my memories of eighty years-第64节

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tunities；　and　few　have　the　judgment　to　wisely　decide　what　to　decline　and　what　to　accept。

In　1876　Gardner　Hubbard　was　an　officer　in　the　United　States　railway　mail　service。　　As　this　connection　with　the　government　was　one　of　my　duties　in　the　New　York　Central；　we　met　frequently。　　One　day　he　said　to　me：　　〃My　son…in…law；　Professor　Bell；　has　made　what　I　think　a　wonderful　invention。　　It　is　a　talking　telegraph。　　We　need　ten　thousand　dollars；　and　I　will　give　you　one…sixth　interest　for　that　amount　of　money。〃

I　was　very　much　impressed　with　Mr。　Hubbard's　description　of　the　possibilities　of　Professor　Bell's　invention。　　Before　accepting；　however；　I　called　upon　my　friend；　Mr。　William　Orton；　president　of　the　Western　Union　Telegraph　Company。　　Orton　had　the　reputation　of　being　the　best…informed　and　most　accomplished　electrical　expert　in　the　country。　　He　said　to　me：　　〃There　is　nothing　in　this　patent　whatever；　nor　is　there　anything　in　the　scheme　itself；　except　as　a　toy。　　If　the　device　has　any　value；　the　Western　Union　owns　a　prior　patent　called　the　Gray's　patent；　which　makes　the　Bell　device　worthless。〃

When　I　returned　to　Mr。　Hubbard　he　again　convinced　me；　and　I　would　have　made　the　investment；　except　that　Mr。　Orton　called　at　my　house　that　night　and　said　to　me：　　〃I　know　you　cannot　afford　to　lose　ten　thousand　dollars；　which　you　certainly　will　if　you　put　it　in　the　Bell　patent。　　I　have　been　so　worried　about　it　that　contrary　to　my　usual　custom　I　have　come；　if　possible；　to　make　you　promise　to　drop　it。〃　　This　I　did。

The　Bell　patent　was　sustained　in　the　courts　against　the　Gray；　and　the　telephone　system　became　immediately　popular　and　profitable。　It　spread　rapidly　all　over　the　country；　and　innumerable　local　companies　were　organized；　and　with　large　interests　for　the　privilege　to　the　parent　company。

I　rarely　ever　part　with　anything；　and　I　may　say　that　principle　has　brought　me　so　many　losses　and　so　many　gains　that　I　am　as　yet；　in　my　eighty…eighth　year；　undecided　whether　it　is　a　good　rule　or　not。　　However；　if　I　had　accepted　my　friend　Mr。　Hubbard's　offer；　it　would　have　changed　my　whole　course　of　life。　　With　the　dividends；　year　after　year；　and　the　increasing　capital；　I　would　have　netted　by　to…day　at　least　one　hundred　million　dollars。　　I　have　no　regrets。　I　know　my　make…up；　with　its　love　for　the　social　side　of　life　and　its　good　things；　and　for　good　times　with　good　fellows。　　I　also　know　the　necessity　of　activity　and　work。　　I　am　quite　sure　that　with　this　necessity　removed　and　ambition　smothered；　I　should　long　ago　have　been　in　my　grave　and　lost　many　years　of　a　life　which　has　been　full　of　happiness　and　satisfaction。

My　great　weakness　has　been　indorsing　notes。　　A　friend　comes　and　appeals　to　you。　　If　you　are　of　a　sympathetic　nature　and　very　fond　of　him；　if　you　have　no　money　to　loan　him；　it　is　so　easy　to　put　your　name　on　the　back　of　a　note。　　Of　course；　it　is　rarely　paid　at　maturity；　because　your　friend's　judgment　was　wrong；　and　so　the　note　is　renewed　and　the　amount　increased。　　When　finally　you　wake　up　to　the　fact　that　if　you　do　not　stop　you　are　certain　to　be　ruined；　your　friend　fails　when　the　notes　mature；　and　you　have　lost　the　results　of　many　years　of　thrift　and　saving；　and　also　your　friend。

