The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-15
ADOPTED AT CARDS.
Manager Gross Tells Abou. the Generosit
OF Old Time Actors.


Manager Gross Tells Abou. the Generosity
Of Old Time Actors.
Denman Thompson, Eugene Tomp-
kins, William E. Gross, manager foi
James A. Herne in 'Shore Acres, "
and two or three other theatrical peo.
pie we're spinning yarns in the boz
Office of the Boston theater.
Some one remarked that the life OF
an actor is as uncertain as game OF
cards, and that led toa discussion Of
the game itself and the passion OF
certain old timers in the profession
for whist and poker.
Manager Gross was evidently in a
reflective mood, for when he broke
in on the conversation it was to re-
late an occurrence of the distant
past.
"It must have been fully 20 years
ago." said he, when ! made the
fourth party in q game of whist at
Sacramento. The other players were
John Mccullough, John T. Raymond
and James A. Herne.
"We were a pretty jolly quartet,
and as money was plentiful in those
days we managed to spend our gold
dust about as fast as we made it and
never lost any sleep worrying over
our bank accounts.
'Well, the game was going along
nicely enough, and even Raymond
was satisfied, as he had just matched
Mccullough an eagle that he would
tako five straight tricks and won it,
when tho stiffness of the scene was
broken by q child's voice singing
Home, Sweet Home in front of our
hotel. Her voice was not powerful,
but it was SO plaintive and penetrat-
ing that we were all moved by it, al
most to tears. Throwing down our
cards, we walked out on the veranda
to see who it was.
"The sight that met our eyes was
common enough in those days and
is equally common now, but for
all that it was n very sad one. Tho
child, a girl, not over 8 years old,
was standing Nongside middle aged
woman, who was leaning heavily
against wooden pillar and proved
to be her mother. The woman was
as drunk as fiddler, and her actions
had attracted a crowd of idle and
worthless revelers, who, despite the
child,s plaintixe accents and neglect
ed appearance, seemed to think of
nothing but their own amusement.
"They spurred the woman on and
then made merry at her expense. We
turned away and went back to our
cards. but the game no longer inter
ested us. Suddenly Mccullough
threw down his hand and said, Boys,
let's adopt her.
I'm match you whether we do or
not, said Raymond.
"All agreed to that, and as the
coins turned it seemed as if we all
prayed to havo Mccullough win, and,
sure enough, he did. Then all start
cd out to find the protegee. We soon
found her and had very little trou-
BILE in persuading the mother TO turn
over the child to us for adoption.
"We took the mothers address
and took the little one on to San
Francisco, where Jim Herne had her
placed with a good family, and we
all contributed to her board and edu-
cation.
Music was her delight, and before
great while she made prodigious
strides in that direction, SO much SO
that she insisted on teaching and
singing in public and SO earning her
own living
mot many years ago she married
n woll known lawyer in Philadelphia,
and during Jim Herno's engagement
in that city she sent him wreath of
forgetmcrots. Tho mother, who Is
now an old lady. has reformed aud
Is living in New York city, spending
much of her time in looking after
and working among tho poor Tho
daughter is very well 20 do and sup
plies her mother with regular and