The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-08-03


The griet OF the National Anacreon
though no doubt at the time deep and
sincere, fortunately was soon alleYiated
by the discovery that equal charms were
enshrined In the person Of the second
sister, Elizabeth, to whom his overtures
proved more acceptable, and to whom
he addressed the beautiful song, begin
Ming:
Fly from the world, 0, Bessy, to me,
Thou wilt never find any sincerer;
PIl give up the world, o, Bessy, for thee,
can never meet any that's dearer.
Then tell me no more with q tear and sigh
That our loves will be censured by many; {.
All, all have their follies, and who will deny
That ours is the sweetest OF anyp
They were married in 1911, and their
union. unlike the matches of Byron, Bui-
wer, Dickens and other literary celebri-
ties, proved one of unalloyed and ever
increasing happiness.
Anne Dyke, the youngest OF the SIS
ters, married William Murray, for thirty
years manager OF the Theater Royal,
Edinburgh.
The cause Of Mary Dykes rejection of
tachment she mad formed for John r.
Duff, a young actor on the Dublin stage.
They were married in 1910, before she
had completed her sixteenJn year, and
soon after embarked for America.
Her unlocked for merit in line OF
characters in domestic drama, which
Miss Kelly had rendered peculiarly her
own in England, and the consummate
skill with which she supported Cooper,
Wallack and other eminent stars, caused
her to rise higher and higher in the es-
TEEN Of the audience, until her crowning
triumph arrived during the engagement
OF the elder Kean, in February, 1921,
when on several occasions she fairly di-
vided the honors of the evening with
him. Annoyed by so unusual circum-
stance, Mr.. Kean took occasion to re-
quest her to repress the force and in
desired his efforts seconded, not riyaled.
Thencetor Mrs. Duff was the ac-
lknowledged head and front OF her pro-
fession, and her services were eagerly
sought for in every prominent theater.
Every so-called criticism on Her act
ing was now in tact eulOgy. One
speaks of her Hermi0ne as 'gem OF
true art, seen but once in century,"
Another says. "Great as was the acting
of Conway, "a greater than Conway was
there, for Mrs. Duff was unquesrionaD.y
the presiding spirit of the scene:' a
third remarks, "Mrs. Duff pours out one
unceasng blaze of excellence during
the whole time she occupies the stage;"
fourth speaks of the ,sobs and tears
caused by her impersonation of Jane
Shore, and advises all those who can
not rely on the strength OF their nerves
to refrain from witnessing her perform
ance of Belvidera, or Imogene; aud Hof-
ace Greely,' who saw her Lady Macbeth
in 1882, said, just before his death, thai
the part had never since been SO well
played, noteven by Fanny kemble.
In the fall of 1927, Mrs. Duff played
farewell engagements preparatory to a
trip to England, and in the spring OF
1928 appeared at Drury Lane as Adel-
githa and Isabella, AS sistedby Macready,
Wallack, j. Cooper, Charles Kean and
Miss Foote. Although the Elder Booth
had at this time proclaimed her not only
The best actress in America, but in the
world-and although. these were familiar
Q laracters in which she was unrivaled
here, the prejudice against everything
t ans-Atlantic was then 80 great that she
WAS very coolly received by the audi
ence, although the Press acknowledged
that she possessed merit. Not caring to
labor for a position which her genius
should at once have commanded, she
soon returned with undiminished pow.
ers to the land Of her adoption where q
hearty welcome awaited her.
During that year, Mrs. Duff expert.
enced the loss of her husband, and in
1882 the appearance of Fanny Kemble
| with her youth and acknowledged bril-.
| liancy, caused a decline in her attrac.
tiveness.
Oppressed with grief at her widow.
hood, and overwhelmed with the care
and support of a numerous family, he,
condition bordered on insanity; and in
the spring OF 1888, while performing III
New York, she received an abrupt Offer
of marriage from Charles Young, an &C.
tor once well known in Boston. and ac.
cepting it without hesitation, the pail
Immediately wended their way first to Q
Protestant and then to a Catholic cler
gyman, by each Of whom the rite Of mat.
rimony was celebrated between them
But soon "returning reason reassumed
its sway" and, ere the twain had reached
the residence of either, Mrs. Duff disa
vowed and repudiated the act, and
would neither accompany her newly.
welded husband to his home nor suffer
him to enter hers.
Pleading a temporary alteration Of
mind as the cause of her connection
with the affair, she soon after obtained
legal dissolution Of the union. In
1884 and '35, Mrs. Duff played princi.
pally in Philadelphia and New York,
her last engagement in the latter city be.
ing at the Franklin Theater, where her
impersonations displayed all the spirit,
force failing and Dafhan that charan-