I　declined　to　marry　until　I　had　fifty　thousand　dollars。　　The　happy　day　arrived；　and　I　felt　the　fortunes　of　my　family　secure。　　My　father…in…law　and　his　son　became　embarrassed　in　their　business；　and；　naturally；　I　indorsed　their　notes。　　A　few　years　afterwards　my　father…in…law　died；　his　business　went　bankrupt；　I　lost　my　fifty　thousand　dollars　and　found　myself　considerably　in　debt。　　As　an　illustration　of　my　dear　mother's　belief　that　all　misfortunes　are　sent　for　one's　good；　it　so　happened　that　the　necessity　of　meeting　and　recovering　from　this　disaster　led　to　extraordinary　exertions；　which　probably；　except　under　the　necessity；　I　never　would　have　made。　　The　efforts　were　successful。

Horace　Greeley　never　could　resist　an　appeal　to　indorse　a　note。　They　were　hardly　ever　paid；　and　Mr。　Greeley　was　the　loser。　　I　met　him　one　time；　soon　after　he　had　been　a　very　severe　sufferer　from　his　mistaken　kindness。　　He　said　to　me　with　great　emphasis：　〃Chauncey；　I　want　you　to　do　me　a　great　favor。　　I　want　you　to　have　a　bill　put　through　the　legislature；　and　see　that　it　becomes　a　law；　making　it　a　felony　and　punishable　with　imprisonment　for　life　for　any　man　to　put　his　name　by　way　of　indorsement　on　the　back　of　another　man's　paper。〃

Dear　old　Greeley　kept　the　practice　up　until　he　died；　and　the　law　was　never　passed。　　There　was　one　instance；　which　I　had　something　to　do　with；　where　the　father　of　a　young　man；　through　whom　Mr。　Greeley　lost　a　great　deal　of　money　by　indorsing　notes；　arranged　after　Mr。　Greeley's　death　to　have　the　full　amount　of　the　loss　paid　to　Mr。　Greeley's　heirs。



XXIII。　　ACTORS　AND　MEN　OF　LETTERS

One　cannot　speak　of　Sir　Henry　Irving　without　recalling　the　wonderful　charm　and　genius　of　his　leading　lady；　Ellen　Terry。　　She　never　failed　to　be　worthy　of　sharing　in　Irving's　triumphs。　　Her　remarkable　adaptability　to　the　different　characters　and　grasp　of　their　characteristics　made　her　one　of　the　best　exemplifiers　of　Shakespeare　of　her　time。　　She　was　equally　good　in　the　great　characters　of　other　playwrights。　　Her　effectiveness　was　increased　by　an　unusual　ability　to　shed　tears　and　natural　tears。　　I　was　invited　behind　the　scenes　one　evening　when　she　had　produced　a　great　impression　upon　the　audience　in　a　very　pathetic　part。　　I　asked　her　how　she　did　what　no　one　else　was　ever　able　to　do。

〃Why；〃　she　answered；　〃it　is　so　simple　when　you　are　portraying　〃　（mentioning　the　character）；　〃and　such　a　crisis　arises　in　your　life；　that　naturally　and　immediately　the　tears　begin　to　flow。〃　So　they　did　when　she　was　illustrating　the　part　for　me。

It　was　a　privilege　to　hear　Edwin　Booth　as　Richelieu　and　Hamlet。　I　have　witnessed　all　the　great　actors　of　my　time　in　those　characters。　None　of　them　equalled　Edwin　Booth。　　For　a　number　of　years　he　was　exiled　from　the　stage　because　his　brother；　Wilkes　Booth；　was　the　assassin　of　President　Lincoln。　　His　admirers　in　New　York　felt　that　it　was　a　misfortune　for　dramatic　art　that　so　consummate　an　artist　should　be　compelled　to　remain　in　private　life。　　In　order　to　break　the　spell　they　united　and　invited　Mr。　Booth　to　give　a　performance　at　one　of　the　larger　theatres。　　The　house；　of　course；　was　carefully　ticketed　with　selected　guests。

