Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-01-11

splendld success, and Is, OF course,
very enthusiastic. Florence, my
baby, | call her, is only sixteen. She
has beautiful voice and will give us
chance to be proud of her.
Your family seems divided in the
talents
" Yes, | think Blanche and Flor
ence inherit their musical talent from
nay father He had very fine voice,
and came near going on the operatic
stage. Indeed, he once sang in The
Bohemian Girl. "
" And the others"
" Well, May acts, you know, and my
little brother will be another George
Fox. 1t was thought as child that
| had very good voice. | remember
Nine Celeste telling me when l was
about twelve years old that my voice
had, the same qualities as Titien's, but
using it on the stage so much has i'm
paired it for singing"
" Then you are all before the pub
lic?n
" Yes, beginning with my mother,
though excepting my brother Edgar,
who has n0 inclination for it. "
The experience and teaching of
your parents must have been of great
advantage
You will think it strange, perhaps,
but my father never taught us any
thing of acting"
But you received training else
where p
"No, none, My father used to say,
You have talent; form your own con
ception of the character, work it out /;
don't be parrot. | remember when
made my debut at eight years of age
as king Charles" 1t was at my
fathers benefit, and l begged him to
help me, but he would not.
You think this sort of self training
good2'
"Yes. | believe the best way for
beginners, if they have the talent, is
tn join a good stock company and work
up gradually; all the dramatic and elo-
cutiOnary lessons in the world will not
do as much. 1t is far better to climb
up the ladder step by step than it is to
be tied to it and have ladder and all
raised. As to beauty, if an actor or
actress has it, so much the better, if
not, so much the greater must their
genius be in order to make the audi
dience forget their lack of it,
Janauschek is notable instance
Of the latter?'
Yes, and so is Irving, the English
actor, and | think the greatest ON the
stage. He is like an ugly caricature
Of Booth, with little bits of twinklmg
eyes, dark skin, and one leg so much
shorter than the other that he walks
with a decided halt. | almost dreaded
to see him as Hamlet" but, do you
know, his acting was so wonderful
that no one could think of his looks
Yes, | believe Irving and Marie See
bach to be the two greatest artists on
the stage.
What are you studying now, Miss
Davenport2"
"'Cymbeline. prefer the legiti-
mate drama, and mean to confne my
self to it in the future as much as pos
sible."
And your new play, 0livia?"
II like and am very curious to see
how it will take here You see, it is
very English, and not the modern
English that Dickens dramatized."
By the way" continued Miss Da-
venport, is it long since Clara Morris
was here?"
Her last season was in the sum
mer, = replied the reporter.
[ would like to see her very
much, continued the lady. "She IS
a charming companion, and always so
bright. The last time | saw her was
the first night of Olivia. She was
looking very i'll and came between the
scenes to speak to me. / was sorry
afterwards to see those reports regard
ing her domestic unhappiness.'
Do you believe them2"
cannot and think even If such
we're the case, she is much too proud
woman to complain.
Marriages in the profession are
not often happy?'
That idea" said Miss Davenport
warmly, is very mistaken one. |
know ofno happier domestic lives than
many could name in our profession.
Take Mr.. and Mrs. Robson, for in
stance, Mr. aRd Mrs. Mckay, and
host of Others
"And in regard to the question Of
stage morality"
II am sorry to say there are grounds
for its questions IN some instances, but
there are many good and YiFtuous
women in the profession. A woman
has only to exact respect by her con
duct aud mode Of life, and it will be
paid her The sweetest thing to me
in the world is the homage paid to
Fanny Davenport, her fathers daugh-
ter, not Fanny Davenport the actress.