New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-11

. | Ohappy souis: that soi. 20 .ailin. sailing
over an unknown sea.
/: | Send some kignsl Of your waiting wa,Is..Io
Across the hills 10 me-.
Across the c,uei hills. ta.. stern AID sc.dta.:
9 Sever you and me,
| Tel! me sometimes Of your peaceful ..,esse!
Lie upon the sea!
; Wary Daft. Actress.
The Boston Globe has an entertaining
p, chapter Of this lady. who was Cnce tie most
popular actress in America. She quilted
the stage. and coming to New Orleans. was
lost TO the pubic. Occas!ona! inquiries Of
her fate have been made from time TO time
by those interested in the history Of the
stage. 1. has been reported tina: she died
in Texas, bu: where Or under what c:-cum
stances 10 one knew. Ii was strange tina.
one SO famous could so entirely drop from
public notice. The Globe writer claims that
she died in New York in 1857. and tina: her
remains rest in Greenwood Cemetery
though this is by no means certain
Mary Ana Dyke was born IN Lon,ioc or
Dublin, and was the eldest Of three sisters.
Their father, dying in the service of the
East India Company, left them in poor cir
cumstances. and they appeared y: the
! Dublin Theatre as dancers IN 1908. Mary
was the admiration o: the public. aEs. par
ticulariy OF Tom Moore, when she was ONLY
! fifteen years of age. she was very beauti.
ful ar: it is said can:icious!y refused his
hand in marriage. lyon t!.;s Noo:. w:ote
| the song commencing:
| Hary. believed thee true
And was blest in so believing:
But now mourn that Ger knew
s.r. go fair and so dece.yiDs.
The grief of the Irish poet seems 20 have
been assuagea in time, however. and in
stead Of marrying Mary. he does tho next
Of Mary, His wife. To Elizabeth: he aI-
dressed the cong beginning
Ilv from the world, O, Bessy 20 me-
Thou wilt never find SINGER eI;
III Z up the world. q, Bessy, for thee,
lean never meet any that's dearer.
Then tell me no more with q tear and a s.h
That our loves will be censured by many:
al. al! have their :ollies, and who vii. deny
That ours IS the sweetest o. any
Mary Dyke soon after married John T.
Duff, a handsome young actor on the Dublin
stage. and who aftoyward BECAME famous
in this country. This marriage was IN 1910.
and the two soon alter sailed for America |
under engagement: 10 play a: Boston in
December. 1910. playing i"i.es TO her hus-
bands Romeo. Mr.. Duff became afterward |
manager in Boston, and the two frequently |
made starring trips 10 Philadelphia. cup |
porting the great George Frederick Cooke |
and other eminent actors Of the day. /: is |
said that the elder kear, who visited this |
country in 1921, was annoyed a: the ap- |
plause Mrs. Duff received while acting with
him, and requested that he should repress
the intensity of her presentations. as he
wished to be seconded no. riva!eL. This !
was certainly illnatured on the par: OF MIR.
kean, but it was at the same :;me the
highest compliment an actress could receive.
The Globe writer says:
AT this period Mrs. Daft was in the zenith
of her beauty, but she continued to improve
in professional skill for severa! years longer.
until she was pronounced by all American
critics the best actress in our country with.
out exception. Her voice was described as
a breathing melody, her features as a living
and her form as a model FOR the
sculptOr. and she was said to captivate with
and Irresistible power the minds
Of all who witnessed her tragic assumptions
Ia the fall OF 1927. Mrs. Dut. played fare.
we'll engagements preparatory to a trip to
England. and in the spring of 1873 ap.
peared at Drury Lane as .ideigiha and
Isabe!ta, assisted by Macready. Walack. }.
Cooper. Charles kean and Miss Foote. Al.
though the elder Booth had at th. time
proclaimed her not only the best actress in
America, but in the world, and although |
these were familiar characters in which she
was unrivaled here, the prejudice agains. !
everything Transatlantic was then so great
that she was very coolly received by the !
audience, although the press acknowledged |
hat she possessed merit. Not caring to
abor for a position which her genius !
should at once have commanded. she soon =
-eturned with undiminished powers to the
and OF her adoption. where hearty vel.
come awaited her. Pursuin. her profes.
onal career with undated appreciation. ! i
he came In frequent contact with Mr.. For
est, and when he first produced here, in
s29. his tragedy of "Metamora," Mrs. Duff I
vas the original Nahmeohee. They LAS:
,layed joint engagement. in Boston. we q
hink. in the spring of 1881. During tina. {
ear Mrs. Duff experienced the loss Of her
husband. and in 1882 the appearance of b
fanny kemb!e, with her youth and ac. |
brilliancy, caused a decline in | f
er attractiveness. \
Perhaps there was also decline in her 5
capabilities. for oppres with grief at her il
'iuOWHoOus ara overwhelmed with the a
are and support of numerous family. t
er condition bordered on insanity: and in a
ne spring of 1888, while performing in G.
lew York. she received an abrupt offer of {
larriage from Charles Young. an actor r,
nee well known IN Boston. and accepting G
without hesitation, the party imInedi. | t,
tely wendell their way first to Protestant lie
nd then to Catholic clergyman, by each Il
whom the rite Of matrimony was cele. o.
rated between them. But soon return. A
g reason resumed its sway" and ere the D
vain had reached the residence of either. &c
rs. Duff disavowed and repudiated the te
=, and would neither accompany sc
r newly-wedded husband to his home to
IT suffer him to enter hers. Plead. ci
& a temporary ALTERATION of mind tc
the cause of her connection with is
Q affair. she soon obtained legal dis d,
luton Of the union. In 1884 and '35, s,
RS. Duff played principally in Philadel.
ia and New York, her last engagement in ri
latter city being at the little Franklin th
lestre, where her impersonstions display hi