The San Francisco call., 1908-09-20
} FiLA6HESF'ROM
MARIE BATES
FfIRROR
By Walter Anthony

+ 7 was a typical first night audience
that gathered at the old Columbia
theater February s. 1897. Flowers
10 favorftes and old time friends
were carried in arnfuis; floral pieces
were shouldered over the footlights be-
tween acts IN quantities TO fiji q car
A san Francisco audience was turning
itself loose. so TO speak 10 show its
giadness in greeting former friends.
fhe players. almost all OF whom had
scquaintances in the house were given
curtain calls. and bowed and smiled
and were happy Who does not love
applause, even though Il may come
fFom the heart. where love is, and not
N the head. where judgment sits
- criticism found plenty TO scoId
Next day, for criticism is supposed to
echo the judicial judgment which the
theerer goer himself viii entertain the
morning after, when the enthusiasm Of
The moment has passed.
But that night there was nothing
hut friendiiness and flowers for all OF
the players-but one. She had no
friends in, the audience. II was her
hrst visit 10 the coast and she was a
stranger in strange land She played
the role or Mrs Murphy-poor, drunken.
bedraggle6 Mrs. Murphy=in .-Chimnslc
Fsdden-" Il was not 3 pretty role, TO
be sure, but IL was, according to the
papers next morning. the one perfect
portrait in the performance. The audi
ence approved OF il, of course: voted
Il ine and wondered, somewhat, who
the player was. But she received no
blossoms betokening welcome.
After the play was over and the
nbers OF the company were hurrying
1ntO street clothes 10 join waiting
friends. this lonesome player stole 70
her theater trunk and took from it
little package about the size and shape
y z candy box It was carefully
wrapped. and addressed Mrs Marie
Bates. care Of Columbia theater, San
Francisco II bore the postmark New
York, and il had not been opened since
" had been sealed By the sender She
hugged il TO her breast, and as she
passed out into the little alley back
or the Columbia theater she hid IL
under her black shawl and hurried
sway from her young companions of
tle play, who with their arms full OF
flowers chattered gayly with their
friends.
Mrs. Marie Bates. who is Miss Hous-
fon with David Warheld at the Alca-
Ear thIs week. told me the story OF that
The story has not seen print yet, she
told me. but II should.
1t was while playing in Kansas
=" she said. that received a let
4 er from my sister We were more TO
zach other than sisters usually are
There were reasons for this Her let
ter was as CHEEKY as a CLINT from the
isun On a shaded woodland path IN
spring. Il breathed life and hope: 1t
spoke Of the future confidently. as good
letters do, and yet II was 10 be the
last word l should ever receive from
her
The day following the receipt Of the
letter there came a telegram an
bouncing my sisters death. Heart dis
20 sleep ana had not awakened
I did not rest from that moment
until we reached San Francisco. How
! played my part viii never know
Sometimes I think I was not in nv
right mind. / have told you my sister
was more 10 me than most sisters are
u is true
on the day when we reached San
francisco there came 10 me, addressed
10 the Columbia theater. a little oblong
BOX and a letter The letter was from
the sympathetic friend whose sad duty
Il was 10 have sent me the telegram
and who, It seems, was beside my sis
ter when she passed away.
The letter told me the circumstances
You know what ] mean; those things
that are written but once about all OF
Us IL told, toe. how my sister had
fallen into her deep slumber with a
buness e riOlets IN her hand They had
been taken from her lifeless fingers and
shen had been tenderiy packed IN the
little box and sent 10 me-
That was the box that I carried to
my hotel that night, those were the
only flowers took away from the first
nights performance OF Chimmie Fad
zen in this city
IT was long time before the
t1estrical character OF the situation
y may refer TO SO sacred a memory
thus-occurred 10 me- But I have often
thought or IL since; how 1 hugged my
little box OF vfolets and hurried away
from the theafer
Mrs Marie Bates does not believe
n the necessity of studying At first
hard the characters one has to por-