The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08

LlHI4t4 t'NAhA1 ~ A"' u OhAiiA pAt
death and death and death. To-day
# is the young soldier boy who started
af 50 cheerily, believing that the safety
.t his country depended on him. To-
MORROW it is the young wife whose little
Children chung to her, loved her so dearly
and could not understand that she had
left them never to come back. The next
who is it the next day? Perhaps
~.ruebody close to you or to me or to
the neighbor over the way. One who has
gone to sleep forever belonged to that
group of great artists who made life I'M
G~.rstand genius and taught all the
world that acting, like painting and sing
HG. was an art and a great one. This
artist. whose name is carved in the
great book of Immortality, was Fanny
Davenport. Handsome, full of merri-
mont, making gladness all around her,
vel her art was first. and everything
must give place to it. When you and
.lept. she worked. She learned to be-
come the woman she represented. She
learned to know the Italian, the French.
Tae russian woman, as she really was.
While l joyed in the artistic I think, most
ut all, | loved the woman, and now,
when my eyes are filled with tears. it is
not that they belonged so much to the
Great actress, but to the loving wife
and sister and the fond and devoted
friend. Every one who was of the Daven-
port kin, no matter how far distant, was
recognized and made much of.
| shall never forget a stormy winter
day when | met her on the train. that
fast train that flies from New York to
Buffalo. During the time we were to-
4ether she was as sleeful as a child.
masmuch as she was trying to make
her husband guess what his Christmas
-ift was. He thought it must be Il
Jewel of some rare kind. She volun-
reered to describe it, and she thought.
with his quick wit, her husband would
have no trouble in thinking it out. She
said it was blue and that it was curly.
1t was oval. and it was round. 1t was
thousands of years old. and yet it was
created not so many years ago. 1t was
a jewel and yet it was gold. 1t was
81 stone, and yet such stones were not
found by the SeaShore. 1t was cut in.
and yet it showed best when its beauty
cam out. And so on she went, really
describing the artistic gift and c%ontinu-
ally contradicting herself so that Mr.. Nc
D9Well was perfectly dazed. just before
We reached Syracuse. where she was
to leave me, she told me what it was
in reality. 1t was a fine intaglio, the head
Of Caesar, cut in Il pale blue stone and
with the hair closely curled all over
the head. as her husbands was. 1t
was a copy of that fine one in the Nati-
cam. This stone, being oval. was set
I'll "a round ring. and 50 all her descrip-
tons were correct. That was the last
time | saw her. and as l waved my
handkerchief from the car window |
little thought that it was not 'good-bye'
tor a little time. but for all time.
Like a child in her love Of children. She
loved them all. and, best Of all. dearly
loved a little niece who was her name
sake. She showered all sorts of wonder
full toys and smart little clothes on this
small woman, and was most pleased
when she was told of something witty
that the tiny lady had said. At this
time when Nine. Bernhardt was in Bos-
ton the French artistic, who also loves
children, asked that the little one might
he sent to pay her Il visit. Dressed
In her finest frock. and warned that she
must do her best in the way of speaking
French-for she could chatter in the
frivolous tongue a little-She started off
with her nurse to call OF the lady about
whom she had heard them all talk. Nine.
Sarah was in bed. but she had her
visitor brought up. and she proved a
..t|IItI tlIlItdlI dSSllS SiIIIt "ltNA
being seated on the edge of the bed, she
looked and stared as only children can
look in that piercing way, as If they We're
reading ones soul. At last. annoyed be-
yond expression. the variable ErenchWo-
man asked her what she was looking at.
Back came the response, i am looking
a1 YOU just as hare as | can, and l do
telieve that my Aunt Fanny is a great
dead p%rettier than YOU are" Nurse and
baby made a sudden exit, for it is a
WclI-known fact that the great artistic
sill loves to be considered beautiful.
Fanny Davenport laughed and upbraided
the saucy baby. Still. what woman would
loot be pleased at such an innocent COM
r.imentr
Another time. when / was lunching
with her. and we were having one of
those delightful luncheonS where 40 men
are around and the conversation can
range from frills and frivOls to science
and what is not known about 1t. a maid
came and said: Some one wishes to
>.- Mrs. McDOweIl.'' There was Il
shrug Of the shoulders and she thought
that She wouldn't go. The maid laughed
aaI said that the gentleman insisted
.,au seeing her, and after he second
r.aught there was Il plying look, and
III q voice that came from her heart she
said. We'll. | would better go; perhaps
H IS some poor actor who wants help
Ill I'VE minutes she was back, her cheeks
a~ fright as a rose, and her eyes spark
.a- like stars. AS my face looked for
q" explanation. she said with a laugh:
was only Mr.. Mac, who wanted to
h-~ nc good-by, and so fooled me III that
#ar."
Then there was a time when | lay
.-~.rk almost unto dcath-and among
many beautiful flowers sent me came
a#-" made piece, with wires through
la-ns and the violcts mounted on
...". making q stiff effort and requiring
'+@ lnon 10 fetch it up the stairs. and yet
"#s only the work Of the florist. 1t
"@.. ''art. or else the heart was strung
An hour aftcrward my friend
ODD. and. looking around the room,