New-York tribune., 1882-03-12

melli1u0us aTtculatioBs Of Hiss Stephens reminded
tho critic frequently of Beriuotti. Her voice was
described rs very flexible. and only wanted the
confidence of habit 70 initiate, with success. the
tones Of every passion. IL was also admitted that.
in addition to her eXccllences a. a singer, Miss
Stephens acted with toIerable skill Her face was
said mot 10 lack animation and to be very
pretty" while 1t is amusing to read toucnug the
personal appearance of the future Countess Of Essex
I that her person aud dencaUOr although rot lady
like were far removed from vugarity" On the
whole the musical Aristsrchns Ci 1913 approved Of
Miss Stephens blndo"e and had no doubt that she
would be equally sneces'fnl ~ f"l'J IN The
BeggarS' Opera" The critic IN this instance wasa
true prophet for Katherine stephens created
almost rs great "A iuTore. ~ the heroine OF The
New gate PASTORAL a. nearly a hundred years be-
fore bad been created by The original Iyiiy, the
bcwltching LayiEia Fenton. IL is curious to re-
member that the Bcggars Opera" at tho old
" Garden" has given two Pollies TO the peerage.
Miss FentOn became Duchess OF Bolton aud Mss
stephens Countess OF Essex. II IS not less worthy
of note that. IN ISL the year following" kitty,V
debut n London Newspaper was deplurIug the
decline Of the popularity Of Miss Stephens" She
told that the p16lic had began to Withdraw its
favor from her She was compassionately reminded
that the English were not musical people. and
that, with the exception OF few national melodies.
their ears were incapable Of deriving pleasure from
any musical sounds. She was politely informed
that her popularity had arisen "paTtly from the
real admiration OF some people OF science. Dht
chiefly from the exceeding bLstle which the noisy
tribe of small composers and smaller music masters.
who will he eventually siill smaller composers
themselves, all continue TO make among their
warned that Z" a popularity so formed could not he
lastlng,' and ConSOled with the prospect when
few more months of busting applause were over o5
enchanting a select few with her sweet SCIENCE
As matter of fact katherine stephens retalued
her wonderful popularity wholly undimlnished Tor
In the year of her Maiesiy's coronation. 1888. 1t
pleased a peer Of the realm, VINO had only been
few weeks gwldOwer. to take unto himself a
second wife. The nObeman IN question was the
Earl of Essex. distinguished patron OF the drama,
and one OF the first to salute the rising star OF
Edmund Kean. The lady whom his Lordship
selected as his second spouse was the admirable
actress and vocalist, Miss Katherine stephens
She had attained the mature age OF forty ioqr Dut
mirer laid his heart and his COrOnct together WIN
a splendid settlement at her feet. lac lacetlous
James Smith, one OF The authors OF the " Rejected
Addresses did not omit to take note of the mar;
riage of the delightful vocalist ard hlgh-Innded
woman whose virtues were TO adOIn the Britlsh
arStocracy and in his Poetic illusions pub
lshed in 1910, alter eulOgZlng Miss farreh, VINO
became Countess of Derby; Hiss Boiton-anotheI
{oIiy-who was cspOused by Lord lhurlow; ana
Miss O'Nel!l, who became Lady Bechrr the barI
been qualified declining" so far back rs lsif
Thus wrote James Smith in 1888: Last OF this
dear delightful Lst-~Siost followed wondered In
IIynen's odds and evens Old EsseX caged our
nightingale, And finished thy treWTIc tae, LII
chanting Kitty stephens" Now miIth Is changed
to melancholy and katherine. Countess Do"a9Gr
of Essex is dead. 1t has been said that no EnAIlsl
singer before after her has ever built 80 pure ana
perfect an English style upon an elaborate ltalan
baSS ana llidJ nei purify Ithucl'h h'i
the very model OF what our nation calls cnarte
singing Thomas Neon Talfourd declared that
the same unaffected simplicity. the same quiet
pathos the same graceful tenderness which had
enchanted him in the Katherine stephens oil loif
remained unharmcd in 1880. when She was rs de-
lightful in Love in a Village rs she had been
delightful in PoiIy. Leigh Hunt. when he came
ont of jail declared that " Der bird like trlumphs
IN the part of P0liy were like nothing else heard
on the stage" and that they lett all competition
behind.D But triunphs are evanescent. and " me
circles of our ielictles make but short arches -;
and the enchanting Kitty stephens is dead Letlt
not bc Withdrawn from the record that tins pretty
hrltrd Earl was in every relation of life, simply
admirable that her kindness and charity were M
exhauStibe. and that her reputation was as un-
blemished as the new-fallen snow.