The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-04-14
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over our small banqeut IN a quite dis
graceful way Then back to our novels
again till bed time, and next day, all
fresh and rested, began my round once
more.
First Flowers and Jewels.
To say I made a success in Gin
cinnati is the barest TRUTH might
say it was a sensation, almost at once
The third night Of the season, TO be
exact received my first anonymous
gift, very beautiful and expensive
set of ieWelry, pale pink cOrals in com
bined dead and FURNISHED gold setting
They rested on the satin-lined nest
and tempted me. The sender wrote:
SHOW that you forgive my temerity
by wearing my offering in the third
act"
1 did not wear them in any act, and
yet, oh. eternal feminine! I tried them
on, at least 1 put one ring in my ear
and held the pendant against my
throat, Just to see how they would
have looke6-you know.
Flowers came over the fOot1ghtS,
the like of which I had never seen in
my life before, great baskets Of hot
house beauties, some of them costing
mora than L earned in a week. Then
one night came a holder note, with a
big gold locket-a signature made 1t
possible for me to return that gift next
morning.
All that sort of thing was new to me,
and naturally pleasing, yes, because
earned appreciation Dleases one, even
thought it be not quite correctly ex-
pressed. 1t sson became whispered
about that 1 sent back all gifts Of
jewelry, and IOi one matinee, with a
splendid basket of white camelias,
fringed about with poinsetta leaves,
+he-e came a box of French candied
fruit N.Y. what a sensation they
created in the dressing room. 1 re-
member some of the ladies 1--WE dressed
in one great long room there) took bits
of peach and of green figs 10 show
their friends while l devoted myself
to the cherries and apricots- That
seemed to start a fashion, for candies
in dainty boxes, came to me as often as
flowers afterwards, and, to my great
pride and pleasure, were often from
women, and my Saturday cents
allowance was turned over to mother
for the banqueting fund-that meant
bit of cheese for supper.
In spite of all the praise of my WORK
I should have remained unmoved, haC
not Mr.. Egbert Johnson, a lawyer
calmly assured me that he knew the
New York theatres and actors, and ht
honestly believed that l had a chance
of acceptance by the public, if only {
mana ger would give me an opening
| And straightway my heart gave a
/ bound, my cheeks began to burn, the
! leaven was working at last, my am
bition was awakened, I wondered day
and night, could 1 act well enough tc
please New York? Finally L wrote
to Mr.. EIIsIer-he knew all the New
York managers (feW then)-and told
him was about to ask my first favor
at his hands. Would he write to one OF
two managers for me, or give me q
line of introduction to them? And his
unexpected opposition to my plans, the
cold water he cast upon my warm
hopes, instead of crushing my spirit
utterly. reused the old logged deter
mination to do what l had undertaken
to do-to make a try for New York
( opening!
The controversy finally ended in my
receipt of a letter from Mr.. Ellsler
informing me he had written to foul
/ managers and said what he could FOL
me, which proved to be mighty little
He simply asked IF they had an open
ing for a young woman named Clara
Morris, for leading or leading-juvenil'
business2" That was all; not a wore
of recommendation for ability or men
ton of years of thorough experience
not even the conventional expression
OF a personal obligation, if they wer'
able to consider my application.
Had 1 been a manager, and had I re
ceived such a letter, I know 1 Should
have cast it aside, thinking: "Oh
that's a duty letter, and amounts L