The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-03
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
CLARA MORRIS.
THAT AFFLICrIoN OF THE ACTORS
LIFE, THE SUMMER VACATION.

charming Picture of Miss Morrtss'
First Pay Day, When She Bought
Lavender FIowered Muslin for
Her Mother, and Thus Realized
Her Dearest AmbitiOn-Ice Cream
tragedy Involving the Loss of 90
cents, Reads with Notwithstanding
Vivadnes az the Actress Tells OF
the Little BOarding-house Torture
chamber in which She Lived, the
Long, Blazing Summer, Her Lam
guild Appetite and Feverish Crav-
ing for the Cheap Saucers of
cream she Was Too Poor to Buy.
PART II.
Copvright 1901 by the g. $. Mcclure Co.
had not been more than two or three
DAYS in the theater when l discovered
chat its people seemed to be divided into
tvn distinct parties-the guyers and the
,,ved-those who laughed and those who
,gere laughed at. All my life 1 have
had q horror of practical Joking, and l
very quickly decided 1 would not be
among the guyed. / had borrowed many
s1f MIS-. DIduShoW - pay WINS " AGdhs
and often found in the directions for
costumes the old word "idid." Count
Rudolph-black velvet doublet, hose and
snort cloak. Count Adolph, ibid" So
when the property man, an incorrigible
Joker, asked me to go home and borrow
Mrs. Bradshaws ibid for him. simply
looked at him and smiled a broad, silent
smile, and never moved a peg. He gave
me a sharp look, then affecting great
anger at my laziness, he wrote a re-
Quest for an ibid, and gave it to the
latest girl in the crowd, and she carried
it to Mrs. Bradshaw, who wrote on it
that her ibid was at Mrs. Dickson's, and
the tat girl went to Mrs Dicksons, who
said she had lent it to Mr.. Lewis, so
the poor, fat goose was kept waddling
through the heat from one place to an
other, until she was half dead, to the
great enjoyment of the property man.
Next day he was very busy, when,
glancing UP, he saw me looking on at
his work Instantly he caught up a
bottle and said: run upstairs to the
paint frame (three flights up) and ask
the painter to put little ad-libitum in
this bottle for me; there's a good girl"
Now, l did not know what ad-libitum
meant, but aYas very close observer,
and L saw the same malicious twinkle
IN his eye that had shown there when he
sent the fat girl on her hot journey, and
once more slowly chewed my gum and
smiled my wide, unbelievdng smile. He
waited moment. but as | did not touch
the bottle, he tossed it aside. saying
What a suspicious little devil you arer'
But when a man wanted me to blow
down a gun barrel next morning, the
property man exclaimed; Here, you.
Let saucer-eyes alone. 1 don't know
whether she gets her savoy out of her
head or chews it out of her gum; but
she don't guy worth a cent, so you
needn't try to put anything on her.
And from that day to this l have been
free from the attacks of the practical
joker.
Buying a FIOwered Muslin
On our first salary day, to the surprise
Of all concerned, did not go to claim
my weeks pay. To every one who spoke
to me of the matter I simply answered:
ooh, that will be all right" When the
second day came l was the last to pre-
sent myself at the box office window.
Mr.. Ellsler was there, and he opened
the door and asked me to come in. AS
hesitated perceptibly, and he laughingly
said: Don't you know your own name?"
Now, on the first day of all, when the
stage manags5r had taken down our
names, had been gazing at the scenery,
and when he called out, Little girl,
what is your name?" 1 had not heard,
and some one standing by had said,
Her name is Clara-Clara Morris, or
Morrisey, or Morrison, or somthing like
that" and so he dropped the last syllable
from my name, Morrison, and wrote me
down Morris. so when Mr.. Ellsler put his
question, Don't you know your name %
that was certainly the moment when
should have spoken, but 1 was too shy,
and there and thereafter held my peace,
and have been in consequence Clara
Norris ever since.
I having signed1for and received my
first two weeks salary, Mr.. Ellsler asked
why l had not come the week before,
and told him l preferred to wait, be.
cause 1t would seem so much more if
got both weeks salary all at one time.
And he gravely nodded and said at
was rather a large sum to have in hand
at one time and though 1 was sensi-
tive 90 ridicule, / did not suspect him of
making fun of me.
You are very intelligent little girl,
ana when you went on alone and unre-
hearsed the other night, you proved you
had both adaptability and courage. I'd
Ike to keep you in the theater. Will
you come and be a regular member Of
the company for the season that begins
september next?"
think it must have been my ears
mat finally stopped my ever widening
smile while / made answer: THAT l
must ask my mother first"
To be sure said he; ito be sure!
Wen, suppose you ask her, then, and
iet me know whether you can or not"
Looking back and speaking calmly, l
must admit that ! do not now believe
mat Mr.. Ellsler's financial future de-
pended entirely upon the yes or no of
my mother and myself. But that l
was on an errand OF life or death, every
que must have thought who saw me
tearing through the streets on that 90
~ the shade summer day. racing along
~ "hirl of short skirts, with the boy
'sh, self-kicking gait. peculiar TO run
hlng girls of thirteen.
one man, a tailor, ran out hatless and
coaliess and looked up the street anx-
iousiy in the direction from which l
zane A big boy on the corner yelled
after me: "S-a-a-y, Sis, where's the
IRE! But, you see, they did not know
mat ! was carrying home my first earn
mgs that was clutching six damp one
dollar bills in the hands that had been
!" empty all my life. Poor little hands,
mat had never held greater sum than
Vne Dig Canadian penny, that had never
Hei1 dollar bill till they had first earn
80 IT.. But If the boy was blind to what
held, why so was I hIind 70 what sba