The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-08

Trials ~ His Childhood and YOUTH
Hts First Appearance.
Ha-par's Magazine.

MIS- FIRST Appearances.
Ha-per's Magazine.
The sudden death OK Lawrence Barrett
was grea, shock and 4 great surprise 10
Booth. His friend had recovered from
the serious operation performed year or
two before, and ne was. seemingly, IN ro-
bust strength likely long 70 oGtllye Booth
who was beginning &c become conscious
OF his own physical decay They were
playing together a successful engagement
in New York. when Barrett was taken III
and WAS obliged 10 leave the theatsr be-
fore the close % the performance. The
next night he did rot appsar. and the third
night his name was taken out Of the bill.
Booth. who had not thought Of anything
serious. asked Mr. Bromley. the manager.
70 call II the Windsor hotel and see how
Lawrence was getting on An hour
later Booth was sitting at his supper Or
bread and milk IN tire grill room OF The
Players when Mr.. Bromley entered and
said. simply ard seriously. MIR. Barrett
has gone" Booth, still susnecting nothing.
asked, Where top supposing that Mrs.
Barrett had carried her husband of TO
their home in Boston He was naturally
very a3uch depressed for some time In
deed. he never fully recovered from the
blow. He closed his theatsr at once, al
though he continued the salaries OF his
company: and finally he played short en-
so many OF his friends feared. his last,
During this engagement a copy OF the
death mask OF Barrett was sent 10 the
Club. II came in as Booth was starting
out for the theater. He saw X in the hall
learned from whom II had come ard tod
he boy IN charge 70 ''carry II up stairs"
The lad. not understanding the order, took
II 20 Booths own room. removed the
wrappinEs, and placed IL on a small table
by Booths bed. And there when he went
mp stairs and turned on The electric lishts
IL all the CHASTITY wilderness OF the fresh
plaster. he found It. This was. If possible
a greater shock 10 him than was the
death Of Barrett ITSELF
Though Lawrence Barrett never pre-
tended 20 be anything more than he was.
a repor. that his real name was Larry
Brannigan" annoyed him beyond meas
ure. His father, as he often told me, was
Patrick Barrett. an Irish immigrant. who
never rose very high IN the social scale.
Ills mother was a Woodworking woman
whom he never forgot and OF whom he
always spoke with the greatest affection
and regard. He was a seven months
child. with a preternaturaIly large head
which was so heavy that he could not
walk until he was quite a lad. He often
told his friends, and never with the slight
est sentiment OF shame how HIS mother
wiped the suds from her arms and left her
washtub TO carry him to the little school
where he was taught his letters: coming
back for him and carrying him home
again when the proper time arrived.
His father seems 10 have been unjustIy
severe with the boy: and when the lad
was 10 years old. very slight and frail
he ran away from home. concealing him.
self under the seat OF the buggy OF
travelling cattle dealer, and not discover
ing himself until II was too late to send
him back. He found employment In a
hotel in Western city. and later he be-
came call-boy in Western theater. Here
he made friends with the property man.
who gave him the ends OF the candles
used In the house, which he took to his
garrett and stuck onto nails driven in the
floor because the lights were too short to
burn long enough in the bottles which
were his only candelabra. BY the uncer-
tain flame OF these dips" lying on his
stomach on the carpetless planks. he stud
led an old copy Of Webster's Dictionary,
which formed his entire library. have
heard him tell all this to a president OF
the United States IN the White House
and in the presence OF foreign ministers
and secretaries of state an dtheir wives
and daughters. as simply as if he wee
boasting Of the claims OF long descent.
And to prove how familiar he was with
his only book, / have heard him repeat
and spell and define the many obsolete
and obsolescent words which the very
first page Of that dictionary contains.