American
writers, because of his literary achievement.
But better and more honorable than ali
this is the story of his hearthstone.
When he was a man Of 26 he was engaged
to Miss Carrie Ganet, Of Peoria, Illinois.
She was frail and delicate girl, and one
evening Burdette was summoned to her he'd
side with the message that she was diving
Little hope was entertained for her life when
he reached her. 1t 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 IS minutes, the little lady being able 10 re-
spond only by q motion OF the eve 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
cosy home her husband had provided for her
But she has been an invalid all her life.
More than once her life has been despaired.
Of. Usually she ha. been confined TO her
room and unable to walk.
One night at theatre in Philadelphia the
writer saw pale and earnest man making hi.
way to private box, with delicate, clinpinv
woman in his arms. Her girlish face was
full OF pathos that passed description, but was
wonderfully pretty. And strangely happv.
too-filled with content. rrP
Everybody made way for the little ladv.
and her great tender eyes seemed to send
thanks to every gentleman who moved aside
in courtesy. 1t was Bob Burdette and his in
valid wife.
This is an index of his life. The tempt.-
tons OF the world, the dazzle and glitter of
the society that has welcomed him, the con-
verse with brilliant men, the club. the tbeatre.
wealth, fame-all and either Of them failed TO
win his heart away from the little woman who
sat at his hreside and lived on his love and
sympathy.
Nor was there lacking practical reward of
this devotion. Mrs. Burdette has been The
inspiration of her husbands life, at once hi,
spur and his counselor
She first discovered the rich quality and the
spontaneity of Bob's humor and the homelv
navor That would carry It to the heart as we'll
as the intelligence Of the public. Imagine
the humorist reading the most lauehable
stories at the bedside of his invalid wife. He
tells himself of how she forced him to write
his first lecture in these words
Zone day when she was lying helpless she
said she believed that could write a lecture
and deliver it successfully, and SO she sat me
down to write that lecture, and from time to
time rebelled with tears and groans and
prayers. / told her that had no voice and
that couldn't lecture anyhow. She kept me
at 1t, and in due time we had lecture on our
hands, The Rise and Fall Of the Mustache.
This was all well enough, but now 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 Keotuk
hated Burlington, and knew if it was Fat the
Keokuk people would say so. Mrs. Burdstte
said as she was responsible for that lecture.
she was going to hear it delivered. So l car.
led her aboad the cars. She went to
keokuk, and the people pronounced it good"
From that day he has prospered wherever
his homely, insignificant little figure has been
'een.