Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-03-22
The Story Of Burdette,s Hearthstone.

Bob Burdette, says the Atlanta Con-
stitution, 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 increasing sale. His salary from
the Hawkeye gives him a handsome in
come, and his little sketches command
the best prices from the magazines.
In addition, he has $3.50 to $3.50 a night
whenever he wants to take lecturing
tour of one or twenty weeks. His hui
NOR is delicate, true and abundant, and
he is an honor to the lighter American
writer's. because of his literary achieve
ments.
But better and more honorable than
all this is the story of his hearlhstone.
When he was young man of twenty
six he was engaged to Miss Carrie
Garrett. of Peoria, Ill. She was frail
and delicate girl. and one evening Bur-
deite was summoned to her bedside
with the message that she was dying.
Little hope was entertained for her life
when he reached her. 1t was deter
mined, at the wish of both he and she
that they should be married, even if
death should at once claim the bride.
The ceremony took place in fifteen
minutes, the little lady being able to
respond only by 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 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 has been
confined to her room and unable TO
walk. One night at a theater in Pbila-
delphia the writer saw pale and earn
est man making his way to a private
box, with delicate. clinging woman
in his arms. Her girlish face was full
of pathos that passes description, but
was wonderfully pretty. And strangely
happy, too filled with content. Every
body 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 So
ciety that has welcomed him-the con-
verse with brilliant men, the club, the
theater, wealth, fame-all and either of
them failed to win his heart away from
the little woman who sat at his fireside
and lived on his love and sympathy.
Nor was there lacking practical
reward of this devotion Mrs. Bur-
dette has been the inspiration of her
husbands life, at once his spur and his
counselor. She first discovered the
rich quality and the spontaniety of
Bob's humor and the homely flavor
that would carry it to the heart as well
as the intelligence of the public. Imag-
inc the humorist reading the most laugh
able stories at the bedside of his invalid
wife. He tells himself of how she forced
him to write his first lecture, in these
words:
lone day. when she was lying help
less, she said she believed that could
write lecture and deliver it success
fully, 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 / was too little,
that had no voice, and that could n
write lecture anyhow. She Kept me
at il, and in due time we had lecture
on our hands. The Rise and Fall of
the Moustache. This was all right
enough. but now how to get the au-
dIence. thought would try it first at
Keokuk. If | delivered it first in Bur-
lington. 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
the Keokuk people would say so. Mrs
Burdette 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.