Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-08-01
The.trtcaI Remtniscences

again cry stop whether President
Grant likes it or not.
Theatrical "Reminiscences
| New York Tribune.I
The reading public will be under Obli-
cation to Mrs. Frances Anne Kemble
| for the series OF autObiOgraphical papers
which she promises, and OF which the
| irst has already appeared. More years
/ axo LhEE We care TO count, we listened
/ FRS. TO her reading. Nothing can ever
/ eradicate the impression Of that wonder
{ iII pssf0TmaGCe-Ru impression Of large
( Desc and completeness; a muscular
/ Lrasp, If We may venture on q doubtful
| fiEurs, # the very heart Of Shakespeare.
I A W. iggkei Eud listened, we pleased
| ourselves with thousand sancies. We
! imagined that we heard the voice OF the
lgusenly SiidOls, AMI saw her with the
| tell-tale blood upon her Outstretched
| bands. Then came to the excited mind
/ the s0nOrous tones and the Roman step
/ Of John ksmUl-; while in meTTieT mood,
/ Sc the character Of the scene gave rare
I interval Of relief, We recalled the roll
| ing "Fa!stGtf' Of Stephen kemble, and
/ the exquisite "MerCutiOn Of the lady's
| father. There is nothing Ike the long
reign Of this remarkable family in the
annals OF the British stage. They sre
] the aTistOcTaCy OF the drama. Theirs is
( the blue-blOOd Of the profession. Where
ever wss there found such another royal
group as that which is collected in Har-
/ loves picture Of the scene from Henri
| the Eighth2 The school Of acting which
the Kembles founded, for they certainly
did not find il, fingered for while il
/ spite OF the cUaIseT glOries Of ke8n. but
/ II has now gone, though not forever
gone with its method, its painstaking,
| It's scholarship its almost archaic accu-
T2cy; sud what we have in its place il
would be supeTfiu0us to suggest. Dir.
H9miin was the last actor in this city
who could give us an idea Of the Kemble
style, and those who were privileged 10
see his "Hsmlet" will not speedily for
get it. or tragedy queens who were
queens indeed, We had Mrs. WhitlOcke.
Mrs. Duff and Mrs. SlOman; and Miss
Cushman's "Lsdy Macbeth" was fine
enough to satisfy the most f8stidiOus old
gentleman in the theater. But her
school also is nearly extinct. SO We
turn from the giided gi0Ties OF the thea
ter to our books, and are grateful that
another i5 to be added to the volumes
which chronicle the theatrical achieve
meuts Of the past. There is quite a little
photography Of sutOJiOgTapnical books
written by actors sud actresses. end
there are snms literary curiOsities con-
nected with the KsIHDla family veil
known TO collectors. Such is the FFJgi-
the Pieces, by John Philip Kem6ie,
published at York in 1850, which The
author endeavOred by every means
IL his power to destroy, 80 that
on one occasion q copy b-OUgEit
Of
ble's agent bidding against Mr.
Perry, who carried off the book. Mrs.
Frances Anne ksmblc's play Of Francis
The First, TepUblished in a pretty share
in this city, we have not seen for
years; while the authors DiaTil of
her first American tour always
brings a good price at the sales,
being in demand among dramatic bibIiO-
manlacsi and having also, with many
fautts, an Intrinsic merit and interest.
W dramatic autobiography we may say
that, While we have seen many works
OF the kind greatly wanting in literary
finish, we do not remember Oue-u6t
even Fennel's-Which is valuelezs and
uniDteresting. The charm OF the UIav-
house enliVens the clumsiest pages. The
frankness, caDdOr, gsTrulity, and, in
some instances, the unconscious seif-suf-
h"ieney OF the writers are always de-
hghtful. Cibber's ApOlOqg with his
characters Of the players of his time, is
book to take to bed with q long CaI-
die. Then there are the autO6iogra-
ghies Of George Anne BeIIamv, Of Per-
dlts Robinson, Of Kelly, Of Bernard
and OF many others; with the Life Of
GGTrick, written by poor Tom Davies,
and almost as much life OF that actor
himself, with all its genial pratUe. The
truth is, the people OF this class are al
ways good company, and have excellent
memories and wonderful gift Of mar
Fauve. Who that ever rood ir
has forgotten GnId-mIlA's account
Of y stfOInDg player as told by him
self? Or Hrgsrth's amusing print OF
Actresses Dressing IN q Barn? We
take kindly to these stories Of ignOmini-
Gus failure and brilliant success, Of want
and plenty and multifsrious adventure,
which are Ike the drama itself, an
epitOme Of human life. To one who de-
sires 10 COilect books which he car read
as well Gs exhibit to the enviOus, We
warmly recommend this branch Of the
insanity. Somebody once said inso-
lsntly, and with cruel Injustice, that
sectors wrote the best aut0biographies,
because they alone had made their fare
wells TO Tsspectability. What then
shall be said OF Bubb DodringtOn's Did-
~. OF FTsuklin's Narrative Of HIS Earth
Life, Of portions Of G9.he's DichtltnQ
ard WdTheit, Of that manuscript Ct By
ron which was probably destroyed on
account OF its perfect frankness, Of
MOCre'5 Journal which was un-
dCubtedly kept Tor posthumOus
publication? There is 10 vulgar
error in all Sir Thomas Brownies
catalogue more erroneous than
that which, with equsl ignorance and
prejudice, cOnsigns all theatrical people
to q common limbo Of disrepute;
and yet we have known it to be
entertained by men OF sufficient
information in other departments of
Ru0wledge-the inheri.Ors Of Jeremy
Golfers bigOtry and ignorance. Every
profession embracing a wide range Of
abilities different both in kind and de-
gree is open to the same indiscriminate
condemnation, especially il its men,
ber5 are forever before the public eve.
We confess tina. upon b9sily recalling
what We know upon this point, we are
surprised to find now many instances Of
private and personal excellence the his
tory CT the English and American
stsge presents; and to cur stock Of
these, tue "reminiscences CT Mrs. KEN
bic VIII Doubtless make large addi-
tons. We shall become better ac-
quaintad with many persons already
tavcTsDly known TO Us; we snail bet
ter understand nov much genius,
kuCwle ige and accom- lishments are re-
quiCad by the really great actor; and we
shall be treated 20 the recOllections of q
woman OF large and varied experience
and observation presented in q style %
literary skill and elegance. There will
be much, OF course, not sppertsining to
stage history; but Of such features OF
the promised work We do not propose at
present 70 speak. The lovers of the
drsms may well consider it Of good
omen when the same year gives Us Nj
new play and the reminis-
Cencvs Of Mrs KEN Die.
A woman named Elizabeth TAYLOR
appeared before the Warrington bench Of
10 England the other day,
on charge OF being drunk and disOT-
teTly. She appeared 81 the dock in