The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-02-19
OBITUARY.


wears Charlotte Cushman has been at the head Of her
profession and entirely supreme In her do
main that no dared TO attempt TO become her rival
The throne she leaves will forever remain empty the
world can only drape with the sable PAIL and place
upon IL the vacant and the useless laurel wreath
OF fame
This distinguished woman, TO whom her sex owes
debt Of gratitude for proving its unsurpassed intel
lectual capacity in dramatic art died yesterday
Ing shortly after nine O'Clock, at the Parker House.
Boston at the age Of nearly sixty years she was born
IN the city OF Boston on July 20, 1916 For several
wears she has been great sufferer from cancer in the
stomach an almost hopeless disease. She had how
ever experienced temporary relief during the last few
days from distressing maady, and Saturday last
she took a short walk in the open air, when she
contracted severe cold, attended with symptoms
of pneumonia On Sunday morning she taken
seriously i'll and her physician, DR.. William Thornton,
was summoned but all his efforts check the progress
of the disease unavaling On Thursday she
seemed brighter but two O'Clock yesterday friday
morning her symptoms became more alarming and she
grew rapidly worse until about seven O'Clock when
she became unconscious, and passed away at ten min
utes past nine O'Clock. The closing was calm
and peaceful Gathered around the bedside
friends near and dear, among them being
her nephew Charles CushmRn; Miss Steobins,
intimate friend of the deceased her
faithful nurse Susie who has been her constant at
tendant for the past hirtYh five years. and Dr. Thorn
ton. Recently several occasions IL has happened
that Illness compelled her to give up altogether the
theatrical engagement she had entered into At other
times she has appeared before the public while suffer
ing intensely, exhibiting heroic forttude which seemed
absolutely marvellous her friends. During her last
engagement at the Globe Theatre Boston those who
acted with her were compelled to the utmost
and tenderness and a physician often in attend
ance at the theatre alleviate her sunerings Her
funeral will take place at Kings chapel on Monday
The remains Will be taken Mount Auburn for inter
ment
The long and lustrons career Of Charlotte Cushman
on stage preceded by years OF toll and obscur
ity She FIRST appeared upon the Sage Apnl 1S, 1885,
the fremont Street Theatre, Boston, the Countess
IN ''The Marriage of Figaro" At that time she had
fine contralto voice, and her appeared to be
musical one. But, fortunately for herself and the
world she permanently injured her voice far as the
opera concerned by forcing II in soprano roles in
OF English opera at New Orleans. Still she
always retained certain power OF musical
information of great effect upon the stage as she
proved the by the singing OF the simple Scotch
air, ooh, rest thee my darling, IN the play OF Guy
hannerng Givng up music forever % MSS ous ISM
made success In 1886 she played at the old Bowery
Theatre for one week, just before 1t was burned and
afterwards for two years filed utility parts at the Park
Theatre Here she studied her profession and LAID the
foundation OF her subsequent trumpha 1t was only
Meg herrilies The actress who TO have played
the character at the Park taken suddenly
Ill and Miss Cushman was required to per-
form il Mr. Curtis says:-'She went early the
theatre the evening of the play, hastily selected
contrived some suitable rags, and, finding deserted
quarter behind the scenes began rapid study OF Meg
The thought suddenly came TO her, III Berram, the
nursing OF the old gypsy, IS now grown man surely
her out TO be. must certainly put more truth into
my Meg When the moment of her entrance came
Braham stood expecting the usual conventional Meg
Merres but the FIRST words OF the old gypsy caused
him in veritable, Enacted surprise he turned
TO a weird being, wrnkled, bent holloweyed, a
staff clutched in her skeleton hand wonderful Co.'S
tune OF taters and faded colors, yet witha n
presence of power and grandeur, dignity and
Command iu speech and voce No wonder IL reused
abe great tenor to Efforts Amer the curtain had
fallen on the first act Miss Cushman hurried TO her
dressing TO the remainder Of the part
knock came TO her door, and her maid announced Mr.
