The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-17
New York HersidJ
Lillian ADELAIDE NELSON.


re,,.known actress died Sunday at the
Continental Hotel. Paris, and the cable dis
,,s,eh thai gives the news OF Lillian Adelaide
Sn,,son,s sudden death will bring strange
IA yarious emotions to the stage world
90 ,morica. II was In the ancient city
- Ssracossa. amid us olive groves
I'd VINEYARDS, that she first saw the
Wcht about Eve and thirty years ago.
uer father was a Spanish artist, her
n,o,her an Epglishwoman OF gentle birth.
The scenes amid which her early NE was
n,S.ed were directly calculated TO STIR her
,,osoination. During the greater part oil
,ha, neeiod her PARENTS resided IN Italy, ana
a D,s<ion for poetry in any form took pos
scsS,on ~ the girls mind, and at the age OF
,hirtcen-an age at which girls BON IN
shoe snnny cljmes SIZE almost w0men-her
,eoua,ntsnce with Engli'h and Italian litera-
iure wa, by no means inc0nSidtrable. Then
came the turning.poipt in her career. Du-
ring \ visit 10 Paris she saw "Pi edre ="
rlayed at the Thea're Francois. The per-
formance made deep impression on her
mind.
fug PROFESSION or THE PLAYER
nresented itself 10 her in It's most alluring
colors, aud she resolved 10 seek fame on the
stage. In 1865, being then in herSfiiteenth
wear, she appeared at the Margale Theatre
as Julia in 1.-THE Iiunchback." The event
seems TO have attracted notice, as few
weeks later she was representing Juliet at
the Royalty. Immature as the perfOi nance
was, II displayed ltallan-Iike warmth and
depth Of feeling, and Lady Becher miss
O'NeilD Joined many others in cOngratu-
nting The youthful dfbutdnte. Miss Neil
son Was not deceived by these compliments
into a belief that she bad little TO learn.
Every chance she bad OF charging her eX-
perIence OF the stage was eagerly taken,
and such chances were given TO her by the
production AZ the Princess OF the "Hugue-
not Captain" and Lost i'm London" at
the Lyceum of Life for Life" at the Cal
ety Of " 4 Life Chase" and "Uncle Dicks
Darling" and at Druy Lane Of Amy Rob.
sart" and Rebecca." In the intervals OF
these engagements she went about the couD-
try. The rapidity Of her progress was de-
monstrated in a series OF performances
which she gave at the Queens Theatre.
MISS NELSON'S JULIET.
said the Ahen0uDi, " is not lipe and sus-
tanned performance, characterized IN the
early scents by tenderness and grace, and
ascendin. toward the close TO tragic ele.
walton and lire that seem less art than inspi-
ration. Tue last waning faults OF sef-con-
seriousness removed, there will he nothing
TO say against this fine Interpretation" In
the anlumn IL 1872 Miss Nelson proceeded
10 America, and here as in Canada was re-
ceiyed with the utmost warmth. In the
course OF this tour she added 10 her roper
TORE the characters Of Beatrice, ROsalnd,
and Isabella in Measure Tor Mca-
sure" At Boston Mr.. Lopgfellow went
10 see her juliet. Il thank YOU"
be wrote to her, "for your beautiful
Interpretation OF this enchanting character.
] have never in my life seen intellectual and
pOetical feeling more eXquisitely COM
bined." But il was not until she took her
first farewell Of New York that the full eX-
tent Of Der success was made apparent
"The aspect of the theatre" said & contem-
poTary, "was scarcely less mOurnful than
brilliant. Since the night when Dickens,
with slow step and sad face, made his last
exit from the stage Of Steinway Hall.
there has been no theatrical occasion
in this city at once 30 animated with
cbivalry and touching with sense OF sor-
row and loss" Returning to London, Miss
Nelson appeared at the Haymarket in 1876
rs Juliet, Rosalind. Anne Boleyn, and Isa-
bella, and was not less well received than
went back TO America, where her popularity
continued TO increase. The story goes that
the members OF
THE RICHMOND LEGISLATURE,
percelying her in the ladies' gallery, found
ii impossible 10 proceed with their DusI-
ness. The critics seemed to lose their heads
in de5canting upon her merits. "The
house." says one, ''was literally in love
with her. There is fascination about her
that is Irresistible" This referred TO her
Viola, in "TweIfth Night" the character
in which she Iedppeared al the Haymarket
in the winter Ct lS11-'1S. Miss Nelson was
undoubtedly one OF the most gifted actresses
OF our time. Occasionally, 1t is true, she
would betrdy the consciousness OF the pre-
sence OF an audience, and never entirely
mastered the art OF delivering blank verse.
But against these defects we have 10 set q
combination OF rare qualilies-lmasinatiye
power, fire, tenderness, and grace.
Notwithstanding the brightness and finish
OF her ROsalind and Viola, it Is with Juliet
that her name Is, and will continue TO be,
most closely associated. Her southern origin
gave her eminent advantages here. The
richness Of her voice, The depth OF express
sion In her dark eyes, the seusuous grace OF
her movements, the burning energy OF pas
sion which she displayed as The tragedy
progressed-all this, so necessary In the
representation OF the beautiful Veronese,
could hardly be possessed by one not born
and bred under Spanish or Italian sky.
Her marriage 10 Mr.. Philip Lee, the son
OF an English clergyman, was not a happy
one. She amassed considerable fortune
during her stage career, and her diamonds
were worth at least 100000.