Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-18

The iienken.


The London correspondent of the Boston
Post furnishes the following additional in
formation concerning Adah Isaacs Menken:
Poor Menkens epitaph, Thou know
est. brings kindlisr thoughts than she ever
prompted during her life, except in her
intimate friends, who, to do her justice,
never had an ill word for her. 1t is curl
Gus circumstance that actors, and especial
ly actresses, are hardly ever religious,
hardly ever infidel, hardly ever have utter
ly bad consciences, and hardly ever lose an
abiding sense of the infinite mercy of God.
All these things are expressed IN poor Ma
zeppa's two words for her tombstone, and
they probably express very accurately the
still depths of her conscience-depths
which no one would imagine woman of
her stamp to possess. But what was her
stamp? She was just going to publish a
volume of poems which by a coincidence
she had named 'Infelicia.' This will prob
ably tell us what there was in her. She
had laid herself out from early life to be a
female fascinator, a role which there is great
temptation in America for a woman to
adopt; and it is quite certain that though
those who did not meet her, and some who
did, laughed at their destinations, many
succumbed to them. There is no fiction
in the accounts of her continual grand re-
ceptions at Paris, and though her peculiar
public appearances might, no doubt, ac-
count for the private crowds, she could not
have maintained it in Paris without some
conversational powers She was also Vi
vacious and regular letter writer. Her ac-
iuaintances in England ranged over many
grades of society. Swinburne was a most
constant visitor. This may have been bra
vado, or an affectation of carnality, or an
assertion of Paganism. Swinburne, great
as he is, is not above such weaknesses, but
the intimacy is undoubted, and it did not
wear off Menken's verse is said to have
been very rhapsodical, and some of it SEN
suous, TO say the least. An American,
well known in Liverpool, and everywhere
respected, was agent for Miss Menken, and
sitting one night in the Neptune, in Clay
ton Square, he assisted at a discussion on
the private characters of distin-
guished theatricals. This was a
point ON which he was very definite
in his persuasions He listened in silence
good while, and then thus Characteristic
ally broke out Striking the table en-
phatically, but without violence, he said.
We'll, my stars moral: and any one
says my star'-meaning Menken-sisn I
moral, I'm in for a big fight Who says
the age of chivalry is past? No one took
up the enthusiastic agents challenge. So
Menkin's morality must be allowed to have
stood the ordeal by battle. Her most in
convenient, if not her worst fault was a
habit of wild expense. She would buy
carriages and diamonds at a moment when
she was actually in want of e5, and ex-
pect her poor man of business to find
money for them. A few weeks ago she
was playing her last engagement Cat Sad
ler's Wells), she came to the theatre ar
rested, with the Sheriff's officer in her car
riage, and an hour and half passed with
crowd surrounding before an arrange
ment could be made enabling her to play.
Poor woman, she was soon to play her last
hour ON this scene; and in her death, and
with her epitaph in mind, her figure seems
to take other than the garish vulgar hues
in which we have all been accustomed to
regard he