When they went away there was nobody engaged to follow them. The manager
sped away to New York to secure talent, and never returned, leaving us
to act if anybody would come to see us; but they didn't. Consequently,
we were all anxious to be gone; and somehow the voyage was arranged for,
and we embarked on a schooner. The company consisted of Edmon S. Conner,
Thomas Hadaway, Mr. Isherwood, mother, myself, and a little half-sister,
named Adine. We were wrecked on a sand-bar in Egg Harbor, West Indies,
in the middle of a very stormy night. Up and dressed in a few minutes,
watching and listening for the planks to give way, as nothing could
be done in the way of rescue till morning. Little Adine was quite
passive, only saying, "Mamma, if we all go in the water, will God give
us breakfast?" Our rescue was somewhat perilous, as we went along the
"bowsprit" with our feet on the rope below, and when we got to the end,
dropped into the boat at the moment it came up on the waves; but we
all got off and had a long walk in the deep sand to the first house we
came to, and then after refreshments(!) it was arranged that we should
proceed to New York in a "wood boat"—that was, a vessel without any
bulwarks, and loaded with wood for building. Into this we were packed,
and finally arrived in New York on a magnificent morning. Mother and I
had an engagement with Mr. Hamblin at the new "Bowery." At this time I
was of a very unhappy age (thirteen), not a child and certainly not a
woman, so the chances were against my acting anything of importance.
When "The Wife" was brought out I was cast for _Florabel_—a young
person who enters with a soliloquy of about fifty lines in Sheridan
Knowles's most inflated style, which they "cut out" bodily the second
night of the play. There was "another check to proud ambition!" Then
Mr. Gale and his horses arrived from England. "Mazeppa" was prepared,
Mr. Farren, the stage manager, said at an expense of exactly $100, and
they made thousands from it. Then, in consequence of a lady's illness,
I got a little chamber-maid's part, with a front scene with Mr. Gates,
the popular comedian, and sang a little song called "Nice Young Maiden"
for forty-eight successive nights, and was very happy, for my song was
always encored. Mother, being ambitious for me, accepted an engagement
at "The Warren Theatre," Boston, managed by Mr. Pelby, the well-known
actor and manager, where we jointly received a salary of $16 per
week. I don't know how we lived; but mother was a splendid manager at
that time, a marvellously industrious woman, and we all lived at "Ma"
Lenthe's, at the corner of Bowdoin Square, a gable-end. We had a large
room on the second story, a trundle-bed which went under the other,
for the accommodation of little children, a large closet in which we
kept a barrel of ale and all our dresses, and passed a very happy two
seasons in the enjoyment of that large salary, which was eked out by
the three clear half-benefits very nicely. The company at the "Warren"
consisted of Fred Hill, stage manager and actor; J. S. Jones, J. Mills
Brown, Mr. Spencer, Mr. Houpt, Mr. Meers, Mr. William Rufus Blake and
wife, Miss Pelby, Mr. Pelby, Miss E. Mestayer, Miss Kerr, Miss Arbury,
and mother and myself. In the summer some of us went to Portland, Me.
I acted _Julia_ there, and won considerable local fame. Some of the
patrons of the theatre wanted to see "George Barnwell," and decided
that I must act _Millwood_, because I was too young to make ill-thinking
possible. At the close of the second season at the "Warren" we went to
Halifax, Nova Scotia, to act with the Garrison amateurs twice a week
during the summer. We saw a good deal of human nature there—all the
petty strife of real actors without their ability. However, it passed
the summer away very pleasantly. We were under engagement now to go to
New Orleans, to the new St. Charles Theatre; but that didn't open till
late in November, so on our return to Boston Mr. Thomas Barry, a very
old friend of my parents, offered us an engagement till such time as
we should go to New Orleans. Madame Celeste, now a great attraction,
played just at the opening, and I (then fifteen) played several young
mothers of the rightful heirs in her pieces. Oh, what delight it was
then to drag a little child after me during three long acts, to have
him wrenched from my arms, torn away in despite of my unearthly shrieks
to summon my faithful page (Celeste), who undertook to find him and
punish the "wretches who had stolen him," and always succeeded after
many hair-breadth escapes in the "imminent deadly breach!" We went to
New Orleans in the good ship Star. On the ship were Clara Fisher, Mr.
