The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-03-30
BIAN AND DEMOCRAT, BIOONIsBURG COLUMBIA COUNTY PA
A Humorist With a Love Story.
From the Atlanta Constitution.

From the Atlanta Constitution
Bob Burdette is known the country
over as the humorist of the Burlington
Hdwkeye. He is the most successful
of our funny men. His books have
constant and increasing sale His sala-
ry from the Ho,okeye gives him a
handsome income, and his little sketch
es command the best prices from the
magazines. In addition he has $3.50
to $3.50 night wherever he wants to
take lecturiug tour of one or twenty
weeks. His bumor is delicate, true and
abundant, and he is an honor to the
lighter American letters because of his
literary achievement.
But better and more honorable than
all this is the story of his hearthstone.
When he was a young man of twenty
six lie was engaged TO Miss Carrie
Garret, of Peoria, Ill. She was frail
and delicate girl, and one evening Bur
dette was summoned to her bed side
with the message that she was dying.
Little hope was entertained of 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 a gentle pressure of the hand. In
spite of the doctors prediction she raj
lied, 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
desprired of. Usually she has been
confined to her room and unable to
walk. One night at theatre in Phil
| adelphia the writer saw pale and
earnest man making his way to a pri
vate box, with delicate, clinging wo-
man in his arms. Her girlsh 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 gentle
man who moved aside in courtesy. 1t
was Bob Burdette and his invalid wife.
This is an index to his life. The temp
tations Of the world, the dazzle and gilt
ter Of the society that has welcomed
him--the converse with brilliant men,
the club, the theatre, 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 symathy.
Nor was there lacking a practical re-
ward of his devotion. Mrs. Burdette
has been the inspiration of her hus-
bands life-at once, his spur and coun-
sellor. She first discovered the rich
quality and the spontaniety of Bobs
humor and the homely flavor that
would carry it to the heart as well as
to the intelligence of the public. I'm
agine the humorist reading the most
laughable stories at the bedside of his
invalid wife. He tells himself of how
she forced him to write his first lecture,
in these word :
"One day when she was lying help
less, she said she believed could write
lecture and deliver it successfully,
and so she sat me down to write that
lecture, and from time to time 1 rebel
led with tears and groans and prayers.
told her that was too little, that l
had no voice, and that l couldn't write
lecture anyhow. She kept me at it,
| and in due time we had lecture on
our hands, The Rise and Fall of the
Moustache.' This was all right enough.
But now to get the audience. l thought
| would first TRIP it at Keokuk If l
delivered it first in Burlington, even
though it were tame, tanner, tamest, l
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 il deliv-
cred. So carried her aboard the cars.
We went to Keokuk and the people
pronounced it good.'
From that day he has prospered where
ever his homely, Insignificant little fig
ure has been seen.