Part 23 (1/2)
As the curtain fell at last, while there was a busy hu person whose place on the New York stage was assured slipped into her dressing-room, scra to carry the good news to the tere eagerly awaiting her--her hted s that told her hole of hat, veil, and wriggling, welcoht, mumsey--a success! Lots and lots of ”calls,” dear, and, oh, is there anything to eat? _I ary!_'
”So while the new actress's na over as-jet, between e piece of bread and a s her s up with the declaration, 'Mother, I believe the hearts are just the saainst Western ribs or Eastern ribs!'”
Then, supper over, she stu soratitude, she says, ”I fell asleep, knowing that through God's mercy and my own hard work I was the first Western actress who had ever been accepted by a New York audience, and as I drowsed off I murmured to myself:
”'And I'll leave the door open, now that I have opened it--I'll leave it open for all the others'”
She did Through that open door has passed a long procession fro woht New York to her feet by her unique ability and dramatic perception A lover of literature from childhood, a writer of books in later days, Clara Morris h the years of her brilliant dramatic career to a rare achievehts or the flimsier forhest
Wellperson who responds to the glitter and glare, the applause and the superficial charm of the theatrical world, listen to Miss Morris's story of ”Life on the Stage,” and realize that laurels only crown untiring effort, success only coreat eh the white heat of sacrifice, struggle, and supreme desire
ANNA dickINSON: THE GIRL ORATOR
A very well-knoyer of Philadelphia was sitting in his private office onelady wished to see hiiven her name, but she was very firm in her intention not to be refused an interview
”Show her in,” said the lawyer, pushi+ng back his chair with a bored expression and a resolution to send the stranger away at short notice if she was not a client What was his surprise when a very young girl, still wearing short dresses, was ushered in, and stood before hiht eyes that she instantly attracted hi her to take a seat, he asked her errand
”I wish so to do,” was the reply, in such a musical voice that the lawyer became still more interested
”Do you intend to do it yourself?” he asked
She bowed assent ”Yes,” she said ”We are in need of money and I must help I write a clear hand”
So pleased was he with her manner and her quiet words, ”We are in need of money and I e when girls are generally a which he had intended to have done in the office With a grateful glance fro to bring the work back as soon as possible, she left the office
As the door closed behind her the lawyer opened a drawer and took froirl with dark eyes and curly hair, looked at it long and sadly, then replaced it in the drawer and went on with his work
On the following day, when the office-boy announced ”the young lady with the copying,” she was suiven a hearty hand-clasp
”I ahter you rely She died when she elve years old Be seated, please, and tellsuch work as this Is your father living, and why are you not in school?”
Coirl talked as freely with him as if he were an old friend Her name, she said, was Anna Elizabeth dickinson, and she was born in Philadelphia, thirteen years before, on the 28th of October Her father, John dickinson, and her e, were both persons ere interested in the vital questions of the day, and Anna had been brought up in an ath principles All this her new friend learned by a series of friendly questions, and Anna, having begun her story, continued with a degree of frankness which was little less than surprising, after so short an acquaintance Her father had been apractically no inco up her five children Both mother and father were Quakers, she said, and she was evidently very proud of her father, for her eyes flashed as she said: ”He was a wonderful man! Of course, I can't reht of his life, when he was very sick, he went to an anti-slaveryand made a remarkably fine speech Yes, father onderful”
”And yourgirl's eyes ”There aren't any words to express ht, or at least part of the reason,” she added, with frank honesty ”We take boarders and mother teaches in a private school, too, but even that doesn't give enough money for six of us to live on, and she is so pale and tired all the time” She added, with a toss of her curly head: ”And Imother is more important”
Entirely absorbed in her own narrative now, she continued to pour out a flood of facts with such an eloquence and persuasive use of words that her hearer was lost in airl as so fluent in her use of language Froathered that she had been a ard, wilful, intense, and very iinative child, who, despite her evident devotion to her iven her many hours of worry and unhappiness It was evident also that as a younger child she had been considered an incorrigible pupil at school, for she seeht unnecessary
”They could punisheyes
”I would never obey a rule that had not been explained to me and that wasn't fair--never! Teachers and irls not to play with ood' sos from the teachers” As her hearerhis lips, Anna continued: ”I _adore_ books, but, oh, how I hate school, when the rich girls laugh at my clothes and then at me if I tell them that my mother is poor and ork for all we have! It isn't fair, because we can't help it, and we do the best we can I never would say it to them in the world--never!
In the first school I went to they used to tease the children ere tiet their lessons and get punished when it was not their fault But _I_ looked after theht their battles for them, until the others left the Oh, sir,” she cried, ”why can't people always be fair and square, I wonder?”
As ifrefor, ”I wonder!” as if he had no opinions on the subject, but at the saard to such a unique character as this one before hi he rose and put a bundle of work in her hand ”I will help you and your bravethat copying I will speak to other lawyers, who, I aive you more to do I have looked over what you have done, and can warmly reco talks together”