Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-11-13

Feeble IS Mr.. Booth is. Il Is not to be
understood that he Is IN any immediate
danger OF death. With such absolute
rest and quiet IS he is having now 1t
may be long time before that event
occurs. He Is not In a gloomy frame
OF mind. He joins the little
group In the Laurel house smok-
ing room nearly every day and takes
his share In the conversation. de
makes il q point TO walk every day
around the long line Of verandas which
line the hotel front and which, for
sick man, make rather long stretch.
Very often he drives with Mr.. and Mrs.
GrOSsman, and his favorite diversion is
playing on these same verandas with
his two grandchildren, whom he adores.
Mr. Booth, Mr.. and Mrs. Grossman and
these two children make up the entire
party. They came to the Laurel house
the daY that it opened-0ctober l.
and shall probably remain all water II
Mr.. Booth continues to hold his own
there. They all passed the summer to-
gether at Narragansett Pier and only
remained in the city until the first
Lakewood hotel opened.
Mr.. Booth was always reserved man,
and now that he is Ill he is more so than
ever. People who come to see him he
generally sees, although 4, is with an
effort, and In most cases his converse
ton is OF the brieiest. Mr.. Grossman,
however, receives most OF the people
who come to inquire as to Mr.. Booths
condition. These inquiries, however
well meant, are more or less a burden
and a WEAKNESS to Mr.. Booth, even
when they come by wire or mail. To
meet them in anyway involves just so
much cxertion, and exertion or anything
approaching Is the one thing Mr.. Booth
has to avoid. Even his reading is OF the
lightest.
MS WALKS AND DRIVES.
Mr.. Booth, even when in the best OF
health, always had pale face. 1t is, OF
course, paler than usual now, and the
pallor is heightened by the somewhat
sombre clothing he wears. His frock
coat and Wastcoat are Of dark, almost
| black material, and the cravat is plain
black bow above rather an open ex-
/ panse of shirt front. His hair has not
| grown any grayer since his illness. 1t
/ is OF the dark, iron-gray tinge it has
/ been for years, and is worn thrown
/ straight back from the forehead In q
careless way so familiar In the
pictures which have so long been
| before the public. Now and then he
walks into the Lakewood village street
| in front OF the hoteh and sometimes he
| pushes on even as far as the lake, which,
with its dark border Of melancholy
pines, has had from the first peculiar
| charm for the actor. The drive around
the lake is over a well made macadam-
/ lied boulevard, and the roadway Winds
very prettily in and out among the
| pine, oak and chestnut trees. II Is just
| q trife over five miles around the long,
narrow sheet Of water, and this Is MIR.
Booths favorite drive, especially now
| when the hotel, called Laurel-in-
the-Pines, is not yet open, and the
road deserted, compared to what 1T will
be when the season is fully on. When
/ Mr.. Booth first came to the village he
was an object OF some curiosity to the
| Lakewood people, but they see good
many persons of note down there, and
their interest 10 the greatest of Ameri-
cas- actors has now quite died out, and
/ he walks about all but unnOticed, ex-
/ cept by those who see him for the first
time. Such as these rarely fail to be
struck by the strange, sad dignity on
his face and turn and look after him as
he totterS weakly along. leaning heavi-
/ ly on his strong oak stick.
The impression OF extreme feebleness
which his appearance conveys Is per-
haps misleading as to his real reserve OF
vitality, but those who see him first
feel the sympathy which goes out to
! those Of whom 1t is said that they are
not long for this world. But to all
appearances neither his daughter nor
her husband are very greatly alarmed
over his immediate condition. Mr..
Grossman speaks cheerfully and hope
fully, and anticipates much benefit from
the salubrious air and quiet OF the
/ T.QkaWOOd mines