The Century illustrated monthly magazine . theleading juvenile actress of Amer-ica, engaged to play a star en-gagement in my theater. I was rather proudto feel that while my young friend had inthe meantime risen to be a brilliant star I wasat least a manager, if not a successful the morning of her arrival in CharlestonI called at the hotel to pay my respects. Isent up my card. I knew she would smileat the very idea of my having a card; so Iwrote in pencil under my name, All theutility people wanted at ten for the countrydance. As the door opened I entered herdrawing-room. She burst out
The Century illustrated monthly magazine . theleading juvenile actress of Amer-ica, engaged to play a star en-gagement in my theater. I was rather proudto feel that while my young friend had inthe meantime risen to be a brilliant star I wasat least a manager, if not a successful the morning of her arrival in CharlestonI called at the hotel to pay my respects. Isent up my card. I knew she would smileat the very idea of my having a card; so Iwrote in pencil under my name, All theutility people wanted at ten for the countrydance. As the door opened I entered herdrawing-room. She burst out laughing, and,giving me both hands in the frankest way, said, So here we are again. The tall lanky figureof a girl of sixteen, with deep blue eyes andgolden hair, had rounded into the gracefulfigure of a charming woman. Mr. Ellsler and myself had been strugglingalong in the old up-and-down way, but werelooking forward to an improvement in busi-ness as soon as our new star should shine — 1823.) THE A UTOBIOGRAPHY OF JOSEPH JEFFERSON. 381. JOHN GILBERT AS ? and shine she did. The town fairly went wildwith enthusiasm. The star was feted and enter-tained by those to whom she would vouchsafeher presence. All vied in paying homage to herbeauty and her virtue. She received theseattentions with simple dignity and grace un-spoiled by flattery or success, and in those daysof her artistic splendor she would delight tolaugh and chat over the olden time when wemarched together in the glorious preparatoryranks. The success of this engagement wasquite an event in the annals of Charlestontheatricals. At the end of the first week weshared $goo each — think of it, $900! Mypartner was more sedate than I, and I fancytook his good fortune with a quiet, philosophicair. But for me, I was in the clouds, a pluto-cratic comedian! During the whole week Ihad been covetously eying two Avatches in thejewelers window of Hayden & Greg—one asmall, blue enameled one, having a real diamondin the center, wi
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