Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-26

Causes OF Her Success and an
estimate of Her womanly
character.


Philadelphia manager, VIII 'se memory
The Sunday Mirror will doubtless
pleasantly refresh. When this mana-
rer-never mind his name-was play
ing the late Edwin Forrest in Phila-
delphia, a certain bucolic gentleman
from Norristown used to come down
to see the performance. When it was
over be would 60 to the manager and
say. &c., this thing is an imposition,
Forrest can't act. He is merely a
shouter. | feel as if / have been de
irauded. / will never put my foot in
side Of a theater in which he plays =
The next night the manager would
SC him coming out Of the house, his
countenance wearing a look Of great
dissatisfaction. He would 60 up to
the manager and say to him: Nov |
am decided. This thing has gone too
far. The moro l see Of that man,
Forrest, the less | like him. | will
never pay a dollar to see him again Y
SO all through the week. Every
night the dissatisfied Norristown man
attended, and every night uttered the
same complaint.
On Saturday evening, the last of the
engagement, the manager had just
counted up and his share was so
big that be, naturally, felt in high
spirits. He was standing at the door
when the Norristown man appeared,
looking as dissatisfied as ever.
There is no way of pleasing YOU
said the manager. Here is Edwin
Forrest, who draws enormous crowds,
aud yet who you say can't act. Will
not anything suit you2 | begin to.
doubtit."
an tell you who l like said the
Norr:stown man. II like Il. L Dav
export. He is an actor. He is my
favorite. So thoughtful, SO intelligent,
so intensel Such versatility, such
culturel 1t is a positive delight TO see
himl There is an actor
About six weeks after this, the same
manager wal playing 3. L. Davenport.
The attendance was very light, and
the manager was standing at the door
looking wistfully at those who entered.
He happened 10 go IN to the sidewalk,
and there he encountered the Norris
town man making great speed.
"Ain't you coming inY asked the
manager.
mo" responded the Norristown
man.
But your fayorito, L, L. Davcn-
port, IS playing here.
THAT doesn't make any difference
But" said the manager in despair,
you said he was your favorite.'
80 he is" said the Norristown man
Ito talk about. When l want to see
acting, | go where Forrest is play
ing"
THE STORY
embodies, better than a any words Of
mine, the idea Of the public. There
are more finished, better disciplined,
more versatile, more scholarly ac-
tresses than Mary Anderson, but it
doesn't care TO see them. The hand
some Kentucky girl, with all her gen.
ius, and all her crudities. is more to its
liking. II finds in her performances
something not to be seen elsewhere
natural force, freshness, magnetism,
grandeur. have seen men argue for
DAYS about a stroke or two in oil, on
the ~couBtenance Of a painted picture,
but | never yet saw q man who OBJ
jected to take a tWenty-dollar gold
piece because the figure Of Liberty was
enthusiastically proportioned. Genius,
like gold, will pass current anywhere.
The metal is there. 1t makes no diff
ference what is the ornamentation
upon it.
In speaking Of Miss Anderson's ad-
vantages, it would be absurd to at
tempt to conceal one OF the chief ones
her private character. | have never
seen a man, however he might talk,
and whatever he might do, who did
not, somewhere deep down in his
heart, have a feeling of respect for
every good WoEan. There is no man
90 base and degraded, but feels an
honest admiration for any woman aud
every woman be thinks fit to be named
In the same breath as his mother and
sister. And crush this instinct as Gus
tom may, aud fashion seek to, it will
spring up just the same, and raise the
hearts Of men with it. A girl who
can join professional ranks, aud reach
the pinnacle Of its fame, without a
single stain on her good name, has
fought and triumphed in the battle in
which hundreds Of young girls perish
annually. Surrounded as the stage is
with temptations and pitfalls, to CON
quer where others tail is certainly
something Of an achievement. | be-
lieve that this is one Of the true causes
Of the high estimation in which Miss
Anderson is held, and explains what
so noted q writer as Colonel Forney
means, when, in speaking Of her, says.
"She has been the pet Of the public,
and has achieved fame and fortune for
the asking. She seems TO have walked
into the theater in the full develop.
ment OF all her powers" There is one
advantage with which
MISS ANDERSON HAD HAD NOTHING
to do. lallude to the fact that she
3 has found a manager 10 her immediate
family, one whose ~faithfulness, energy
and service has not been dependent
merely on the money he received. but
on a deeper basis. CONSIDERING that
the stage has always been invested BIZ
adventures, s%harpers, vagabonds,
hangers-on, that new actresses have
been the prey Of their rapaciiy ard the
plaything of their Incompetence, that
their ignorance has trampled down
and their improvidence destroyed the
best traditions Of The drama Miss
Anderson is, indeed, fortunate ia hav
ing nothing to do with them From
the very start Of her professiona
career, she has been well managed
The result is that she is to-day vel
established as an attraction. Ofcourse
good looks and the money 10 buy goot
clothes and the figure TO wear then
gracefully, are all important adjunct
to the success Of an actress. To hav
ones picture in every cigar store
every hotel, every stationery store
every photograph gallery in the Ian,
and in half the boudoirs, is a big ad
vertisement, but it is ono Of the effects
not one of the causes Of e~xtensiy