Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-18
Charles Kean,s Courtship.

The courtship and triumph of Charles
kesn will be read with interest by many
hereabouts, who can recall the grand
engagement of himself and wife at the
Holiday Street Theater, Baltimore, in
lSI7. The latter. it will be recollected.
was Miss Ellen Tree, no less renowned
in dramatic annals than himself. We
are indebted TO the columns of Temple
Bar for the following:
Ii SO chanced that Fox had recently
been engaged TO write leaders for the
Morning Chronicle, and at Forster's sug
gestion, he now contributed an article
once or twice "A week on the acting of
Charles Kean, and of Macready. which
were the more vigorous, elaborate and
damnatory of the former, when the two
were perSonating the same Shakespeare
an characters. That Fox did this quite
conscientiously nobody who knew him
could doubt; nevertheless, the partisan
ship was but too obvious.
On the same occasions, Forster, in the
Examiner, came forth with more practi-
cally destructive weapons. One OF these
letters seemed TO me so Systematically
cruel and ruinOus-the more cruel as
coming from former friend, that | cal
led on Charles kean, thinking il quite
probable. a. his failure now began TO be
generally admitted, that he would be
Obliged 10 retire from the London thea
tiers, if not TO quit the stage. Far from
this, however, he seemed not to be east
down at all in ''heart or hope" and in
allusiOn to FOrSter's last attack in the
E6dmmer, he merely made smiling ref
erenCe to some small matter between
them in former davs, the irony of which
was. however. sufficiently pungent.
To his energies. stage talents, and un-
conquerable continuity of purpose. he
now added efforts and tactics of a very
different kind-at least, they seemed TO
be tactical. He was engaged TO marry
the elegant and accomplished Miss Ellen
Tree, but his mother was firmly op-
posed To the union. He allowed il TO be
known that ''Jhe other day" he WAS ION
his knees two hours to his mother,
praying for her consent. But the cruel
old lady steadily refused it.
Shortly after this they were at fash
ionable watcring-p place, and Charles
kean. acting at the theater every night,
was also To be seen every morning dur
ing the hours of gay assemblage on the
rlDu-, diO tLitI llIitcS- Nhttliue Ms
mother in a bath chair, with the man TO
whom that Office belonged walking de,
ferentially by the side, wearing a gray
neckclOth and gray cotton gloves.
Certainly, a young man enacting
Orchard the Third" or Romeo" at
night. might be dutiful son by day, as
well aS any other youth; but the choice
of the hour and the locality was more
than suspicious. Every night, how
ever, the dress circle was crowded with
young ladies, in ali the bloom and beau
" of cheeks and curls, and low dresses
and with middle aged, elderly, and
old ladies in full blaze Of rouge, oiled
wigs and diamonds. Charles kean was
great success. He became, in fact,
--the fashion," When next he returned
10 London he made decided success,
and in the face and pen of all Opposi-
fiOn. There was royal command, some
time after this, for a series of theatrical
performances at Windsor Castle.