The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-08


] room was foul with fiat beer and musk.
I on Charlotte was not one Of the nice lit
/ tie nightdresses that Mary had made her,
/ but a loose pink silk thing trimmed with
spangles and lace that her mother I'M
doubtediy wore when she played Camille.
Much TO the disgust of the women, Mary
opened the window and let IN some fresh
air, and then the story was told to US.
You see" said Trixie. "Chariotte's been
playing Eva all winter, and how we viii
ever live without the salary that she
drew is more than ] can understand; it
does seem as If there was no end 10 our
trouble. Wen. you know. in the transfer
nation scene, Eva is put up in the clouds
and supported by machinery. and she is
suDposed 10 go sailing along TO heaven.
Some fool of a stage hand didn't fix the
machinery right. and they got Charlotte
up, and just while the audience were go
ing wild about her, the fool thing broke.
and down she fell. And there's good mon
ey gone for the rest Of her life for the
doctor says If she lives she will be a Grip
pie anyhow / don't know how l ever
listened to this woman. Eventually Mary
told some of the visitors that they had
better go, and TriXie went with them TO
the hall, and evidently sent for more beer
and they stayed out there, much 10 our
RELIEF, and drank IL. Poor Charlotte Tenn
pie was just barely breathing. But she
knew us, and a happy smile came over
her face, and she tried to say something
about the puppy. And Mary told her how
those upon the farm had grown, and
that there was a new kitten which was
named after her. and then she laughed;
but, on! so weakly. We gave her a teas
poonful Of brandy. and bathed the little
face, and some strength seemed to come to
ner. and she said, Misses Mary 1 got
50 tired of bein' Eva. / hadn't my puppy.
= 1nfi In h..
a doll, an named doll after the puppy,
Sam. En- Misses Mary. if 1 get well. I'm
comm up TO be your girl this summer
But. Misses Mary. I'm so tired"
Then We famed her and sang to her
ana after a while a rast-looking man
came in. and we found out that he was
Mr.. Clarence Howard, who played utilf-
~ parts, and was the father of Char
lotte Temple. He seemed sorrier for the
mite than her mother did. and he tried
TO straighten up the room a little nut
the poker chips out OF sight, picked up
III half smoked cigarettes and threw
them out of the window, and thanked
US IN the most dramatic manner for com
ing. And the hours went by and we
three did all we could to make Charlotte
Temple find the going away from life
easier than the living IT, Two or three
times L wondered where her mother was
Time told. About 10 o'clock she came in
maudlin drunk. And she cried and
screamed, and Charlotte grew restless
ana looked unhappy, ana Clarence How
ard removed TriXie to the hall where she
fell on the floor in drunken slumber.
When the doctor came he gave me a
significant look, and said he would stay
Tor a while. And Charlotte Temple said:
Misses Mary. tell me about the funny
tree. And Mary told her about that
wonderful tree on which mint sticks
md Iaa
toys, and which good children see, and
where the dinkey bird sings all day long
on the top branches Of this tree called by
the man who found it the Amphalula
tree. And then she said: Misses Mary.
you sing my tune, and I'll come in on the
chorus" And Mary sang
Beyond the smiling and the weeping, I
shall be soon.'
and we could hear the little voice feehIv
saying soon"
And then she began to wander. She
said. Il wish she hadn't sold the puppv.
I'd like to KEEP him-an' l don't think
Misses Mary would like to know that he
was sold to work the growler-my mann
ma says If the ghost don't walk this week
therell be no Eva-oh! l wish it was time
for the curtain to go down-Im so tired
there's little girl out front who cum
with her mother-I spec she could keen
a puppy-neXt summer I'll have lust as
many flowers as want, and Misses Mary
will make me a little cake for myself.
No, Clarence, / don't want any other pup
py-Sam would feel bad if 1 KEEP another
dog-Oh, dear. 1 wish the curtain would
drop-l'm so tired-when will the curtain
drop?"
And the curtain dropped.
With the permission of Clarence. we
brought Charlotte Temple up here She
Is sleeping in the quiet coun-
try churchyard and the chill
dren this summer take pleasure in
putting flowers on the grave of the little
girl who spoke the piece at the concert.
And when the Fresh Air people wrote to
Mary, she said: Send me boy; 1 never
want another girl"
But, somehow, 1 can hear the voice of
Charlotte Temple even now, and it seems
to me, when l close my eyes, as If 1 could
not only hear, but see her. and
She sits at Gods own side
And sings as she used to do
Bah