James Gaspard Maeder, to whom she had been married for about a year,
their beautiful little baby girl; Miss Charlotte Cushman (Mr. Maeder's
pupil), Signor Croffi, a great trombone player; Signor Candori, greatest
of bass-violin players; Signor Burkia, great violoncello player, and
some others whose names have escaped me, all bound for the new "St.
Charles." As our ship entered the Balize, another one laden with more
recruits met us, containing Mrs. Gibbs, a lovely soprano; Mr. Latham,
the comedian; and many others direct from England, and Mr. T. Bishop.
Of course, there were great shaking of hands and affectionate greetings.
Upon our arrival Mr. James H. Caldwell, the owner of the fine St.
Charles Theatre, called upon us, and we began the season late in
November. The company was a very large one, consisting of Mr. De Camp,
Mr. J. Cowell, Mr. Barton, Mr. Latham, Mr. Henry Hunt, Mr. B. De Bar,
Mr. Creveta, Mr. James E. Murdock, Mr. Tom Bishop, Mrs. J. G. Maeder,
Mr. George Holland, Mrs. S. Conde, Mrs. Bannister, Miss Verity, Miss
C. Cushman, Mrs. Gibbs, Miss De Bar, mother and myself. The orchestra
was a splendid one, all soloists. Mr. Maeder was music conductor, and
Mr. Willis the leader. We opened with "The School for Scandal." Mrs.
Maeder's reception as _Lady Teazle_ was memorable; I was _Maria_. In
"The Spoiled Child," which concluded the performance, Miss De Bar played
_Little Pickle_, and made quite a hit. Mr. Caldwell wanted me to do
it, but I begged off. In the March following I was married, at sixteen,
to Mr. Henry Blaine Hunt, a very good singer, a nice actor, and a very
handsome man of forty. In the summer we went to Louisville, and returned
to New Orleans for the second season. During this season Madame Celeste
produced "Le Dieu and Le Bayadère." Mr. George Holland went to Havana
as agent, and engaged two dancers to alternate the second "Bayadère."
At the end of the piece Celeste sent for me (we were all Bayadères),
and said, "Louise, you must be the second Bayadère to-morrow; I will
not have those coming from Havana. They are too dreadful!" She denied
all remonstrances, and I danced the trial dance for twelve nights with
considerable applause.
[Illustration: E. S. Conner.[K]
From a photograph by Fredricks, New York. In the collection of Peter
Gilsey, Esq.]
[Illustration: Thomas S. Hamblin.[L]
Drawn on stone from life by S. H. Gimber. In the collection of Peter
Gilsey, Esq.]
Acting on Sunday came into fashion this season, and as at that time I
was too good a Christian to do that, and as I acted in everything, there
was a great trouble to get my parts studied for one night. My engagement
closed with the season. The next season was spent in Vicksburg, Miss.,
under the management of Scott & Thorne. Mr. Scott was known as "Long
Tom Coffin" Scott, and Mr. James Thorne was an English barytone who had
come over to the Old Park, and had drifted into low comedy, and was a
very good actor. Here I played chamber-maids and all the like business.
The next season Mr. Thorne went to Natchez, Miss., and we went with
him. This was my first recognized position as leading lady; we played
"The Lady of Lyons" for the first time. Mr. C. Horn (?) was the _Claude
Melnotte_; it was very successful. Here I first acted _Lady Macbeth_
with Mr. Forrest; sang _Cinderella_ and _Rosina_ in the stock, and at
the close of the season went to Philadelphia. There I was engaged by
Mr. Mayer for the Walnut Street Theatre for leading lady, at the highest
salary known there, $20 per week. How did we do it? Of course, we didn't
dress as we do now, and I am inclined to think all the better. The
next two seasons were passed at the old Chestnut Street Theatre. Mr.
Tyrone Power acted there for three weeks; and as he had specified all
the company were to play in his pieces, I was in every one except "The
Irish Tutor" and "Flanigan and the Fairies." He was a truly great actor
in his line, and chose to be very agreeable during his last engagement.
During the latter part of the second season the payments became so
infrequent that I was obliged to stop playing, and went to Pittsburg
with Mr. Dinneford of the Walnut. Here we produced "London Assurance"
with a degree of excellence unheard of in that vicinity—a fountain of
real water, and entirely new carpet and furniture, mirrors, and new
costumes.
Then we drifted into Cincinnati and Louisville, where we were in dire
straits; and I played _Richard the Third_, to get us out of town, and
it did!
(To be concluded in November.)