Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-02
TWO WOMEN.

We alluded the other day 10 the fact that
MISS Anna Dick nson's theatrical company
had been stranded in Detroit, where its man.
ager had abandoned it. The case, as far
as Miss Dickinson is personally concerned, Is
a curious aad sad one. As all the world
knows, she haI made great reputation and
accumulated handsome fortune as lee
turer; and though the lecture system is
now pretty much thing OF the past,
Miss Dickinson could still command
speak But in an unhappy hour she
was seized with the ambition to become
an actress, though she was woman
all OF whose traditions were opposed to the
stage, who, un9allant though 1t may be to say
it, had reached middle life, and who had
had no previous training in the profession
and who appeared TO consider such training
unnecessary. We'll, on the stage she We nt
and OF course she failed. The Judgment OF
the critics was altogether adverse and that Of
the people conceded with it, She then turn
cd from the East to the West, organized
company OF which she was the star, and set
out on tour This has now come to an end.
Her manag,r has deserted her and the com
plny has gone to pieces. After years of
hard struggle in hopeless enterprise she has
lost her old prestige, wasted her fortune and
has nothing to show for it all except disap-
pointed ambition.
So much for one woman. Nov Mrs. Lang
try is said TO have cleared last season more
than eighty thousand dollars. Thi: season it
l. likely enough that she will do even better.
On her opening night in this city she was
greeted with crowded house, tickets sold At
premium If rtarli or quite one hundred
per ceut ant one wnuli thinl; from the rush
to lie Opera iuusr ta,t IN actress OF tran
sccndent merit WIS to be seen. From Can
ada We hear lLn' tic desire 10 see her is as
great as i. Was here. The question natural
ly LriscS why Miss Dickinson is SO fiat
fsilnrr. financially, as au actress,
aud M's LanrtIy so successful.
T. be sac, Miss Dickinson is no actress, but
then neitltr Is Mrs. Langry, Miss Dicllin-
sons name is qii.e as Ne!l krown as that OF
Mrs. Lat gtry, Tor she has been prominently
before tie rul lie t'r scre Of years Why,
thea, should the public rash 10 sec the Eng
lish woman and turn the cold shoulder to
Miss Dickinson ? The answer is not par
ticulaIly tlallering one for ,ur people, but is
it not that no,oriety is better advertisement
than an unscltsh and philan,hroplc life-that |
we are burning with desire to see the wo. |
man of whom all the newspapers are
talkirg-that we wou!d not 70 around the |
block to see an actress who appeals 10 US on
her professional merits alone and who has |
none OF the meretricious attraction born of |
newspaper notorieiy7 AS Miss Dickinson is |
woman of pure and unsullied life the pub.
lie doesn't care button about seeing her; II |
a colossal scandal attached to her name every
one would be crazy to see her on the stage.
There is, perhaps, a tinge of exaggeration
about what we have said, hut the underly-
ing fact is, we fear, but too true, Notori-
ETY. is card that draws powerfully with the
public Miss Dickinson's i'll SUCCESS is no
loss to the stage or to any one but herself
but ono eau hardly avoid drawing COM
pa'ison between her reception and Tat =!
Mrs. Langtry !