BrahanL % heavenp thought the daring yet timid
actress has he come to overwhem me with his anger
Mt what | have donef But kind hand presses hers,
and warm thanks from the great singer for having
given him the most delighted SURPRISE the most pleas
urable sensation were sweet reward the and
henceforth the only Meg Merrilies Of the stage 'Oh
said Braham; had you done TO nights work on Lon
don stage your fortune would DO made. "
This PRESERVATION alone stamped Miss Cushman as
remarkable artist but her real greatness not even
then understood She visited England in 1874 and had
great difficulty in obtaining such an engagement as her
ambition longed for Helen Faucit Was then the great
English actress Charlotte Cushman I'M
known American There was an atmosphere Of in
trgue aud rivalry then about the London stage but 1t
Is to the credit OF MISS Cushman that she declined TO be
made the instrument OF the enemies OF her only
rival She would not take Miss FauciPs place
TO please theatrical cdbdL Therefore she renamed
IN obsourty, and actually IN poverty and abded her
time She had oved TO stake her whole reputation
upon her success as a tragedenne in London. Colonel
Forney who heard this story from Charlotte Cushman
they sat together at midnight few years ago at
railway station waiting for their respective trains can
relate the history OF that eventu time better
than As he can tell H. and as he doubtless Will
tell It when be returns in few days to America II 10
like romance, which We feel II would be pity
spoil by an imperfect recital Il was
critical point in Charlotte Cushman's life But
she did wait in vain. On the 18th OF February,
ls45. she made her 1rst appearance in London
NJ the Princess Theatre as Blanca in "Fazo."
IL not till the third act Of this extremely
disagreeabie play that Miss Cushman made any i'm
preston. The applause that attended her delivery OF
the lines in that act the nrst she had in England
room at the end Of the act her maid,
Susie, filled with Joy, exclaimed, You've got
'em, mssus, you've got 'em." A writer in Appteton's
Journal says The passionate intensity OF the
Blanca electrified too the inert stocks with which she
was surrounded and they were involuniarily swept,
by the magnetic power that seemed radiate IRON
her, INTO something like rapport IN their acting.
But in fourth Miss Cushman earned everything
before her The mighty passion agony OF the
great empowering that the actress
tainted away Al its close and she had 10 be supported
IN front OF the curtain TO acknowledge the continued
and tumutuous thunders OF applause with which that
English audience welcomed The rise Of another great
light on their dramatic horizon. =
Charlotte Cushman remained for several years IN
London She sent for her sister susan who played
America and made her nrst appearance al the Broad
way Theatre, october 9, as Mrs Haler. In 1851 she
bade farewell 20 the stage and visited Europe making
her residence In Rome, but she too earnest 10 re-
Ia dleneSS Ia lS5I she again appeared upon The
American stage, and IN 1888 upon the Engsn. during
the she played frequently and her services were
literally gwen aid OF tue sanitary Commission tie
total amount her benefits Tor that charity beng almost
$1,000 Her hnal appearance an actress IN ia
city November J. 1874 al Booth 5 Theatre She
playep Lady Macbeth. The scene the Dung ciogs
OF her metropolitan At tho close Of the play
MISS CuShuan appeared on the stage, attended ~
many Of the most distinguished literary men Of New
York. poem, wsiten in her honor by Nr r. H.
SIoddard read by Professor Roberts. aod amer
ward Mr.. william Cullen Bryant the venerable poet,
presented her, behalf Of the Arcadan Club, with
wreath OF laurel In reply Mics Cushman SAID
"If the few words am about say SAVIOR ol egotsm
vanglory you Will, am sure. pardon me- nasmuch
here only 10 speak OF myself You would
seem 10 compliment me upon an honorable life AS
look back upon that lite II seeuA that IL would
have been absolutely mpossble-or me TO have led any