The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-09

anu UarIiOk never cared much about her. He
told her her arms moved awkwardly, and she
declared ''that he was afraid sbe wonId over.
shadow his nose" Mrs. Arlington. however. as
serted her genius, and she soon afterwards
went 10 BATH Henderson praised her there
and her triumph began. In 1882 she came to
London, and astonished the town as sIsabellan
IN So9thern's play. From that moment her
iaine Degan' When she played "Jane Shore, -
the ladies sobbed and shrieked: the men wept
and lainting fits were of momentary occurrence
In the boxes. Her "Calista" and ttBelvidera''
touched every heart. When she played "Mrs.
Beverley" in the Gdmester, the pit used to
curse and threaten and yell at the wicked
otukeley," and people, afraid of the excite
ment, nave been known to stay in the lobby
and look in at the square glasses of the box
doors, so as not to hear the words, but only
see the wonderful face Once when she played
agnes" in The Fatal Cmiosity a gentleman
in the pit went into Mysteries. In the fanting
scene in 1ameriane, she was so deeply moved
that she really swooned. Whether as "Lady
Macbeth" "Cordelia," "Volumnia," or
"Queen Katharine" she was always classical.
majestic, graceful, sublime, inspired.
In 1872 this great actress took her farewell
OF the stage. She had for some time been
wishing to realize ten thousand pounds, and
escape the fatigues of her profession. Lat
terly her enunciation had grown too slow, her
straining for effect too visible. Yet there
were regrets that she whispered to herself and
bosom friends. TO Mrs. Piozzi she said-
This last season of my acting feel as if l
were mounting the first step of ladder con-
ducting me to the other world"
She did her best, however, to make her sun
set tropical one; for she performed fifty
seven times in her last season, and in fourteen
favorite haracters-"Lady Macbeth" "Mrs.
Beverley" ''Lady Constance" "Elvira,"
"Euphrasia," " "Queen Katharine, - "Isabella"
y,I T. IN
MeaSuTe), "Belvidera," "Hermione," "Vo-
lumnia, and 'Mrs. Haller."
She chose for her final play Macbeth; the
Thames dark and dangerous wife being one of
her greatest triumphs, although playgoers
asserted that Mrs. Pritchard had more dignity
and more compass, strength, and melody Of
voice. In the sleeping scene the older critics
claimed for Mrs. Pritchard sighs of deeper
agony, and voice more sleepy and more arti-
culate. Yet was her acting divine. She moved
like prophecies; her beautiful face was the
interpreter of noble mind. She moved like
queen, and spoke like Pythoness. AS Haz-
lit says fnely:-''The enthusiasm she ex-
cited had something idolatrous about it. We
can conceive nothing grander. She embodied,
to our imagination, the fables of mythology of
the heroic and deified mortals of elder time.
She was not less than a goddess or than a
prophecies inspired by the gods. Power was
seated on her brow; passion radiated from her
breast as from a shrine. She was Tragedy per-
sonified." The public was gazing for the last
time on her who, as Campbell said, had Gin
creased the hearts capacity for tender, intense,
and lofty feelings"
On the farewell night her old inspiration
seemed to have returned. She was super
natural from the moment she instilled into the
chieftain's ear the first poisonous thought of
evil TILL the time when, mere wreck of re-
morse and disappointed ambition, miserable
queen, she moved like phantom of the night,
mutterlng fragments of her dreams all per-
Vaded by the one racking thought. Her eyes
were open, but they were consciousness and
blank. The soul was absent, and in torture.
When she rubbed her thin white hands in
horrible remembrance of the blood that had
once bathed them, the house shuddered with
an ague fit of horror and of pity.
AT the close of this scene the applause was
frantic and ungovernable. Many persons stood
upon the benches, and, dreading an anti-cli-
max, shouted requests that the performance
might close when Mrs. Siddons left the stage.
An actor then came forward, and at once pro-
missed that this wish should be complied with.
The curtain was dropped for twenty minutes,
then rose, and discovered Mrs. Siddons. dressed
simply in white, sitting at a table. She came
forward through tornado of applause which
prevented her speaking for some time. When
the lull spread, she moved forward in her own
queenly way, and delivered the following ad-
dress, written for her by her nephew, Mr..
Horace Twiss:-
who has not felt how growing use endears
The fond remembrance of our former years ?
Who mas not slgh'd when doom'd to leave at
The hopes of youth, the habits of the past,
Ten thousand ties and interests that impart
second nature TO the human heart,
And, wreathing round 1t close, like tendrils,
climb,
Blooming in age, and sanctihed by timer
"Yes at this moment crowd upon my mind
scenes OF bright days for ever left behind,
BeWtldertng visions of enraptured youth,
When hope and fancy wore the garb of truth,
And lonR-forgotten yeare, that almost seem
The faded traces of a morning dream
sweet are those mournful thoughts: for they
The pleasing sense of all owe to you,
For each inspiring smile and soothing tear
For those full honoTs of my long career,
That cheer'd my earliest hope, and chased my
latest fear!
"And though, for me, those tears shall flow
more,
And the warm sunshine of your smile is DER
Ihough the bright beams are fading fast away
Ihat shone unclouded through my summer
day
Yet grateful Memory shall reflect their light
Oer the dim shadows of the coming night
And lend to later life a softer tone,
A moonlight tint-a luslre of her own.
Judges and friends to whom the magic
OfNature's feeling never spoke in vain,
Pefnaps your hearts, when years have glided
And past emotions wake heeting sigh,
May think on her, whose lips have pour'd so
long
The charmed sorrows of your shaiespeare's
On her, who parting to return no more,
rs now the mourner she but seenl'd before
Herself subdued, resigns the melting spell,
nn aWellfnn