The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-23


! ta.y and historical remarks about the Blllrine
! Guards (for he knew all about them) aud by
! escripton OF the scene in the ballroom, aud
! CT the dancing, the supper, and the muse.
In an article entitled "Two Artists in
! Comedy" Mr.. L. Clarke Davis thus describes
the first success of Miss Maggie Mitchell:-
| In 1860 there was gentleman in st. Louis
! nued Aug. Waldauer, leading the orchestra at
| the theatre, and ch.et promoter and conductor of
all the musical festivals in that Germauic city.
| He had been literally cducated in one of the best
| of the German universities, and his mind was
! deeply imbued with the spirit Of the drama and
| the music OF his native country. He sat on his
| perch in the orchestra night alter night, watch
! ing the viyaclcus little actress, fancying there
l was more in her than she knew; that she was
| capable of better things than she had thus fsr
! shown. he said nothing TO her or TO any one
! about his fancy, but went home one night re-
! solving to make the little lady's fortune and to
! write her name among the real stars in the
! dramatic sky. He worksdvery hard aud earnestly
! at his sClt-appOinted task, and WAS kept pretty
! busy between his morning and evening duties at
| the theatre and his musical societies.
When she appeared in st, Louis in the May Of
| 1861 his work was doue. He asked perm lssIon
| to read a new play TO her, 1t was read and ap.
| proved. 1t was called hGncbon the CTictet, and
| was translation from q German play, which
| in turn, was o dramatiZation from George
| Sands famous idyl OF the loves and trials of
| rustic lovers.
! DuImg that same engagement the play was
| put IN reLearsal aud produced, the author an
| from his s,ool in the orchestra. But, on the
! very night of its production, Camp Jackson
| taken by Lyon, aud there was some ugly lighting
| going on in the streets of st. Louis. Two Ger
man regiments, finding themselves sorely
! pressed, turned aud fred upon their tormentOrs,
and there was weeping that night, ana Tor many
nights after over dead and manpied sons and
! fathers. The fictitious grief of "FanChon" had
! to yield in interest to the real sorrows rife in
! those Missouri homes. The realities of life had
! suddenly become too serious to permit public
! attention to be devoted to the stage, Star and
! manager struggled brayely on, acting to empty
| houses Tor few nights more and then sue
cumbed to the universal neglect, and the theatre
| closed
Nevertheless the play was a good one, and so
thorEht author, star, and manager. Wnen the
tho atre closed, the author became a sol lier, aud
won q captains commission under Fremont; the
! manager paced the stage Of his dark old snell of
a house. grimly surye ylng the taWdry scenery.
| the draped chandeliers and upholstery, and
| sighed for the piping times Of peace" aud Mag
gle Mitchell, left once more to struggle with for
! tune, wandered away through the West again,
! carry ing the manuscript OF FGHchOn With her,
and to not 100 fastidious audiences played the
| new part, thereby slowly growing 10 greatness.
! On the 9th Of June, 1862, Maggie Mitchell was
! IN New York, lessee of Laura Kecue's little
! theatre On Broadway, which she mad especially
| engaged for the production Of her new play.
| Evidently Il was not held in much e-timatOn
| yet Tor in the issue OF that morning the Tribune
! went out OF its way 10 fling sneer at It,. But
| the ncXt morning the Tribune told different
! story; Tor the play had been produced, and the
! young actress had startled the critics by the
! almost miraculous power she displayed in the
| character OF fdnchO1t-G power hC.Ore uudeye-
lOptd, unsupported by either herself or any other
| person, excepting Aug. Waldauer, musician aud
! soldier.
When Maggie Mitchell walked off the stage of
! Laura Keeue's little theatre that beautiful sum.
| mer's night, she knew she vas famous add that
| her torLVne was secure.
In the same article is given the following
sketch of Miss Mary Cannon
| Her nature was as wide rs the air. beautiful,
| generous aud suoug; full of those delicate sen
sibilles which permitted her 10 dissolve in ten
| derness, to be gentle crave or hOydeulsh, to fly
from the maddest burlesque TO profouudest
! dep.hs of passion. She wrapped her soul in
| 'measuIolcss content" was witty strong weak,
| stupid, or passionate, grave or tender, all IN
| moment. Sne could express, AS no other actress
| could, all shades and moods OF passion; she
could do so because they we're in her heart, and
were as real and tangible to her as tue revolving
| years that made up ber sum OF lite. She had
| learned all degrees of feeling in her husbands
! and her ChildIen's lOVe-she had felt all soTOws
| and the extent OF mortal suffering in their early
| death, in her prolonged and beautiful widow
| bood-she had known the stngs of poverty and
had only learned pity and charity from them;
/ the charms and graces OF society were
her daily companions, teaching her
those ref6ements which adorned her life
| and made more potent her art. There
| was nothing weird or startling in ler acting;
She did not lit the soul higher than nature but
! gave the true and perfect type OF all that was
pure and Womanly. She spoke only in the true
| language of nature and passion, and as her most
! brilliant triumphs were achieved without effort
| the applause attendant upon them was never
tumultuous. 1t began III a low muTmur of
laughter or followed the utter silence OF tears.
she touched no vulgar Springs to elicit the loud
shout or evoke the whirlwind of commentator.
| To the last she was subiimely unconscious of
the golden rigol that bound her brOWs Withll;D
| from first to last, Wondr0us sim plicty pos
| sessed and ennobed her life. One who knew
her well has laid this passing tribute on her
new-made grave. Her whole private life was
| passed in doing good to others, and her whole
| public life IN contributing to the amusement Of
eNerybody.'
Mr.. Lester Wallack, q great artist himself and
! whose dramatic career was cotempoIary with
Miss Gannon's, in writing of his friend, says of
herr
| again. She has lett a VOID that cannot be COM
| petely filled. Her appearance on the stage was
| always taside from the hearty applause which
greeted her) marked by low murmur of de-
| light among her audience as il they were con-
graduating one another on the certainty of
bright and pleasant evening.
1T is my opinion, as it WAS that of my father
aud other experienced artists that she was by
far the most accomplished actress in America.
marked by . perfection OF finish and ease that
no other lady artist could approach.
I'm private life she possessed the rare faculty
| Of compelling the regard and affection Of ali
about her; sue was generous and charitable to
fault.n
Mr., Wallack further says; -"I think Miss
| Gaunon's best performances were Sophia in
. The Road 10 Run; Hester in TO Harry or
MOI 10 Ma11gG MISS Hardcastle,' in She S oops
10 Conquer; Gertrude IN the L}We Treasure;
and Flora in The Wonder These were her
! bes, impCr-onatlons, | think: but where all Has