The　older　Mrs。　John　Jacob　Astor；　a　most　accomplished　and　cultured　lady　and　one　of　the　acknowledged　leaders　of　New　York　society；　gave　Mr。　Booth　a　dinner　in　honor　of　the　event。　　The　gathering　represented　the　most　eminent　talent　of　New　York　in　every　department　of　the　great　city's　activities。　　Of　course；　Mr。　Booth　had　the　seat　of　honor　at　the　right　of　the　hostess。　　On　the　left　was　a　distinguished　man　who　had　been　a　Cabinet　minister　and　a　diplomat。　　During　the　dinner　Mr。　Evarts　said　to　me：　　〃I　have　known　so　and　so　all　our　active　lives。　　He　has　been　a　great　success　in　everything　he　has　undertaken；　and　the　wonder　of　it　is　that　if　there　was　ever　an　opportunity　for　him　to　say　or　do　the　wrong　thing　he　never　failed。〃

Curiously　enough；　the　conversation　at　the　dinner　ran　upon　men　outliving　their　usefulness　and　reputations。　　Several　instances　were　cited　where　a　man　from　the　height　of　his　fame　gradually　lived　on　and　lived　out　his　reputation。　　Whereupon　our　diplomat；　with　his　fatal　facility　for　saying　the　wrong　thing；　broke　in　by　remarking　in　a　strident　voice：　　〃The　most　remarkable　instance　of　a　man　dying　at　the　right　time　for　his　reputation　was　Abraham　Lincoln。〃　Then　he　went　on　to　explain　how　he　would　have　probably　lost　his　place　in　history　through　the　mistakes　of　his　second　term。　　Nobody　heard　anything　beyond　the　words　〃Abraham　Lincoln。〃　　Fortunately　for　the　evening　and　the　great　embarrassment　of　Mr。　Booth；　the　tact　of　Mrs。　Astor　changed　the　subject　and　saved　the　occasion。

Of　all　my　actor　friends　none　was　more　delightful　either　on　the　stage　or　in　private　life　than　Joseph　Jefferson。　　He　early　appealed　to　me　because　of　his　Rip　Van　Winkle。　　I　was　always　devoted　to　Washington　Irving　and　to　the　Hudson　River。　　All　the　traditions　which　have　given　a　romantic　touch　to　different　points　on　that　river　came　from　Irving's　pen。　　In　the　days　of　my　youth　the　influence　of　Irving　upon　those　who　were　fortunate　enough　to　have　been　born　upon　the　banks　of　the　Hudson　was　very　great　in　every　way。

As　I　met　Jefferson　quite　frequently；　I　recall　two　of　his　many　charming　stories。　　He　said　he　thought　at　one　time　that　it　would　be　a　fine　idea　to　play　Rip　Van　Winkle　at　the　village　of　Catskill；　around　which　place　was　located　the　story　of　his　hero。　　His　manager　selected　the　supernumeraries　from　among　the　farmer　boys　of　the　neighborhood。　　At　the　point　of　the　play　where　Rip　wakes　up　and　finds　the　lively　ghosts　of　the　Hendrick　Hudson　crew　playing　bowls　in　the　mountains；　he　says　to　each　one　of　them；　who　all　look　and　are　dressed　alike：　　〃Are　you　his　brother？〃

〃No；〃　answered　the　young　farmer　who　impersonated　one　of　the　ghosts；　〃Mr。　Jefferson；　I　never　saw　one　of　these　people　before。〃　　As　ghosts　are　supposed　to　be　silent；　this　interruption　nearly　broke　up　the　performance。

During　the　Spanish…American　War　I　came　on　the　same　train　with　Mr。　Jefferson　from　Washington。　　The　interest　all　over　the　countr