Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-11-16
The Death Of Mrs. Charles Mathews, Sr.
Interesting "reminiscences Of the Emil
nent Actor-A Ghost Story.

Interesting "reminiscences Of the Emf
nent Actor-A Ghost Story
The London Era, Of the 10th of October,
commenting upon the death of Mrs. Charles
Mathews, the mother of the now living COM
edian, and widow of the eminent actor who de-
parted this life "a years ago, tells the strange
story as to the courtship and marriage Of the
deceased lady:
The first wife of Mr.. Charles Mathews, Sr.,
was Miss Strong, the daughter Of a physician
at Exeter In 1901 she exhibited symptoms
of decline. One evening towards the close
Of her brief life Mrs. Mathews sent her hus-
band to request that Miss jackson, for whom
she had some time before conceived warm re-
gard would visit her on the following day
When the young actress arrived, Mrs. Math-
ews, propped up in bed, maintained a lively
conversation until her husband came iu, who
was delighted to find her thus able to sit up
and talk to her friend. Size told him her
present cheeIfulness was the result Of consid
erations which had induced her to arrange the
interview. Ayowing her conviction that no
human skill could prolong her life, sshe advert
ed to her affection for Miss Jackson, and to
that young lady unprotected state, and then,
taking her hand and that Of MIR. Mathews, and
pressing both to her own feyerish lips in SOL
emn manner, copjured them to take compass
sion on her anxiety and pledge themselves to
become man and wife after her death. Their
agitation was extreme. Mr. Mathews re-
proved his wife with some impetuosity for
placing him in such dilemma, and Miss
jackson, throwing herself upon her knees, be-
sought the pardon of the dying woman for her
refusal to comply, representing the impossible
ty Of her afhancing herself TO a man for whom
she entertained no warmer feeling than hat of
friendship. She then quilted the chamber fol-
lowed by Mr.. Mathews, who impored her not
to harbor suspicion that he had been aware
something like delirium produced by her fe-
yerish state. In the May following Mrs. Math-
ews' illness terminated in death. For some
time after that event natural degree of dis
tance was observed between the widower and
Miss Jackson. By degrees, however, the mu-
tual coldness wore of and feeling Of regard
was growing up between them, when circum-
stance occurred still more remarkable than the
dying woman's appeal V1
Mr. Mathews account of his impressions
was as follows: He had gone to rest after a
very late nights performance at the theatre,
finding himself too fatigucd to sit up till his
usual hour to read, but after he was in bed he
discovered-as will happen when persons at
that to close his eyes was an impossibility. He
had no light, nor the means of getting one all
the family being in bed, but the night was not
absolutely dark-it was only too dark for the
purpose of reading indeed, every object was
visible. Still he endeavored to go to sleep, but
his eyes refused to close, ard in this state of
restlessness he remained, when suddenly a
slight rustling, as of hasty approach of some
thing, induced him to turn his head to that
side of the bed whence the noise seemed to
proceed, and there he clearly beheld the figure
of his late wife, in her habit as she lived, who,
smiling sweetly upon him, put forth her hand
as if to take his, as she bent forward This
was all he could relate, for in shrinking from
himself out of bed upon the floor, where, the
fall having alarmed the house, his landlord
found him in fit. On his recosery he related
the cause of the accident; and the whole of
the following day he remained extremely i'll
and was unable to quit his ROOM" The re-
markable fact is that at the exact hour at
which Mr.. Mathews was thus affected vision
of the same kind occurred to Miss Jackson
s"The same sleepless effect, she says, 'sthe
same cause of terror, had occasioned me to
seize the bell rope in order to summon the peo-
pie of the house, which giving way at the mo-
lnent, fell with it in my hand upon the
ground. My impressions of this visitation, as
l persisted it was, were exactly similar those
of Mr. Mathews. The parties with whom We
resided at the time were perfect strangers to
each other, and living widely apart, and they
recounted severally to those about them the
extraordinary dream-for such it will be called
although my entire belief will never be shaken
that was as perfectly awake as at this mo-
ment These persons repeated the story to
many before they were requested to meet and
compare accounts There could, consequently,
be no doubt of the facts, and the circumstances
became matter of much general interest
among all who knew us:
After such sympathy between the widow
and the friend Of the departed wife it was not
surprising that the dying request should be ful-
jackson became the wife Of MIR. Mathews.
AN AFFECTING INCIDENT. AT Providence
the other evening, where Miss Maggie Mitchell
nanv was ready TO 90 on the stage. Mr. Sutton.