The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-28
WAITING FOR DEATH
Jennie 0'NeiI Potter, a Famous
EIoCutioniSt.
SHE WILL DIE COMMENTED
If She May ReCite, at the Last,
Her Own Life Story.

knowing that she must die in NfArcn, and
still she is happy. Her life has been tenn
pestuous; but her death will be calm and
peaceful Hers is a strange nature-pre-
sents an extraordinary psychological phe-
nomenon. Jennie ONeil Potter was enc
of toe best known elocutionists in the
United States. She made herself popular
by reciting How Salvador Won."
'Flirt's and Matrons" and Swinging in
the Grape Vine Swing" Now she is dy-
ing, and knows it. Her greatest desire
expressed by herself for publication-is to
appear once more in public, and if she
can summon strength the doctors will
let her do it. The requests of the dying
are honored. a literary friend-to please
her-has written a monologue which tells
of the scene when the doctors told her
she must die, and closes with her death.
And this strange woman, looking for
ward to the end and now in the Valley
Of the Shadow. longs to recite it,
Eight and twenty years ago. far away
in little Western village, Jennie .O'NeiI
Potter, the wild flower of the prairies,"
was born Patch Grove is the quaint
name of the odd little Wisconsin town
where this truly remarkable girl awoke
to the joys of life.
In later years Jennie O'NeiI Potter cleo
trifed both New York and London So
ciety with her extraordinarily realistic
rendering of the poem Swinging in the
Grapevine" Poor girl! Talking of it,
she said:-"How could I help doing it
well? I had lived it, had loved it, all
through my childhood, just the life it de-
scribes" And then sitting up in bed,
with passionate pathos and magnetism,
and swaying her fragile pretty body, in
its dainty pillows of lace and ribbon she
recited the beautiful lines With bright,
luminous eyes she looked far back-away
over the hospital cots-into the past, and,
Sitting again on the old fashioned swing.
she lived the old life of childhood in
Patch Grove for five ecstatic minutes.
Presently We both heard some one COM
ing with chicken broth, and quickly ly-
ing back on her perfumed pink silk pill
low. Miss Potter exclaimed:-"Oh!
mustn't let the nurse hear me recfting-
the excitement makes me so awfulIy few
erish. They don't allow me to 90 things
that make me feel bad afterward. They
are good and kind to me here. I just
love every one of them. As the few days
of life remaining to me diminish. the
number of my friends increases. But I've
got to leave all. all, all It's sad to die
young. OF course. you don't know. 1 !
didn't either three weeks ago. But it is |
1T won't be months; not many, any
way. Father died last March, and he is !
lying in the little cemetery at Patch /
Grove wish you could see that little (
cemetery. It is so pretty and cosey in /
the spring. It will be spring when they /
take me there-that is, if I go, as l think /
I shall, in March.
You know, it never looks cold or sad /
or lonely in our little cemetery. In sum-
mer it is just one beautiful bloom Of /
June roses-and mother and he planted a
great many in our plot. I shall be there
when they bloom again.
Il have absolutely no fear of death.
There has, of course been great deal
Of pain. It was agony, agony, agony.
And I'm so happy now to think that I
shall never have that awful pain again.
oh yes. of course I have treatment
It's horribly painful-and I sometimes
think how good it will be over there to
have nothing to get pains in. mean to
nave no physical body But ahi I'm
wrong; something remains that can still
2an-that can ache and ache. I mean
The mind the heart, the something we
,all soul.
Wont it be lovely in Patch Grove?
When summer comes I shall look down
% see the June roses on my grave. They |
ire always lively then-and you know (
hat one of my pet ideas about heaven is
hat can see and know what's going on
Town here There's so much human COM
.ort in that thought!
And 7 always think-T mean I've been
linking for the last few weeks-alas! 7
lear I didn't think much before about the
hereafter. was always so passionately
'ond Of this life this earth-I always
think that there it viii be given TO us all,
10 you and me and everybody. TO con
inue our best efforts and desires there,
10 cary them to fruition and fulhllment.
always did feel I should like to do good
to help others. Yes. I always gave my
poor little talents and services for char
ty: bur. then. [ mean there were other
.hings / could have done.
II wish oh how I wish that I could do
y say or write something that would
each all my loving and clever friends.
ma be the means of drawing then! 10
Gods gingJ0m On. yes, please do, If
-ou write a little story about me, Just put
hat IN and say how I want TO meet them
.U-every one-again In that land Of
sweetest rest. You say this is not talk
ng Of my work? The dear work that I
hall never take Up again, How I loved
t, How I loved 81! The music, the per
ume, the light, the iRtoxicati0n OK it all
Do son know that I have the greatest
onglug one passionate desire which
.ope God win give ne the strength 10
unu before I die want SO much 10
appear. just once more. OF tae platform;
o feel again the fascination Of the foot
lghts. 10 look into the Kind. eager faces
II my friends as carry them away. far
way, iat0 the realms ~ fancy
An! how good 1t an is With a voice
md . gesture to sway mems souls. as the
Wind SWAPS fields Of corn
or 10 the track. or! h
See Salvador wiz
is sa2vator-fair 10 the lovers OF horse
A.,