The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-05-19
ELSIE.


in Yorkshire, England, in the heart of
the South Yorkshire coal district.
1t IS q rough class of people with
whom a general practitioner generally
has to deal in such a district, though
there are some very big swells in the
neighb0rhood to be sure. Still, Us is
always the case IN life, among the
toughest and most uncouth one some
times finds gentle flower.
Such a sweet exception was little
Elsie Underhill, to whose bedside |
was called professionally on the even
ing of Feb. %, 1873. 1t is long while
ago and | doubt much ii any of the
persons connected with the little story
! am about to tell (should any of them
still be surviving will remember DR..
Newman. At any rate not one of
those who knew me will be hurt and
the one person against whom | shall
have much 10 say Is SO mean and con-
tcmptibic in my opinion that | care lit
tie for his.
ii was poor little home was called
to in Church street. where Elsie's par
cntS lived. but very different from the
dirty. careIessly kept cottages and
small houses in the vicinity. But |
am not going To weary YOU with de-
ScTiptloA. / 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 daugh-
ter, She told me something of her his
tory.
Elsie was only just turned 10, but
She had already made herself a repu
tatiom which was honorable and en-
nobIin-. Three years before. when
just turned 16. being a pretty and
well-deycloped girl, with more than
the average amount of intelligence,
she had obtained an engagement at Il
local theatcr. where she had appeared
in the character of Jeanie Deans in
Andrew Hailiday's adaptation of Sir
Walter scott,s novel The Heart of
Midlothian" She had attracted a
great Deal Of attnption The local
correspondent of a London theatrical
paper, rte No2Tet. then the property
OF stephen Fiske. had spoken highly
Of her and more than one London
manager hal visited Rotterdam to see
her arr. There were stock companies
In thpso Jays.
Among the many young fellows who
bad become Infatuated by her beauty
was one Horace Wilmington, the son of
a physician in Sheffield, very rich
man. This Young mans attentions
were very marked. He obtained an
introduction to the young girls par
ents, and through them To Elsie. And
then he began serious courtship.
In every way his manner and aprar-
ent object were decidedly honorable.
Only one thing he omittcd-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 more than one lucrative offer TO
90 to London, where she would have
at once been on the high road to fame.
and accepted an engagement at the
Sheffield Theater Royal. which being
close to her own home she could also
reach very easily. Here her oppOrtli-
mites were wider than in Rotterdam.
it is true. and here she succeeded in
increasing her already high reputa-
ton. She remained in Sheffield two
seasons, playing during the summer
series Of travelling engagements
throughout the northern counties.
Then came proposal from a great
London manager, which was 50 good
that she could not afford to neglect it.
Her aged mother went with her to the
city of smoke and FOG and in Septem-
ber, 1873. She made her debut before
a London audience at the Princess
thcater. Less than a month later her
health entirely gave way and she
found it necessary to throw up her
engagement and return with her
mother t. the little home in Rother-
ham in which she had breathed her
earliest breath.
So much her mother told me, then
took me up to see her daughter.
Did | say jusrnow that she was suf-
fering? That was hardly the case.
She was dying of rapid consumption.
She was too weak to suffer much phys
icallv. but the broken heart was Civ
inc her exquisite torture.
Such lovely girl have rarely seen.
Brown curling hair swept back from
the sweet face and long dark lashes
shaded the biue-grav eyes that were
| all intelligence and had been wont to
till her audiences with blind enthu-
! SiaSm.
/ The little room in which she lay was
| filled with delicate feminine knick-
/ knacks. "reminiscences of her favorite
roles, souvenirs of her professional
| friends. all arranged about the room
with gentle, thoughtful love by her
! stricken mother. But most interest
| inc of all was a rather curious thing
hanging above her pillow on the bed
/ post by a narrow blue ribbon. 1t was
/ something that would attract the at
/ tention of the least obSeryant.
4 large gold split ring, elegantly
chased and evidently of antique man
ufacture. TO which was suspended
common copper English penny piece.
/ The combination was SO inconwruous,
so Iudicrous. that could not refrain
from taking it in my hand to examine.
oh, please don't touch that" eN-
claimed the dying girl, lit is all |
/ have"
Then there was story to 1t.
When had prescribed simple pal
! liatiye for the racking cough and had
given instructions for other simple
treatment. l went downstairs again
| with the mother.
You saw the penny and the ring.
doctor" she said, ~and you wondered.
Is it not SOP"
/ confessed that / had felt little
curious To know its history. And
here Is what the old woman told me:
The old ring had belonged TO Elsie's
great-grandmother 1t had once been
u thumb-ring. Elsie looked upon it rs
a sort OF heirloom and had carried it
| with her as sort of talisman since