Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-11-29
DEATH OF AN OLD-TIME ACTRESS
The Famo o as miss O'Nein.

The London Standard, of November
| |, prints the sketch appended; In this
age of universal and unrestricted opin.
ion, " it says, when gap is no sooner
created in the ranks of the army OF
aspirants to fame than it is filed up,
when the regulations which it has taken
long years of labor to achieve are forgot
ten in the short afternoon of q winter s
day, only those who keep themselves un-
internationally aud Immediately under
the public eye can hope to be remem-
bered when living, or to be missed when
dead. If, half century ago, the intel
ligence had been received in London
that the great Miss O'Neill the famous
actress, about Whom everybody lraved,
whose delineation of Ars. Hsller,'
= Mrs. Beverley" and 'Belvidera, had
taken rank among the highest models of
dramatic imitation, was dead, then the
entire town would have been distracted
with woe. Each poet and poetagter of
the period would have set himself to sing
the praises of the great actress; each
critic would have turned panegyrist;
every saloon would have resounded with
the praises of the personal beauty, the
moral excel ences, the unrivalled histri-
onic grace Of Miss Q'Neill; both cynics
and men about town would have sweiled
the chorus of admiration with their
tribute of sincere eulogy. Mere than
fifty years have passed since Miss o 'Neill
took her farewell of the English boards.
To the present generation of English
play-goers her very name must be an
unreality, or at best the dimmest of
theatrical traditions. A day or two
since the death Of Lady Becher, reliet
of Sir William Wrixton hecher, Eas an
poDnced, and Lady Becher and Miss
0keiii we're one and the same person.
Long ago, Miss 0'keill had taken her
place among those heroines OF the
drama of whom all that is left to us is
their memory and their name. In the
neighborhood in which she lived Lady
Becher was known to the tenantry and
the poor about her by many an unobtru-
sive act of endearing kindness. The
great body Of the public was hardly con-
scious that at some remote epoch OF the
century Miss 0'Neill had divided the
attention Of the play-going world with
LuuuuQ hCdhf ahu AuN 49, f-N
nounced by some judges as superior to
Mrs. Siddons. Miss 0'Neill,' writes
Byron, in one Of the notes TO Marino
Faliero, | never saw, having made and
kept a determination TO see nothing
which should divide or disturb my recol-
lections Of Siddons. Such career as
Miss 0'Neilrs actually was is, it
may be safely said, impossible in these
modern times. Fervidly imaginative
noyelists may resuscitate 1t with latter
day accessories Of scene and circum-
stance. but we know all the while that
they are perpetratipg an anachronism.
Miss ONeill was positively only five
years before the public as an actress.
She came, she seen, she conquered As
her departure from the stage was
one Of unparalleled brilliancy so
was the occasion OF her Grst success
on the stage accidental. A provincial
manager had eRgAged the services, for
very special part, Of great metropoli-
tan star The metropolitan star was a
lady, and a very lew hours before the
performance was announced 10 CON-
menoe. the lady left the theater IN huif
and declined 70 play. At that moment
Mss O'Neill was absolutely unknown
But Miss O'Neill happened to be on the