Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-07-03
"GRANDMA,"
A Little Appreciation of n Very Low
able Old LADY.

able Old Lady.
Mrs. Anne Hartley Gilbert, the ad-
mirable actress who recently died, was
able to make old age as charming to
her public as the most beautiful and
gifted of her fellow players could
make romantic youth. In the last year
of her life she achieved a unique sue
cess, for she triumphantly assumed
at eightythree the part of the heroine
in new play. To be sure, it was EN-
titled Granny" and she took the title
role -
No one more than Mrs. Gilbert could
have deserved such success, for she
was, in private as well as public life,
the most sweet, gay, spirited and low
able of old ladies. Through all the
vicissitudes of her long career she
never lost the meloving. home-pre-
serving, even ''housekeeperly" spirit of
the truest womanhood.
She herself has related how keen
was her pride in her first little home
before fame and fortune had come to
her. 1t was y small, coy white house.
which she kept in speckless and shin
ing order both inside and outside, I'M
til an unhappy sequence of dust and
rain besmeared It's neat exterior. Her
husband was absent; the landlord
would not repaint; she could not af-
ford to.
Il fretted over it," she owned, and
at last the bright idea came to her
to wash 1.-THE whole house. She got
her young son to help, and the next
morning, before the sun had risen,
they We're out with ladders, pals,
mops, soap and hot water. 1t was a
hard job, but they really did it, and
she added proudly:
ut was all over before the milk
man made his morning rounds"
The same courage and persistence
she put into her art; the same eager
nominees" was part of her nature,
and made her for many years before
she played Granny" beloved as
"Grandma" to her fellow PLAYERS,
Once, when their company was tour
ing, the train slowed down in a cut
ting near miners cabin. The miner
and his dog We're in the doorway:
close by, on rock, was most beau
tful great bunch of wild flowers In
an old tin can.
at made picture of bright home
likeness that was good to see in the
midst of those dreary plains" said
"Grandma." 1.-THE ladies on the train
began teasing for the flowers, beckon-
ing and laughing, but the man shook
his head.
Then, just as the train was start
ing. he spied me at the window. |
smiled and nodded, and he smiled and
nodded. Then l pointed to the house.
to the dog and to the flowers, and
smiled and nodded again, trying to ex-
press my pleasure in the whole picture.
To my surprise. he grabbed up the
flowers and plunged down to the train,
just managing to reach the back plat
form.
"'Give them to the old lady, l heard
him say; and ], too, reached the plat
form, and was in time to wave my
tlahkS us we Speu out OF sight,
Il kept the flowers as long as l
could, and used up all the books l
had with me in pressing them. The
younger members of the company used
to tease me about outdoing them with
the man with the flowers as they
called him. | suppose my old face at
the window had stood to him for ev-
erythng he had left in the East; for
his mothers face at her window, for
home and old friends"
1t was face that might have stood
for all those things; one of those fine
old faces on which life had written in
many wrinkles: You may trust me-"
Youths Companion.