Mary Devlin Booth

           Her empassioned portrayal of a love struck girl in "Romeo and Juliet", led Edwin Booth to abandon his vow never to marry an actress.
           He was still mourning her death, in 1863, when the appalling deed of his brother struck him another blow. Edwin expressed his anguish in an open letter, vowing never to perform again. When debt drove him back to the stage in less than a year, he public rejoiced. Handsome and pensive, acclaimed the finest actor on the American stage, he doted on his daughter, Edwina.

To the people of the United States, My fellow citizens:            When a nation is overwhelmed with sorrow by a great public calamity, the mention of private grief would under ordinary circumstances be an intrusion, but under those with which I am surrounded, I feel sure a word from me will not be regarded so by you.            It has pleased God to lay at the door of my afflicted family the life-blood of our great, good and martyred President. Prostrated to the very earth by this dreadful event, I am yet but too sensible that other mourners fill the land. To them, to all, go forth our deep, unutterable sympathy; our abhorence and detestation of this most foul and atrocious of crimes.            For my mother and sisters, for my two remaining brothers and my own poor self, there is nothing to be said except that we are thus placed without any agency of our own. For our loyalty is dutiful, though humble, citizens, as well as for our consistent, and as we had some reason to believe, sucessful, efforts to elevate our name, personally and professionally, we appeal to the record of the past. For our present position we are not responsible, . For the future, - Alas! I shall struggle on, in my retirement, with a heavy heart, an oppressed memory and a wounded name - dreadful burdens - to my welcome grave.