Gold Tried by Fire.

Evening Post, Volume XLV, Issue 94, 22 April 1893, Page 1 (Supplement)

Gold Tried by Fire.

Richard Watson was a man with a gi ief . It had been as much a part of his character and general appearance for tho 10 years 'during which I enjoyed hia acquaintance as the very clothes which he wore (says Edward J. Lawler, in tho N. Y. Clipper). "When first I met him I was struck by what I might call the dazed look which overwjjrend his features, but as timo sped swiftly on this slowly disnppcarcd, leaving in its place a sottled demeanor of molnucholy. Ho smiled at times, it is true, but so patheticully und with ro much j earning that I felt convinced that «omo weighty roitow had entered his life and hud mastered it. I was playing juvenile parts in the Standard Drumatic Company on tho AVesteru Circuit when Watson joined us, as I have said, with grief depicted On Ovory lineament of his largo, massiVo face. But ho was an actor of unusual power, sublimity ono might call it, and while playing his whole character seemed to change. Tho Watson disappeared, aud the part ho was assuming stood out bold and clear cut. He \ played heroic parts, and though he depicted them well and forcibly it was in tho softer passages, those appealing to till that I is best iv man und women, that he reached the highest plune of his art. His voice at tmch times was softly modulated, clear, and musical ; cvoiy motion of his hnud indicated tenderness; his face wns lighted up by the flamo of his high nobility, and Hltogethcr tho muu seemed for tho nonce a superior boiujr. His bearing when not Sluyiner wus always courtly, genfclo, nnd ignificd. At first ho won tho respect and tho esteem of every momber of tho company ; eventually ho won their unswerving lovo. He was father nnd brother to ull ; no ono could glance at those groy hairs without roveriny him, and no ouo could look into his kindly face and listen to his soft voice without loving him. As I said, it was ten years ago that I first met him, nnd during the succeeding seasons wo wore almost constantly associated. And, by reason of that association, I boliove I am fully entitled to say that I know Richard Wtvtson better than any man living. Once a rollicking good-natured member of the company spoke about tho unhappiness that had been caused in a •well-known actor's home, by his wife's frivolity. No ono had noticed the proximity of Watson, but everyone realised his presence the next moment, when he stepped into the little circle, and, putting his hand kindly on the offending one's shoulder, said, softly, with 11 faint tremor in his voice : — " My dear Mr. P.&ymond" — he was never familiar — " never say anything that you'll regrot. You probably do not know this lady — I'm sure I don't -but never say an •unkind thing of a woman. The sex has to Buffer much by reason of our caprices, and therefore— well, my dear fellow," and he patted him on the shoulder, " don't do it again." Such was his nature. That reproof, gently given, was more effective than ono could imagine. Raymond took it with good grace, but it was noticed that for days afterwards Watson hold himself more aloof than hud ever been his wont. And the lines of his face became deeper aud more settled. To me he was perhaps a little more cordial than to tho others. What occasioned it I do not know, but this I do know, that he sought my society and eeemed grateful when he could sit down in my room on winter nights after the performance nnd puff his cigar. Sometimes he would talk ; more frequently he would gaze into the glowing coals, and for an hour at a time remain there absorbed. At Buch moments his face was a study. The hard, grief-drawn lines seemed to melt away in the genial, ruddy light, and a smile would from time to time play about his lips. Then it was that his face became truly spiritual— pardon me if I exalt my friend too muoh. One evening in 1888, after a particularly arduous performance —it was in a fur Western town —we ploughed our way through the deep snow to the hotel, and glad we were, I can assure you, to findourBelves shortly afterwards basking in the warmth and the glow of a merry log -fire in toy room. Watson was more taciturn than usual that evening, and I was not surprised when ho threw the best part 'of his cigar into tho fire, and, leaning forward, buried his face in his hands. Once I fancied that ho was sobbing, and then I felt certain of it when he asked me hoarsely, his voice sounding strange as it came through his locked fingers : — " What night is this, Jasper ?" "New Year's Eve," I replied, hesitatingly, for it hud not occurred to me before. He remained silent for several minutee , and then, suddenly springing up, he turned, and, with a cry like that of a wounded animal, began pacing tho floor, the tears rolling down his cheeks, his hands clasped over his forehead, and his whole frame shaking with the agony of his grief. I sat stunned and terrified. Who could dare to fathom the cause of such an outburst, or would dare to intrude on a man's most sacred memories ? "My God !" he cried at last, lifting his hands far above his head, "my sin has been great. Have I not expiated it enough. Oh, give her back to me ! Let me not bo tortured more than I can bear." And thus he continued for several minutes, wildly crying to the Almighty for mercy at times, aud anon heaping curses on himself for his brutality. It was like a tempest in mid ocean, severe, terrible while it lasted, and then followed by a calm that was even more fearful to witness than the storm itself. At last, the outburst having exhausted itself, he turned to me, and then, as if realising for the first time that I was a spectator of the hidden part of his nature, he said, half apologetically : — " Excuse nic, Jasper, I didn't mean to intrude my sorrows into your life, but this night, of all nights in the year, affects me strangely." Then, noticing that I made no reply, but taking it for granted from the look on my face that I would receive his story in confidence, he continued: — "In 1876 I married Mary South worth after a brief courtship, and we went to live in New York I was the head clerk in a lawyer's office, with bright hopes for an early admission to the bar, and Mary was as enthusiastic over my future as I was myself. Much of my timo I spent in the West looking after the interests of some of our clients, and consequently Mary was much alone, her people living in a little town up in the State. We lived, in a cosy little flat, and I can assure you I was the happiest man alive when, a year later, a tiny, puny little thing, lay smiling in my wife's lap. Oh, the happiness of those days ! When I think of the misery which followed, I loathe myself, for I was to blame, Jasper, aye, I was to blame, but I found it out too late. One night I returned home unexpectedly, and walked through the rooms into the dining-room. There I Baw my wife in the arms of a stranger, and even as I looked he bent over and kissed her. My entrance had been unnoticed, but I hastened to break tho scene. She turned to me a little embarrassed, but smiling, and attempted an introduction. I stopped her on the first word. I was crazed by jealousy, mad, wild, furious, and the words I then uttered have been before my eyes ever since. Even in my bleeping hours I have had no rest." Then he burst out crying again, but it ■was a feeble storm cbmpared with th y first. When he was culm once more he continued, with his face turned away from me : — "I left the house, taking with me a few things I needed. She made no opposition, and that fact seemed to convince me that Bho was guilty. The next day I made preparations for her support and that of my child, and sent a deed to tho house. It was returned to me, the postman saying that the party addressed had moved out. I visited the flat, and found it vacant. I found the express, anil learned that all the furniture was in a warehouse in my name. Then I' sent the deed to her old home in the country. It waft returned to me a week later, with the request from her father as to tho meaning of the document. I wroto back that his daughter could tell him best. The reply staggered me. The old man had not seen his daughter since hor marriage. A week later a card was brought to me in the office. It bore the name of James Southworth, her brother, a man who was in the wilds of the AVest when we wero married. I had never seen him. I stepped into the roception room, and there htood tho man whom I believed had wrecked my homo. Neither of us spoke for a moment. He was the first to speak. " 'Where is my sister?' he cried. " Then I saw it all. 'My sister '.' ho repeated. I told him I did not know. Ho was in a fearful temper. I tried to explain, but it was useless. Buc after tho first outburst he became somewhat calmer, and then I learnrd tbo awful error I hud mude. Ho had visited the flat that night to see his Miter, my wife, to thank hor for a groat kindness she had, in the bigness of her heart, done him, und also to spend the 8 /cuing with us. Ho had arrived a minute before me, and I had been a witness to their meeting. " 'But why didn't you tell me?" I said, beseechingly. " ' AYe tried, but you wouldn't listen. In fact, }on acted like nn insane man. I left the house a few minutes after you, Mary telling mo thnt you would be home the next day and for mo to come then. 3 did so. The flat was vacant. I searched everywhere, but to no purpose. I came here several times, but failed to find you. Your letter to father determined mo to find you at all hazards, und I hnvo succeeded.' "Oil, Jasper, I was fearfully wretched. Wnen too lato I saw how brutally I had used her. We talked long and earnestly,

