Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-25

Th6 Tleat6r, WnO was q great duulEdE of the veteran sent carriage to the station for the purpose of conveying him to his hotel. On being made ac- quainted with the good intentions of his friend, MT Stoddart said, "Hoot mon! God gave me good pair of sturdy legs that I expect to use for many years to come.'' So the dear old chap trudged sturdily up to the town. On his way he stepped into the thea ter where cordial greetings were ex- changed between the old friends. II hear you have been i'll, MT Stoddart?' ?'' ''Do you think so?" With that the braw old Scot gave his friend playful tap on the ribs to show how i'll he was. The manager of the theater at last accounts is still tenderly nursing his ribs and damning newspaper men.
 :l:
 Perhaps the most interesting feature of the benefit rendered to Clara Morris recently was the reading by Miss Bing- ham of a, letter of thanks from Miss Morris. The letter was. as follows:
 To-morrow-when it will be too late -I will have bright ideas stamping up and down all over me, crowdfng my mind with lovely thoughts, but today haven't lovely thought in me; am just one great big personifed thank your'
 It has often been said that in my early life, in my long professional climb upward, no hand was held out to help me well, there is truth in that but now that follow the descending path surely no woman in the world ev- CT had so many strong and gentle hands stretched out to steady and SUD- port her steps over dangerous quick sand in the road.
 Twice in my life have suffered the pain and humiliation of undeseryed blame -to-day suffer the deeper hu- initiation of undeserved praise. From British Columbia to California; from Canada to Florida and all the great land between, come letters of encour- agennent, of prayer, of praise, but all written to that Clara Morris of the imagination. These writers speak of an actress whose power made her ter rible as "an army with banners" of a woman more bountiful than Mother Nature therself-a sort of cross between an uncroWned queen ,>and Wlegless angel And when I read I draw the covers up to my cheek, turn to the wall and laugh little that,no one may guess ann crying. You see, the con trast betwen the real woman and the imaginary one jars e-dreadfully
 All my life I have felt a sort of amused wonderment over the people whom I have seen casting their bread upon the waters and then anxiously awaiting it's return in time for them to dine. What folly. I cried to myself to expect such a return even after many days, and so cast my small crusts far out with a good strong fling and gave them never thouglt-no, not one! And the days and the months and the years have passed, and 10! here this wonderful day all my small crustE, grown into full, unbroken loaves, have returned to me from the waters of the past, and what is more. all spiced an6 sweetened by tender memories and kind words, and stand abashed as one convicted with lack of faith.
 When I lay prostrate, broken in bo- dy and pride, wondered dulIy why I who had shed such floods of tears over stage herodnes, had no tears for my self? And then two hands were held out almost simultaneously, hands strong to help and warm with synpa thy. One was that almost slsterly hand of dear Julia Arthur, the other was my honored Bishops. Then-oh, eternal feminine-then the storm broke and the tears fell! Why, the third act of Camille had been a burning, dry Sa- hara in comparison.
 And, since then, look at these names high in hte rushing, tearing business world high in the social worldl Look at these names high in the churcn-at these names high in my own beloved profession! Look at the great jour nals that have spoken me more than fair, and think of the real kindness in those hearts that made it possible for such desperately busy people to turn a moment to help-just woman, who has received staggering blow! Do you wonder am personifed thank you.'' gt,
 Will you then, Miss Bingham, to- whom owe already so very much, will you give message to all those generous people in the Broadway Thea ter today? mean it for every soul, front and back, gallery to box, from star to call boy, and all that hard work ing force of carpenters, scene si,ifters, electricians painters, property men, all! alli Please say that I wish that each person in that building when plac- ing their heads upon their pillows to. night may say: Without tormenting anxiety, Clara Morris will sleep peace fully tonight, by my aid, and she thanks me-
 Please say this, dear Miss Bingham, and May April be in all your hearts, and God bless Us every one!
 CLARA MORRIS. ] DANGER OF COLDS AND GRIP. |
 The greatest danger from colds and