Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-01-08

No. $50, by her California husband
and, for a while, seemed comparatively
c~ontented. Spiritualism was her mex
hobby, and her parlors were open t.
pretty much all Of that peculiar class
She then got another stage fit, and
played a brief engagement at Woods
Broadway theatre Originally opened
as Broughan's Lyceum), anda lso short
seasons in other cities, returning to
England in August, 1866, somewhat
disguised with her native people, her
performances being failures here. She
next appeared in Liverpool.
Adah's first great engagement in
Paris, at the Theatre de la Gaiete1 in
Les Pirates de la Savane, commenced
on Sunday night, December 30, 1866,
upon which occasion the PriEses Je-
rome and Lucian, with their suites,
were present. She was called before
the curtain nine times the first night.
The receipts of the first eight nights
were 346,0 00f. She continued to play
at the same theatre for one hundred
nights, to immense houses, and upon
the hundredth and last night Napoleon
Ill, the Prince Imperial, King Of
Greece, and Duke of Edinburg graeed
the theatre with their presence, and
she was the recipient of many costly
presents. In June of the following
year she went to Vienna, and appeared
in the same play at the Theater der
Wien.
Menken reappeared in London for
the second time at Astley's in 0cto-
Der, 1867, and for the third time in
January, 1868. In April she appeared
at the Pavilion Theatre, and closed
there on the Both Of May in Mazeppa.
1t was her benefit that night, and last
appearance MAY 30, 1859, on any
stage.
Prior to leaving her residence in Col
den Square, London, for Paris, Menken
was failing in health and figure. In
fact, the last engagement at Saddler's
Wells Theater showed too plainly the
general breaking up of her system.
She had to bandage her swollen ankles
to make them presentable; her arms
became emaciated as her limbs grew
more and more swollen, and she used
to weep bitterly as she saw her once
magnificent figure becoming daily
more and more distorted.
She was under contract to play at
the Chatelet in Lies Pirates" but
never even rehearsed her part.
From Paris she was ordered by her
physician to Bogenal, in the South Of
France, but she grew no better. The
Parisians, always excitable, were on
the qui vive for La Belle Nenken's
temperance, and the managers Uf the
theateF had been lavish in preparation.
All this time dropsy, consumption and
nervous prOstratiOn were doing their
deadly work. In vain the managers
begged her to come to rehearsal, and
every successive appeal was met by
poor Adah saying, Il need no rehear-
sal, l know my part by heart" From
being courteous they became harsh
and insisted on her going. The
poor woman was growing ieebler
and feebler her attendants hated
70 tell Dumaine, and La
Roche how bad she really was, and
becoming desperate, they sent parties
to compel her to go to the theater, as,
if Menken failed to appear on the
opening night, ruin stared them in the
face. Upon demanding to be shown
Menken's apartments the last time,
her maid, Susette Ellington, said /.
You'll find the object of your search
in yonder ROOM" They opened the
door, but to their horror found the
lifeless body, for on that morning,
August 10, 1868, poor Adah's spirit
had taken its fight, let US all hope to
a world where yenOmous SANDER is
unknown. She died calmly, and was
sensible to the last. A Jewish Rabbi
administered words of comfort in her
dying moments. The piece was pro-
duced with Mile Sarah DOVE as the
star. but it was a comparative failure,
and 500 taken from the boards.
On Tuesday, August 13, the remains
were taken to Pere la Chaise. There
were but fourteen followers, and not
an actress among them-Dunlaine,
Charles Lemaitre, Pauline Maurier,
George Parker, Lizette Ellington, and
a few others. Her stage horse was led
through the streets of the gay capital
to the cemetery gates. l will venture
to say that fewer people attended
Menken's funeral than had she been
some unknown grisette. 1t was a sad
end to so grand a career, the short
nine vaare ~ bar stooo l;ea