Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-08-26
A MAD ACTRESS.
THE EXAcTIoNs OF THE DRAMATIC
STAGE.
The Story OF Coralie walton-A Career
More Dramatic than Many Of the
Heroinss She Impersonated
[Journal Of psychological Medicine.

journal of Psychological Medicine
Every member of the corps dramatique
passes his life in a non natural and arti
fetal condition. His education is carried
on and completed on the stage by rehearsals
and public representations. accompanied
by private study. His reading is confined
to the authors, whose words he must COM
NIT to memory, whose sentiments he must
realize in his mind. in his heart and bear
ing. His associations are unreal his COM
psnions generally of the same excitable or
imaginative type as himself, the rewards of
his exertions or success are the applause
and appreciation of his simulated passions,
patriotism or merriment and bis position
in society, although not degraded and
branded as it once was, is still uncertain,
undignifed, and keeps him on the outside
of those ranks and grades upon whose
patronage and pleasure he depends.
He sees and knows the world through
tire footlights. His intercourse with his
fellow. men is chiefly when they cheer his
assumed greatness, wit or extravaganza
or when they denounce and hiss his
feebleness or failure. An eminent and
popular actor, who had passed his whole
life upon the boards and who hereditarily
seemed to be designed or prepared for
the destiny which he invited, has said !:
The result of my experience is that the
stage is the last occupation a Young man of
spirit and ambition should think of fol.
lowing, for this one reason, if for no
other-that it seems to cut him off from
the business of life and from the great
movements and practical working of the
world-the objects of worthy and legiti-
mate ambition. If employed, hard work
and small pay. As he. advances into the
position OF regular actor the amount of
study to be 'up in at short notice is
brain splitting; in some cases over study
has produced brain fever. Therefore. let
no rash youth, with soul above buttons, ;
adopt the stage as a means of elegant
idleness; If he he do he will be woefullv
mistaken when he finds that, after hard
weeks work. even Sunday is not always a
day of rest.
C0RALIE WALTON.
Coralie Walton is described as possessed
of great beauty and eloquence, of unim-
peachable moral department. but of a re-
served, reticent and dignified manner, and
in dress and ornament presenting the per-
feet personi6catiou of the modesty and
first seen at rehearsal, where she displays
a perfect knowledge of her part and the
regular business of the stage, and from
which she retires Immediately after, with.
out mingliDg in the familiarities and firta-
lions which occasionally, innocently enough,
take place on such occasions. Coralie
Walton is represented by the manager,
after years experience, as a most correct,
Xxi Il.
been admitted without introduction. but
as having won favor of the public so
triumphantly that she had been pro-
NOTED TO the position Of leading
actress. Her obliging disposition seems
to have tempted her employer to i'm
pose extra and extreme duties, which re-
Vealed how "quick she was in study" how
voluntarily she devoted her nights in order
A' to get up in new part" and the cheer
fulness and fidelity which accompanied all
these exertions, qualities which embold-
ened her superior to allude TO her former
experience and her home, an experiment
which provoked passionate demand that
he should never allude to her home again
The obvious reason was that she had seine
reason in shrouding her previous career in
cbscurity, and it is highly probable that
this constant effort to elude discovery may
have had an important and deteriorating
influence upon her mental and physical
constitution.
She ia depicted as Virginia. "the per-
lection of girlish beauty, the type of classic
grace, the ideal of feminine softness, all
tinged and shaded by a pervading sadness"
as displaying perfect acquaintance with
the lines OF the poet, as entering into the
tragic character of her part, but as betray-
ing tremor and agitation whenever either
approaches or illusions to love scenes
occurred. Insensibility follows the more
exciting passages, and it is observed that
the repeated application of handkerchief
to her lips Is to staunch the appearance of
blood. In Desdemona she is equally sue
cessful, but is equally abhorrent of all the
tenderer and impassioned incidents, and
reooils from the writer of the recital, who
acted Othello, but is so calm, and cold and
still, that in the death swoon he il para
lived by the apprehension that she is
actually dead and he tests his fear during
the action OF the scene by placing his hand
upon her heart, and to add to the seeming
reality Of the crisis the lady utters not the
required farewell injunction, nor any re.
spouse, remains mute and motioaless even
after Othello has used bis poinard, and
proves to have actually tainted either In
the organism or hysteria of her tempera-
ment, or in the stage Of some more serious
malady.
LOVER.
The next episode in this strange, un.
eventful history is the appearance of lovers
attracted by the beauty and isolation of
the fair Desdemona. One of these, ami
mated by violent passions, but base de.
signs, she Stunned; repealed with dignity
aud tirmness. An honorable protector es-
poused the cause of the injured lady and
emancipated her from further ANNOYANCE.
The chivalrous youth had become enamored
of the grace and talents of Coralie Walton,
and so sincere and pure was the affection
thus inspired that he determined to adopt
the stage as his profession and after pro-
longed study and tuition in this school, he
was incorporated with the company. This
handsome and accomplished auitor sue
ceedea In captivating at once the admira-
ton and applause of the public. and the
kindly feelings of the person whose attrac.
tons had tempted him. ''The course Of
true love never doth run smooth" and
although deep and exalted affection had
arisen between the parties interested,
the lover suddenly announced his de.
parturo for America, avoiding all
explanation of his conduct. She
who was, in some inexphcable manner,
the cause of this catastrophe, was seized
with brain fever. Shortly after her re-
covery she was called upon to act Ophe-
liza, and is described by the Hamlet of
the evening as agitated by tremulous and
spasmodic twitching of the face when he
took her hand and pronounced the words !:
81 did love you once" the contracrions
and agitations being intensified when she
replied Indeed, my lord, you made
me believe So" On the occurrence of the
passage :. Yon should not have believed
me. for virtue cannot go inoculate our old
stock bu. We shall relish of i'll loved
you not, the poor, trembling, agitated
girl becomes more and more the image of
distress and despair, evidently recalling and
sfinor eo,aa faJa1 krk