"Mary Falls"

[BettyO]

Found this new book online and for some reason, the title cracked me up! It just sounds so funny..... still, I may have to buy this book of poems about Mary Surratt. Anyone ever heard of/read it?

http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Falls-Requiem...ry+Surratt

[L Verge]

That dates farther back than 2007. Our first webmaster wanted to post the poem on our website when she created it in 1998. I already knew about it and dared her to post it.

[LincolnToddFan]

Oh God...Betty when I first saw "Mary Falls" I thought someone had gone and written a book about one of Mary Todd Lincoln's serious spills...the one where she almost fell down a flight of stairs on a passenger ship and was saved by Sarah Bernhardt, or perhaps when she fell and broke her back when trying to hang pictures during her European exile!!

[RickBeaver]

I admit you got me on this, was expecting to find out Mary Todd fell down the steps of the Petersen House!

[RJNorton]

Rick, you were right about steps but not the steps at the Petersen House. As Toia mentioned she nearly took a terrible fall aboard a ship. During Mary's journey back to the USA from her second trip to Europe aboard the steamer "L'Amerique", actress Sarah Bernardt saved Mary from falling headfirst down a stairway.

Here is what Sarah Bernhardt wrote about saving Mary:

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"On the fourth day I dressed at seven o'clock and went on deck to have some fresh air. It was icy cold, and as I walked up and down I met a lady dressed in black with a sad resigned face. The sea looked gloomy and colourless, and there were no waves. Suddenly a wild billow dashed so violently against the ship that we were both thrown down. I immediately clutched hold of the leg of one of the benches, but the unfortunate lady was flung forward. Springing to my feet with a bound, I was just in time to seize hold of the skirt of her dress, and with the help of my maid and a sailor managed to prevent the poor woman from falling head first down the staircase. Very much hurt though she was, and a trifle confused, she thanked me in such a gentle dreamy voice that my heart began to beat with emotion.

"You might have been killed, Madame," I said, "down that horrible staircase."

"Yes," she answered, with a sigh of regret; "but it was not God's will."

"Are you not Madame Hessler?" she continued, looking earnestly at me.

"No, Madame," I answered; "my name is Sarah Bernhardt."

She stepped back and drawing herself up, her face very pale and her brows knitted, she said in a mournful voice, a voice that was scarcely audible, "I am the widow of President Lincoln."

I too stepped back, and a thrill of anguish ran through me, for I had just done this unhappy woman the only service that I ought not to have done her--I had saved her from death. Her husband had been assassinated by an actor, Booth, and it was an actress who had now prevented her from joining her beloved husband."

[LincolnMan]

The book like it might be of interest, for sure. The Mary Lincoln incident is truly ironic. We have these kinds of stories in the Lincoln world- Booth kills A. Lincoln/ Edwin Booth saves R. Lincoln- Booth the actor kills A. Lincoln/ Sarah Bernhardt saves Mrs. A. Lincoln. This stuff couldn't have been made up! Ms. Bernhardt has a star on the walk in Hollywood. I actually remember being there because on the day i was there-Judy Garland died.

[BettyO]

That's fascinating, Bill! I didn't know Bernhardt had a star in Hollywood....but then inasmuch as I think she did do one or two silent movies - that would be right. She was a consummate Victorian stage actress.

[RickBeaver]

VERY interesting story Roger. I can picture Mary's expression in my mind. Having three children of my own and three grandchildren, losing any of them or my wife would be a horrible thing, and Mary sure knew a lot of heartache.