Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-06
OUR MARY.
EnthuIiaStie Reception Of Mary
Anderson at the Lycsum Thea
ter, London, England.
Our EngItsh cousins Delighted
With the star-Mary's 0pIn-
ION Of England.


LONDON, September 3.-Previous to
Miss Anderson's debut a press GORE.
spondent called upon her and had .
short talk with the iair American as
to her impressions Of England. Miss
Anderson said she was charmed with
London and those places Of historical
interest there impressed her beyond
her ability to tell. She was especially
impressed by a visit to the Tower, and
found the repose OF London abso
lutely seductive after the hustle OF
New York. She thought the theaters
wonderfully well managed, and APP
proved OF ladies taking of their head
gear when there. With reference to
Irving, she thought him q great artist,
and was sure he would please the
Americans. English audiences we're
colder han American, and apt to be
hypercritical. She felt nervous as 10
the results Of her appearance before
one Of them. but anticipated success.
Miss Anderson had been sufficiently
long in London to have become per
sohRlly known to many Of the leaders
Of the art world Of the metropolis,
and it must be admitted that she had
scored a preliminary triumph in win
ming golden opinions Of herself Is q
woman before the opportunity Of
Judging her as an artist had been
given. She had been warmly taken
by the hand by some Of the most
potent arbiteTs Of artistic fate, and
the presence Of . large and brilliant
first night audience was assured to her.
Still, If it were certain that there
would be q large audience, il was
equally certain that it would be q
critical one, and that her %laurels, il
they we're to be worn. would have to
be won by artistic merit calmly judged
by the canons which have been set up
by that most e~xigeaut Of London
assemblies, q Lyceum first night audi
ence. This fact was known to none
more thoroughly than To the debu.
tante herself. The house, which has
long witnessed the highest e1hibi.
ITEMS Of English dramatic art, was
crowded, and it seemed as though the
whole Of artistic and critical London
was assembled within its walls, The
debutante's reception in the first act
was distinctly friendly, and soon be-
carne tinged with enthusiasm. Her
figure was seer to be commanding
from its height, although girlish in its
supple in and almost s~erpentine slen.
derness, and the simple and colorless
drapery in which she had dressed 10
the part OF Parthenia lent grace TO her
pose and carriage, which we're always
statuesque, without bearing the least
impress of study or self-oonsciousness
The white robed figure, with sinuout
arms barred to the shoulder and abun.
dant brown hair hanging freely from
the shspely head, with the tremulouE
mouth and the curl OF the short upper
lip Involuntary suggests pathetic
power was a revelation, even to thosi
OF the audience who had seen this fail
girl in the conventional dress Of tn,
drawingroom or the promenade, anC
the ice OF criticism rapidly melted il
the glow of an involuntary enthusi
assn
When at last she began to speal
her richly modulated voice provoked
another salvo Of applause. DurinI
the earlier portion Of this act Il erI
was a slight tremor, and the actres
, seemed hsIdly at her ease, but thi
quickly wore away, and she becam
the noble, animated heroine of th
| half savage, half idyllio romanee 0
"lngomar." The applause was gener
ously renewed at the close Of Parthe
MAS interview with PolydOr, in whicl
the maiden's noble devotion to fila
love and duty was powerfully por
trayed, and her speech in which shI
fOreshadows her resolution Of self
sacrifice WAS enthusiastically rede
manded. At the close Of this act shl
was twice called before the cur
tain and a~pplauded to the echo. TIL,
same recognition was given at the enc
of the second act, and floral Offering
were rained upon the stage.
The third act confirmed the verdic.
of the other two, and decided beyond
cavil the triumphant success Of thu
debut. Mr.. Barnes, the Ingomar o
the play, was twice. compelled to leaG
Parthenia before the curtain, and the
cultured critics of the metropolis AGAR
became the claquers ofone o the most
speedy and spontaneous successes Of
the London stage After the perform
ance the more deliberate judgment Of
the foyer and the clubs vas found To
have ratified the verdict Of the play
hsuse. 1t was decided by the coolest
of the critics that Miss Anderson
performance had CHALLENGED the high
eat standard Of criticism, and bad
fairly stood the ordeal; that she was
equal to the best opponents Of the drR
matte art in England, and that in
voice and gesture, in play Of wit and
ianoy aud in the delineation Of human
passions and human emotions she has
shown herself worthy Of the ovation
which her genius has enforced.