und finullv agrool on a plan of action . Wo v.bited ail tho homes of licr arqiiamt'uicos, notified tho police of every cih , sent <le.viiptions of hor broadcast, but we obtained no clue. A year of this fruitless searching l*ft mo wholly incapacitated for work. Then 1 wont into theutriculs, for which I had a taste, believing that my joining 11 company making night stands 1 could prosecute my search to hotter udvnntux't 1 , and with less expense. Yon know whut my condition was when I fiist met you, Jasper, nnd you know how I havo struggled ever since. Sometimes I fancied I saw her fuco iv tho audience, und it almost unnerved me. To-night I was confidont I suw her, but of course I wns mistaken. " He stopped nnd sat down in front of the fire again, Und long and earnestly did ho gazo iuto tho driunbling coals. His eyes closed at lnst, und ho leaned his houd wearily on his hand. I had almost concluded that he hud fallen asleop, and was going to urouso him when ho spoko— "And this is the anniversary of that fearful night, Jasper. Tho child mtwt bo quite a girl now, and Mary ! My God, how sho must hnvo suffered !" And ho twisted his fingers in and out in his agony. "There, there, Jaßpor," he said at last, rising and putting his hand on my shoulder, " I know you pity my sorrows ; havo respect for my confidence." And then ho left mo. ' The next weok ho suddenly left us, and I heard no moro about him until Now Year's Eve, 1889. I was then filling an engagement at ono of tho Broadway thoatres when v note wus handed to mo. It wus from AVatson. " I havo found her," ho wroto, " nnd wo aro living happily together nguin at Lexington Avenue. Come up after tho performance like v good fellow." I reached tho house before midnight, and ho met me tit tho door. I never saw a face so radiant, so hopeful, so happy, so restful. Ho took me into his library, for with his wife restored there also camo a legacy. "Jasper," ho said softly, "1 was not mistaken in thnt face which I saw in the Hientre a year ago to -night. It wus Mury's. My disappearance from tho company was caused by a letter from her brother, in which hesaid he had discovered hor whoreabouts. He joined me, and we searched that town through, only to find that the day after the performance she had flod again. We traced her stop by step, nnd a month ago we found her at last. Sho had fled because sho abhorred my suspicions. How had she lived P By writing for papors and syndicates, and she had been able, also, out of her slender means, to educate her child, my child, Jasper. When she saw how friendly her brother and I were, she gave in. We wore a bit foolish, all around, Jasper, but foolishness is characteristic of the human race, and then .there is that old 'saying 1 that gold; to be pure,' must be' tried by fire." We stepped into the parlour, and there I met Mrs. AVatson and. h^er child — tho former regal, stately', beautiful, and the child as bonnie a lass as ever you luid your eyes on, a bit shy still owing to her now life, but trusting and loving. I will not attempt to depict the happiness of that home, or the wife's great, new trust in her husband, of his deference to the woman ho had injured, of th,ff child's undivided love for both. The 'scene was too sabred for any pen to picture. Richard Watson will never " trod the boards" again. He has found his jewels, and he is almost miserly in his affection! for them. ' ' ' '