The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-25
RACHEL IND soNTAo.
The Queen OF the Dramatic and Lyric
Stage.
From the Galaxy.

Sontag and 1aachel-lcft Impressions upon me,
as women, that ! am sure Will never be OBJ
humble birth, and both were remarkable for
the distinguished elegance OF their manners,
but with this dfTcrcncc-that Sontag, charm
ing and elegant on the stage, was more charm
ing and elegant in private; while Rachel, who
behind the footlights, was the ideal OF queen
or a great lady Of the old school, in private,
although courteous and well hammered, show
cd the stamp OF her origin and her pro-
Enthusiastically. Sontag, II she had been born
Countess dc Rossl, or for that matter, dc
MOntmorcnci, could not have shown in her
personal bearing nobility of a higher or sim
In this respect by the Jcwess, who, as unable
in private to conceal her breeding as her race,
showed yet upon the stage tho command and
graciousncss OF those who are born In the
purple. rnItti,',
Saying this, one day.. to the late. eccentric
Count Gurowski, was pleased and not SUR
prised to hays: thc"cnrt reply, "onf |, Rachel
is the onely GRAND danio ON dthe tay.ahtrep
sontae, whehiI i knew. her, was a mature wo-
man, and my senior by many years; and yet; :
notwIthstandihSlthls,a and q knowledge of the
world besdes, that showed itself In oil she did
and eaid; and which rivalled TINT Other GAM;
around her all the Influences Of youthfulness
and Ylyaclly, "A freshness rs delicate qs, the
asep Gst psF6ssS s6Sts e eSEy ys5SS sSS Ess hsIs as 81 @
gratefulncss Of balm, and Its fragrant virtue.
She hndithe tenderness and crispness OF youth,
withOat its ,ErecnneSs. have rarely met "a
girl Of seventeen so young as Sontag was ut
The age of forty-ave. l have said nothing Of
her bcutlty, for that was we'll known to all
men; and when saw 1t still preserved, L then
first iecolleLtcd that had heard Of 1t before
was old oneugn't to know what wOman's beauty
was; b1it khad not heard Of her hand, which.
was beautiful enough to Worship as.wc may
worshlptalhipcrfec cti0n. II And'ithis woman, SO
beautiful, 80 winning in her ways, 30 charming
as singer and an actress, was also :cleverin
the most attractive form Of female clevcrness:,
She talked well, With sententionsness and
without learning; sho had -mimor, as much as
becomes Ufrlily feminine woman. i:S.lu!.L ~ 3;
shall never forget her. description. of; the.
pompous dullncss Of the dinners and the even:
ings dttne country 'fronses of English noble;
men and gentlemen to which she was invited,
after hermaTriagc With Count. Rossi and re-.
lantry Of meniwho had been fox hunting or
shooting all duy, and who had ne!,h6me.
tired ahdhungTy to etthemsefves; up In fos4
tive apparel, and to cat q hearty dinner and
although If; she were half as lively under theIr,
inflictloR as she was In describing 1t, she must
have been priceless creature amid all that
dullness.i Only one indication of her. humble
happened TO mention that. l. had followed q
procession, in large city, for the purpose of
observing the people called opt.by its passage,
and that 1a had found the lprettiesti' women
mongItthose In ,the lower condition of lie.
"Ah, 7tslo rsafdi slightly dropping her eyellds,
ut is always so!p Her sudden death in MexL
co was generally attributed to poison; herhusJ
band, It is said, having thus avenged himself
OF her love for tensr singer,:w was In their
Count Rossi may NOT haYs. been. foo COED q.
man thus TO relieve himself .of q woman who,
by her owp cxertiops, had restored him, ip q
great measure ;at least the fortune he, had
for whom ehe lahore1
Rachel talked more of the Stage and of lit
eratuFe' thani SontpG did, She made an I'D
mission to me- one tvenlng that was surprising !,
she @ had been playing PhoadrG With grandeur
anu great power over the emotions Of her au-
dience; put she spoke: to. me with q natural-
a.. 90 ,,,a. sc never surpassed on Tho stagei of
her weariness OF French tragedy. Of the senti-
mentalityuits ,proslness and Its stilted verse.
''Oh, that had lsarned English, that might
PLAY shsksapeare. but nov 7G is too,late.n:
even corneille 7" mo; ceTaehls has si moments, Is
and one. can make something oht of Racine by
muchistndy oG the best parts:n I Icomplimehted
her UPON efphSeafe Which a1ihoaghl an IN.
scope for fine acting. .Ycs, have. an oppore
tunity ifory doing sofnetfing;j but that boy,'
waivinEher, hands ag II. HippOlytus we're prcB:
ent, "what does iebht spout nonsense land
Theramane's description 6fithe death of Hip
polyte, sand oil the rest-how stupid (bete)
1t Is -GRome- me-6haloespears4n,r 10 ,.iiu.i !,
II this wes ? delicate lonplinent, 70, q, pala
VI aEasff1PstS RP p& an sFyasRt hs
one fam inelpad TO think ttat It vas rot 30,
sn ssd %ts a Ss Sf 6 haSs sSS SSsis Sssta % ms
Sss y E5a sg| 8 E
voyage IS gRSa sbs 'S 'Eas' y PSfh P Il PIa5;s
peTh4ga hI saIs bs - %