my memories of eighty years-第72章
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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
