Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-26


given. know thst Mafs Andersen,
for instance, for Rhsm, BY the bye, /
have the highest regard, although |
have never seen her, makes the char
acter statuesque throughout. With
out meaning to criticise, it yet seems
to me that once the statue is imbued
with lite it is no longer a statue. 1t
is not the feet alone that are given
life, but the whole body, and there
does not seem to me any reason why
the limbs should be flesh and the gar
ments and headgear remain marble. 7"
When the manner OF her treatment
By the press was alluded to Mrs.
Langtry seemed about to become seri-
Gus, but suddenly broke into hearty
laugh There is no denying the fact, !"
said she, that there are many enters
prising gentlemen connected with
the newspapers. | have more than
once enjoyed the luxury of reading q
column or more Of an interview with
myself, not one word Of which | had
uttered. The last time, strange to
say, was in staid and proper Balti-
more wouldn't mind it so much if
they did not make me say such silly,
foolish things. In the last case, for
instance, | go into rspturous trans.
ports over the beautiful ladies of
Baltimore, and all sorts OF silly gush
| is put into my mouth, In one place |
am made to express a desire to rush
out before the fOotlights and clasp
some of them to my hesrtl No mat
ter how much | might think Of them,
| would not speak SO sbsurdly as that
However" smiling pleasantly, I've
got quite used to it now"
you have been somewhat harshly
criticised by some Of the newspa.
pers2" pursued the reporter.
The smile disappeared. Mrs.
Langtry paused a moment before
speaking. When she did speak it
was earnestly and impressively.
Il have avoided responding to the
comments of the press" she said.
Possibly my silence has been con-
strued by some into an acknowledg,
ment of the justice of the criticisms.
1t was simply sense Of dignity that
restrained me. Then, too, | reasoned
that | was a public character and
liable to be attacked--not, however,
to have such cruel things said of me
as have been said. However, | could
have patiently endured it had [ alone
been attacked. But do want to say
that | think the manner in which my
sister-in-law, Miss Langtry, has been
sp oxen of is shameful, unmanly to the
last degree. 1t is said that we quarN
relied and parted because Of the at
tentions she received from gentles
man. 1t is false. 1t was at my sug
gestion that she remained at Toronto,
where we both have friends. 1t was
agreed between US that she was to re.
turn home, because, in the first place
she did not like America. The gen.
tleman to whose care | confded hel
was an cid and intimate friend of both
| We often visited his home and were
on the closest terms of friendship with
his wife. They came to New York t.
take the steamer; but, if you remem
Der, the City of Richmond was dis
abled and they we're compelled to re
main here for few days. When
came here |, of course, visited them
and then it was said that there haC
been reconciliation" Oh, it wa
shameful, the way in which that poo
| girl was malignedl For myself l vii
say this, in conclusion" and Mrs
Langtry spoke even more impressively
81 am eight and twenty years of age
Eight of those years we're spent il
London, where there are more temp,
tatious a hundred fold than there arr
here. Do you suppose that after
passing through che temptations O.
London life | would come to Amerioi
and abandon myself to the wickednesl
charged against me? have spoken
: freely to the Herald-more freely thar
| have yetspoken. Twill add simply
this: The American press has treated
my histrionic efforts very generously
Aside from that some of the papers
have spoken very unkindly of me.
F am a woman and defeQseless. If they
think it manly or chivalrous to con
tinue their attacks | presume it il
| | Al -, ,,,.r.lono - l. - ~