Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-20
MRS. ROUsBY.
The Sad End of a Famous Beauty's
Career.
Cor. philadelphia BuIlstin.l

london Cor, Philadelphia Bulletin.l
Mrs. Rousby is dead. The beauty
whose photograph was sold a few short
years since BY the million sleeps
after life's itful feyer'-and it was a
burning fever with her, poor thing
may we say "well?" Hers has been a
short life, probably in the estimation
of many a merry one, but l should be
sorry to think that its lessons were
accepted bv preachers against the
stage as typical of the kind of mont
tions which are generally to be found
in the actress career. When she, a
mere child, was married to Wybert
Rousby, that gentleman was the his
trionic idol of Southampton cher
birthplace and the neighboring island
of Jersey, at one of which places, if L
mistake not, she made her debut.
She was stage-struck, and not having
seen any dramatic hero that filed her
imagination as Rousby did, worshipped
him, and they were married. In.her
defense, it is alleged that the happi-
ness of their earliest married life
was married by his intolerable
jealousy. | cannot say whether or
not such was the case. At that time
their union did not appear 10 be
clouded in any way. He was averse
to her going on the stage, but she
Overcame his objections aRd appeared.
Her success was not SO instantaneous
as people who afterward saw heri in the
zenith Of her popularity might have
imagined. Indeed, TO the last of her
preliminary training in the country at
theaters where Wybert Rousby had
established himself, it was he who
remained the favOrite. Roushy is a
relative IF Mr.. W. P. Firth, r. A.,
who is a friend of Tom Taylors. On
the occasion Of a visit which the"lat-
ter distinguished dramatist paid to
Jersey. he saw Mr.. and Mrs. Rousby
in a round of characters, and-the
Fortune of the couple was made I!
Taylor gave expression to his enthuSi-
astic admiration OF Mr.. and Mrs.
ROusby in a letter, which was pub
hshed in the British Press and jersey
Times, and then. on his return to
London, proceeded to procure them
an appearance. The Fools Revenge
was followed, | believe Il am writing
entirely from memory, by 'Twixt Ak
and Grown, in which powerful drama
Mrs. ROusby made her triumphant
hit. / need not trace her career step
by step, nor say much about her act
ing. She was pretty, picturesque, IN
stacy. She became the rage. The
sealed doors of society were open to
her. She lost her head. At what
particular point in her career she
= went wrong" | do not care to in
quire; the first disclosure duplicates
her and a young actor, a married
man. who Is now in America, and
thereafter her downfall was rapid
enough. 1t was no secret that she
drank 70 excess. Latterly she pre-
sented an appearance which, compared
With the singular beauty and freshness
Of face that captiVated all London in
1TWixt AK and Crown was shock
ing. The little histriOnie power which
she once possessed left her altogether.
| believe the last engagement which
she fulfilled was at the Bjou Theater,
Bayswater, a little band -box Of a
house in the Kensington district,
which is almost unknown to London
playgoers-a house chiefly patronized
by amateurs. | say fulfilled an en-
gagement | ought rather to say the
last time her name was printed ia a
bill IN connection with an engagement
| wonder on whom deyolyed the duty
Of providing the poor creatures obse.
quies. Her husband, from whom sh,
has long been judicially separated, il
in Jersey. Where is that gallanI
Baronet-the Crimean hero, one o
the noble six hundred"-who. fol-
some two years past, has been hol
PROTECTOR" Poor Mrs. Rousby
Her brief life should have had
flirer end. She played the part of .
Perdita (readers who are familia
with the social life of the FourtI
George will understand the allusion)
aud her reward was even sadder thai
that which the Georgian beaut
earned.