Evening star., 1927-10-09

at me and then very family he said:
observation-disclosures
Like a fash Hattie's eyes and mine
met: we thought of the supposed ILL
timed jest of the stranger-my lips
moved wordlessly. Hattie stammered:
"A mamie lied, though-said that
Wilkes Booth--but he did lie, didn't
hep And in the same faint voice Mr..
Ellsler answered slowly: Mono! he
did not lie-it's too true.'
Down fell our heads and the waves
OF shame and sorrow seemed fairly to
overwhelm US, and while our sobs
filed the little room Mr.. Ellsler rose
apd laid two playbooks on the table.
Then. while standing there staring
into space, I heard his faint voice say.
ing: So great, SO good a man de-
stroyed-and by the hand Of that un-
happy boy! My God! My God" He
wiped his brow again and slowly left
the house.
when we resumed our work-the
theater had closed because Of the
national calamity-many a painted
cheek showed runnels made by bit
ter tears, and one old actress with
quivering lips exclaimed: One woe
doth tread upon another's heel so fast
they follow but with no thought of
quoting. When the rumors about
Booth being the murderer proved to
be authentic the police feared a pos
sible outbreak Of mob feeling and a
demonstration against the theater
building, or against the actors indi.
vidually. but we had been a decent.
law-abiding. well behaved people, liked
and respected, so we were not made
to suffer for the awful act Of one of
our number. Still. when a mass meet
ing was held in front of the Capitol
on the subject and Mr.. E.llsler urged
lest their presence might arouse some
Ill feeling"
r SAID: "Clara Morris Memoire.
edition 1901" In 1906 an edition
was issued and from that edition most
of Clara Morris account Of her child.
hood and her girlhood in the theater,
her hard luck and little victories were
left out. The later edition had more
literary style, as though 1t were edited
by a man who thought that Clara
Morris had told too much about her
self in the earlier edition. When
Clara Morris (Mrs. Frederick C. Har-
rioU died, November 20, 1925, the
sketches Of her In newspapers were
abstracted from the later edition of
her memoirs.
have a t:resome habit Of making
notes of books read and which are
not indexed to my purpose. I make
these notes in cheap blank books, Civ.
ing chapter and paragraph Of the
matter noted, that should the matter
come to my memory ! may find i.
| Thus / recalled that Clara Morris
wrote something of John Wilkes
Booth. and. turning to the note books.
found in that of 1924 this under
! Memoirs Of Clara Morris-1901"
~. Wilkes Booth-Clara tells of news
of assassination-writes kindly of
Boot.i--tells eff his injury in sword
combat with Mr.. McCollom in Richard
| III'-Ch. H." Turning to that chap.
ter, I gave you what Clara Morris
| wrote about the news Of the assassi.
nation. 1t is simple system and
| may get for a man reputation of
being well read though he may not
| deserve 1t.
My notes of Clara Morris book were
made, as even you must understand.
! for my use and not with a thought
they would be used in print. But.
with your kind indulgence"-my, my.
what a fiatitude!--I will hand you
| those notes, almost as written in 1924
omitting reference to chapter and
paragraph. Here goes: -. -. =. --,,-., .