The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-01-10

NutN NNMh W ~ ~
favorably; and Garrick, just then nearly
worried to death by Mrs.. Yates. Mrs
Abingdon and Miss Younge. ofcrcd her
an engagement at IS = week She was
delighted, and confident ofsucccSs, though
she did not admit that she felt so until
long af9crward. She made her first APP
pearancc in a spectacular piece. represent
ing Shakespearean characters. called the
g Jubilee" and Garrick infiamed the wrath
Of the rival actresses against her by Civ
ing her the part of TsaaS Little Thomas
Dibdin played Cupid; and it was charac-
tcristic Of her collectedness and strict At
teutiou to her business, that she kept him
smiling by whispered promises Ofbou-b0ns.
Gsrrick paid her marked attention. and
shielded her with all his power from the
" histriouic viragoes, her position among
whom was enough to chill any heart
They tried to prevent the audience seeing
her, BY getting before her on the stage;
but Garrick took care to bring her wen
down to the front. Il is not possible 10
inpute blame to Garrick in the events
which eusued, or to hold Mrs. Siddous
guiltless of unmerited bitterness and spite
toward him. She played Porfia, was
nervous, awkward, inaudible, and III
dressed, and was not , success. She
played Julia, and was a decided failure.
Garrick seems to have been igsoraut Of
her tragic powers, and persisted in put
ting her into comedy parts She never
was a comedian. Garrick was now giving
his farewell performances, and he gave
her an opening in tragic partially
IpRs-a selection which was indeed an
honor "On this occasion the great actor
surpassed himself It was admitted 20 be
a performance almost awful for It's savage
The FIRE of his eve struck ter
ror into the young actress She forgot
his important direction-that she should
keep her back to the stage, 50 that his
face might be presented to the audience
she thought she must have tainted on the
and received such look OF rebuke that
spot. She was passed over in silence BY
all the critics except one, who pronounced
her lamentable.'" This was her last ap-
pearance; and the unfortunate eircum-
stances of the brief engagement filed her
with misplaced aud unmerited wrath and
bitterness toward Garrick, unworthy Of
her, and injurious to her memory.
Mrs. Siddons has told the story Of her
on the scene of her former
failure with much simplicity and modestv.
She had set herself 70 cOnfute the v,rilief
she knew to lac unjust by sheer drudgery,
and she did it, at the cost Of tremendous
days and nights Of terror
and suspense. She had much to depress,
and little to encourage her, but one cir
offered a good omen. She was
to play Isabella; and her Ettle boy. who
was TO be her child in the piece. was 50
affected by her acting at rehearsal. that be
took the whole for reality, and burst into
the most passionate floods Of tears. think
ne he was about to loose his mamma.
This satisfactory proof Of effect deeply inn
pressed the actors aud managers, and
Sheridan had the story conveyed to friend
y newspapers
Her first appearance was on the 10th Of
October, 1852. Roger Kemble came to
own to be, as she says, =" a witness her
rial" He accompanied her to her dress
ng-room at the theatre, and there left her.
was" she says, Sc in one Of what call
ny desperate tranquillities, which usually
impress me under terrific circumstance.
md completed my dress, TO the astOnish-
nent Of ny attendants, without uttering
1ne word, though often signing most pro
oundly." All the world knows the story
If that great triumph, how she took entire
possession Of her vast audience, how the
exquisite sweetness of her tones went to
Every heart, how men wept, and women
vent into mysteries, and how the passion
tie bursts of applause interrupted every
ipeech Of hers in the last act. Her seven
Years training had had its fruit and the
woman, with her intense
ense of duty, her deep-rooted maternal
and her matter-of-faet industry.
deserved it well This Is her own ae-
,ount of the home-scene that night: Il
cached my own quiet fireside, on retiring
rom the scene of reiterated shouts and
;laudits. was half dead, and my iov
md thankfulness were Of too solemn and
4 nature to admit of words.
II even tears. My father, my husband,
md myself sat down to a. frugal. neat sun
'er, in a silence uninterrupted, except by
xclamations Of giadness from Mr.. Sid
Ions My father enjoyed his refreshments.
ut occasionally stopped short, and, Law
1g down his knife and fork, lifted up his
face, and throwing back his sil-
cry hair, gave way to tears Of happiness.
Ve soon parted for the night; and I,
Forn out with continually broken rest
nd labOrious exertion, after an hours re-
(whO can conceive the in
of that reyeTie p fell into q
weet and profound sleep, which lasted to
be middle Of the next day. Iarose, alert
q MAD and body" The letters the great
ctress wrote at this time do her DISPOSE
ion as much honor as all the world Of
.ondon was doing her genius. Fame and
money came to her rapidly. Her first
hort season brought her 81 800. All the
-reat world focked to call on her The
King and the royal family took q deep
interest in her, which never tagged. The
lr.or.-, v.rrf hcr eor1u 800