Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1892-01-28
ELSIE.

was practicing medicine at the
time in Rotterdam. large struggling
town six miles from Sheffield. In York
shire England. in the heart OF the
South Yorkshire coal district
1t is a rough class OF people with
whom a general practitioner has to
deal in such district though there
are some very big swells in the neigh
borhood. to be sure. STILL as is al.
ways the case in life, among the
toughest and most uncouth one some
times finds q gentle flower
Such a sweet exception was little
Elsie Underhill, to whose bedside /
was called professionally on the even
ing of November %. 1873. 1t is long
while ago. and doubt much il any of
the persons connected with the little
story am about to tell (should any OF
them still be surviving) will remem-
Der DR.. Newman. And at any rate,
not one Of those who knew me will be
hurt and the one person against
whom shall have much to say. is so
mean and contemplate in my opinion
that care little for his
II was q poor little homo was call
ed to IN Church street where Elsie's
parents lived. but very different from
the dirty. carelessly kept cottages and
small houses in the vicinity. But l
am not going to weary you with a de-
scription l was met by the dear,
old. kindly faced mother at the door,
where before taking me upstairs to
the tiny room where lay her suffering
daughtoy, she told me something of
her history.
Elsie was only just turned 10. but
! sh6 had already made for herself a
reputation which was honorable and
eahobling. Three years before. when
just turned 16. being pretty and we'll
developed girl with more than the
average amount Of intelligence. she
had obtained an engagement at the
little local theatre where she had ap-
peared In the character OF Jeanne
Deans in Andrew Halliday's adapta-
ton OF Sir Walter SCOTS novel, The
Heart OF Midlothian" She had at
tracted . great deal OF attention. The
local correspondent OF the London
theatrical paper the Hornet then the
property Of Stephen Fiske had spoken
highly of hor, and more than one Lon
don manager had visited Rotterdam
to see her act There were stock
companies in those days.
| Among tho many young fellows who
had become infatuated by her beauty
was one Horace Wellington, the son OF
o physician In Sheffield. a very rich
man. This young mans attentions
were very marked. He obtained an
introduction to the young girls pa.
rents, and through them to Elsie.
And then he began serious court
Sip.
In every way his manner and ap
parent object were decidedly honor.
abba Only one thing he omitted-he
did not take her to his own home.
In order to be near the man who
had completely won her heart she re-
fused moro than one lucrative offer t.
60 to London. where she would have
at once been on the high road to fame
and accepted an engagement at thu
Sheffield Theatre Royal. which being
close 70 hor own home she could ais,
reach very easily. Here her oppor
tunities were wider than in Rother
ham. II IL true, and here she succeede,
In increasing her already high repu
tation. She remained in Sheffield tw,
seasons playing during the summer
series Of travelling engagement
throughout the northern counties.
Then came proposal from q grea
London manager which was so goot
. that she could not afford to neglect II
! Her aged mother went with her to tn
city Of smoke and fog, and in Septem
Dor. 1873. she made her debut befor
. London audience at the Princess
Theatre Less than a month later he
: health entirely gave way. and sh
found II necessary to throw up her on
I gagement and return with her inothe
/ to the little home In Rotterdam i
which she had breathed her earlies
breath.
So much her mother told me- the
: took me up to see her daughter
. Did l say just now that she was sui
D feringp That was hardly the case
She was dying Of rapid consumption
She was too weak 10 suffer much ply
sically. but the broken heart was Civ
ing her exquisite torture.
Such lovely girl I have rarel,
. seen. Brown curling hair swept BAG
. from the sweet face and long dar
lashes shaded the blue gray eyes thu
were Ill intelligence and had bee
wont 70 all her audience with blin
enthusiasm.
The little room In which she la
. was filed with delicate feminin
y kniokknackA "reminiscences Of he
Q iavorits roles. souvenirs OF her pre-
fessional friends. all arranged abor
the room with gentle thoughtful Low
by her stricken mother. But most II
Q teresting OF all was . rather curiou
o thing hanging above her pillow on th
q bedpost by q narrow blue ribbon.
n was something that would attract u
, attention Of the least observant
!. A large gold split ring. elegant
chased and evidently of antique maj
u ufacture to which was suspended