, 1880-08-22

a cablcgram FROM London yesterday tell:
us of the death of Mrs. Charles Kean, a grea
actress i'll her day. Before she became Mrs.
Charles kean she was known rs Ellen Tree
The year Of her birth is stated to be 1906
and the place OF her birth is said to have
been London, England. Ter first appearance
i'll public was made at the Theatre Royal,
Covent Garden, London, i'll tie character OF
Oltut1' in Shakspenre's "Twe1fth Nisht,''
and she retired from the stage OIL the death
Of her husband, which occurred Jan. % q, 1865,
having been before the public for
over forty years. On the. 12th 'of
December, 1886, she first appeared
OH the American stage at the old Park Thea
tire, New York, as Rosnli7ld. As Ellen Tree
she is associated with the early days of the
drama i'll America, and the grandfather OF
the New-Yorker Of the present generation al
ways speaks Of her with degree Of respect
and admiration that no woman since her time
has been able to evoke i'll America She be-
longed to what our few centenarians will still
Insist upon styling the ~paln,y days Of the
drama indeed. She kept the throne Of tho
Old Park Theatre for some time. Her first
rival there was Airs. Shaw, who afterwards
became the wife of the manager, Thomas
Ham bin, and we think they were both at
tached 10 that company during the
early days of Cushnna1l's apprenticeship
Ellen Tree was most essentially classic
actress,-classic not only i'll the sense Of be-
ing q Shakspearean actress of q great degree
Of ability, but also in the fact that she seldom
condesceuded to play anything that critI-
cis1n rightly OF wrongly considered nom
classical. Long after the severity Of
Talfourd's sion" had driven 1t from
every other stage, the grace and
beauty OF Ellen Tree in the presentation Of
the Greek boy kept the work before the
American public, aud it would be difficult to
persuade those who yet remember her in the
part that even Macready himself eqIa1ed her
gestiyehess that she bestowed. upon lie
role. 1t was the fashion for many
years to consider Ellen Tree the La1ni-
solhest WOMAN on the stage. She could
scarcely be said, however, TO deserve this
perfect; put when animated i'll the reflection
9f the roles which best fitted ler,-sucll as
lon, lfariannc III "The Wife'' Bin1ca,
Hcutricc in *'Much Ado About Notlling,:'
ifosattnd,Isfe was Indeed a thing Of
assisted tile illusion Of her performanct Of
Such parts us lun, looking Us she lid ike
sone s.n Greek statue Suddenly animated with
The personal character of Ellen Tree was
botl bot H. IN ENGLAND and in America,
coupled 50 much esteem with so much popI- ctd
lar lar,ty: She was 81 years Of age when She
starred through England aud the BRITISH
America in ISIS. With 'o'nSH stqanse 70
ahnegauon of selfish vanity which is so SCI
tan a1m separated from talent on the stage, she
the slightest lnur1nur, and always seemed
to feel more delight at the applause
bestowed upon him than that layisheI
u upon On herself: She played such petty parts
ss a;al dhe 81, peasant woman in g Louis X." when
!lis best role; When RI be II playcd yi'4 5iacs T
md when he enacted s 14e9eln; HGmlet;
'ie lnvnrlabiy played the Queen, lest some
ess skiiilui OF experienced actress Should in-
o @ produce m in the closet-scene OF that play.
When Ellen Tree returned to this corntrr
agaln II 1st.a her appearance caused a thrill
= ,1eh3ssp halsappointmen5 She had been absent
t 8 lad also s5 bef 6efe dra mad e 'S
ire ire that might once have satisfied 4
cuip5or as a model for Mcrcura
u ne Dnteh aeh,s school for either washerwolnan
apaclty as an actress there remained
!ot even the beauty Of voice, for whirf,
ne was once so famed. Time had rem
ered me once sweet notes harsh and gut
Ia, sr,, aad II WIS only at intervals in the de-
nee full eye that even her warnest admirers 1
Old could recognize the Ellen Tree thaf
ad charmed their bo,hood. "'
Charles kean was i man, well fitted tn
lch j wife as Ellen Tree. Cross, nervous.
UrOSP, aud Jealous he triad har I