San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-28
BIG" BERTHA.
The Confidence Queen on the Stage
--She Reads an Original Poem"

The Confidence Queen" held court
| at Woodward's gardens yesterday and
last evening, and received" $4,000
people. AS drawing card" "Big"
Bertha was a great success. Three
times during the day she appeared on
the stage, and on each occasion was
greeted with loud applause. She re-
ceived many ouquets, and was treat
ed with the utmost Difference, perhaps
contrary to expectation. Only once
was there any departure from univer-
sal respect. A youth in the theatre
evidently fearing that Mrs. Stanley
was i'm danger of falling from some
thing, warned her, with voice chOked
with emotion, to "come off the perch"
No attention was paid to this, as it
was not considered that the gazelle-
like creature was running any risk in
standing on the stage which had been
the field of many savage battles.
"Big" Bertha was richly uphols-
tered, and wore a real, hand-painted
complexion, especially prepared for
her by well-knOwn firm of house
decorators. She had on locket, in
which was a large diamond, the gift
| of William Gruhn.
On the stage the Confidence
Queen" showed no signs of perturba-
ton, but bowed with graceful dignity
in acknowledgment of the enthusiast
tic cheers she received. She was in
troduced by Frank G.. Hubbard, Who
made a few remarks about the past
life of the airy, fairy Bertha. There
were tears in his large, fawn-like
eyes when he spoke of her incarcera-
ton in Sing Sing, and hardly any
thing could exceed the delicacy with
which he mentioned her sojourn in
Auburn, safest prison of the Empire
State. His thrilling candor in speak
| ing of the charming manner in which
the sylph-like Mrs. Stanley had cap
tured the hearts and made inroads to
the pocket-boohs of the Hebrews of
the city, was appreciated by the
audience, who cheered Justify at
every mention of the well-known
names.
"Bign Bertha was left alone on the
stage and read the following, which
Mr.. Hubbard said was ian original
poem, written by herself, ladies and
gentlemen, with your kind permits
sion.n
THE CONFIDENCE QUEEN.
| Oh, ladies and gentlemen, list to my voice,
| And give me your sympathy all.
| am only woman, and who should rejoice
| When women on evil times fall?
They call me the Confidence Queen" but l
boast
Never once of my power over men,
But justice crave when a whole Jewish host
Would take from me freedom again.
Full well do you know how the candles bright
flame
Will dazzle the fiuttering flies;
And how as their share of Its fire they claim,
Each moth burns its wings and then dies.
So when vain grasping men pant for glitter
ing gold,
And find their bonanza in me,
Is it wicked to show up how badly they're
And the rogues that men sometimes can be |?
Perhaps you are drawn here by wonder to
know
I'll am a monster of sin;
But I'd much rather think that this is not so,
And that shall your good graces win.
Are laws made as perfect as flowers that are
Are all men not likely to err2
And who is so pure as to cast the first stone,
And blacken my name with q slur?
If wrong have done must suffer, know;
But fair play is all require;
So that's why stand here, a wonderful show,
And to please you 80 strongly desire.
When pit for another is dug and the man
Falls in it himself won't you say,
Let the blame fall on those who the scheming
began,
And let them the damages pay?
Twas diamond, cut diamond. and who cut the
worst,
The future, of course will reveal,
When the bubble they've blown will expand
and then burst,
And chagrin is the chief thing they feel.
But enough Soon 1 hope to behold you
When my life will be played on the stage:
When Parsons will tell of his loves and his
And Gruhn will sweat blood in his rage.
Then Willie will sing you his comical songs,
And I'll tell strange things have seen,
OF the loves and the troubles, the rights and
the wrongs,
OF Bertha, the Confidence Queen.
Mrs. Stanley's rendition of the
"pome" was greeted with loud ap-
plause. But it must be said that she
is not at home in elocution; she had
better stick to the confidence business.
There was kind of "you 'd-scarce-ex-
pect-one-of-my-age" tone in the recital
that caused some of the poetic imagery
of the piece to limp painfully. She
promised to do better next time and
was forgiven.
After the performances "Bign
Bertha was enthroned on a platform
in the pavilion and there received the
homage of the crowd. More flowers
were handed to her and children held
up to be kissed by her. 1t was an
nounced that Mrs. Stanley would be
kln4 l. 4 IL L ~