Washington sentinel., 1856-05-15
From the Mobile News, April 2S.
The Triumph OF Genius.

Saturday night last night proverbially un-
fashionable in the theatrical calendar of this
city, crowded audience was in attendance al
the Theatre to see Miss Heron as Blanca. 1t
was benefit worthy of Mobile and Of the dis
tinguished bene6ciary-a proud tribute to
those wonderful talents which the haAd Of Ma
ture has showered upon her with unusual pro-
digality.
We feel no hesitation in pronouncing Miss
Heron's Blanca the greatest deineation of the
character on the American stage, and we have
seen everybody of any note within the last
twelve years. If she played Camille "divinelyp
to use the term Of one familiar with the finest
personators of the part on the Partisan boards,
she played Blanca sublimely. Such intensity,
such fire, snch electrical power, such an exhi-
bition of the whirlwind of the 6ercer passions,
and the dulcet tones and pathetic tenderness
of the softer sentiments, we never saw before.
We have often lamented the dearth of genius
on the American boards of late years. depre-
Gated the sickly glare Of lesser lights, and
hoped that a luminary would arise and quench
their feeble rays. We have found that lumi
nary, and the lovers of the drama may now in
deed cry Eureka!
There were scenes in Fazo of intensest in
terest--the lady seemed to lose herself in the
character portrayed, so much SO, that at times
the form diated, the eyes flashed out most
supernatural fire, and the voice quivered and
swelled with emotion.
Miss Heron was loudly applauded through
out, and at the fall Of the curtain, (the entire
audience keeping their seats,) in obedience TO
a unanimous call, appeared and spoke as fol.
lows
"Ladies and Gentlemen: am glad to be
among you, and proud TO be the object Of your
appreciation. This is my first visit TO the South
probably my last. Glorious and triumphant
as it has been, it had been imperfect had not
visited Mobile.
"I was told that ! should like you, and am
sure do! From the FIRST moment j appeared
before you, / sought to please you. If in do
ing so, chose the wrong path, pray you par
don me, and attribute the mistake rather to my
innocence than in vanity, and surely not to IN
delicacy.n
Tremendous applause followed this last sen.
tence, gentle, yet fitting rebuke Of the censo-
rious-the lady pressed her hands over her
eyes and wept, and bowing her thanks and
gratitude, when she could again be heard said,
"Ahl this ovation cancels allp and retired.
Bouquets were thrown to her, and the greatest
possible enthusiasm prevailed. We cordially
congratulate the lady on her glorious triumph.
Tonight she appears as Peg Wohington in
Masks and Faces, assisted by Mr.. and Mrs.
Crisp.
CAMLLE-The following is translation
from the French, and was written by French
gentleman Of this city:
In America, an author shapes his public in
France the case is reversed, it is the public,
that shapes the author. The French think
and live in others, At least under the ties Of
selfesteem--and one feels in reading most of
their works, that their principal aim is not in
the object theyDireal, but in the effect pro.
duced. The French writer's are always sur.
rounded bv the liriag world, even while com
posing--for they never lose sight,of the judg-
that ia to say, of literary authority, of that
world, under which they live at any epoch.
The writer who criticised La Dame aux
Camelias, did not reflect that one possessed
of pery biblical tastes will always make bad
critic. True, the French ought to be little
more religious, but the Americans ought to he
little more liberal. Piety opposes that dis
sipaton Of soul, which is at once the fault and
grace of that nation. IL is not in this century
that one must look for unstained virtues; the
noble energy Of the ancients h lost. Our
century, says Schlegel, is the inventor of narrow
wisdom, in that which the weak mind cannot
conceive-and is, therefore, to 1t, but idle fancy.
But IL the severe virtue Of the ancients is lost,
we have something in our age that, although
not so good, yet is the only remedy, viz re-
pentoncel Is not repentance most sublime
lSee Paradice and the Peril If il is, how