New-York tribune., 1884-01-05
THE FOREIGN MAIL.
A GLIMPSE OF MISS MILFORD.
James Pam IN tn, OornhiH

James COfnhif
Conceive what fuss would be made nowadays
about any woman in obscure country village whose
dramas were being played by the first actors OF the
day young and Macrcady were her expOnents) at
Drury Lane and COvent Garden! Yet this was the
case with Mary Russell Milford.
MY Riepz,n she says In a letter now before me,
"ran hundred nights in the best days of the
drama She used to tell capital story anent this
play, illustrative of the ignorance of great law
yers of matters Outside their own profession. One
of her Majesty's judges was calling on her IN her
village home and congratulated her upon the per-
formanco of her Rienzi," which he had Just been
to see ITS an ?dmiIaRiIs i psy he s said Has o, 1T
have surely read Of Rienzi' It's all in Gibbon yon-
der" and she pointed to that authors works upon
her Gro "ded bookshelyes is 1t indeedYa ne G, an
And he took away the fret rOlHRe.
To hear her narTate that story was as good as
any play. seem to see the dear little 2d lady now
IoOkinglike venerable fairy, with bright spark
ing eyes, a C lear incisve voice, and laugh that
carried you away with it. | never saw woman
wi h such an enjoyment OIL was about to say
joke but the word is too coarse for her-of pleas
antry. She was the warmest of friends and With
all her love Of fun alluded TO their weakness
es. For Talfonrd twhO did not know about
once told her what at that time new story
about his lion, tragedy" lie was very vain OF
that drama, and never missed an opportunity OF
seeing it acted, whether in town o. country, Some
wit who had tbs mar ated TO him, observed, but
surely he does not go to see lon noT that he has
How she laughed and then how grave she look
ed! ''You would not have told me that story, am
sure, my dear" she said, laying er hand upon my
III reproyingly, IF you had known thaJ IaltouId
is great friend Of mine" ,
IeXpectcd @ find the autbOreSs of "Our village
in a most picturesque residence, oyog0wn WIN
hOneysuckle and oses and set in an Oldf4Smoned
garden Her little cottage at Swallowteld, near
Reading did not answer this picture at all 1t was
cottage but not pretty placed whe ethree roads
mer with only piece of green before it. But if the
dwelling disappointed me, The owner ala not l
was ushered mp S airs for nj that time, crippled by
+ enmatiSm, 5 was unable 10 cave Ter O0m lntOa
small apartment lined with books from floor ceiling
and fragrant with flowers; its tenant rose from her
armchair witt difficulty, but WI sunny smile
and a charming manner bade me welcome. My
father had been old friend of hers and she spoke
of nv home and belongings as only woman can
speak of such things. Then we plunged IN medias
res-intO men and books. In the desk Above mem
toned here is letter of Charles Klngsleys which
describes Miss Milford very graphically as follows;
q can never forget the little figure rolled up IN
two chairs in the little SwalOwfed room. packed
round with books mp to the ceiling, on the iioor.
the little fgu with clio hes on, of course but OF
no recognized or recognizable pattern; and some
where out of the upper end of the heap, cleaning
under great deep globular brow, Two Such eyes aS
never. perhaps, saw in any othe Engilsh woman
though believe she must have had French blood
in her veins to breed such eyes, and such tongue
for the beautiful speech which came out OF mat
ugly lit was that face; and the gllfler ana dep
too of the eyes, like live cOals-periecty honest the
while no II lipS and eyes-theSe seemed 10 me 10 be
attributes of The highest French-or rather Galic-
no of the highest English, woman. In any case,
over flesh which gave the lie to all MatenalisIn,
and puts Professor Balm out of cOuat least out OF
CONT with those VINO use fair induction about the
men and women whom tley meet and know"
She seemed tome to have known everybody worth
knowing from the Duke of Wellington (hcT near
neighborD to the last verse-naker, whom had
insf snparseded: Inc had become the last hut one,
She Iaiked like an angel, but her views upon poet
ry, as a calling in ife, shocked me not ! tie: l
more upon that subject She said she preferred a
marriage de oonrenance to a love ma ch hecanse it
generally turned ont better. This surprises yOn,"
romantic person that ever wrote plays"
She was much more proud of ter plays (which
ad even tuen been wel-nigh forgottcn) than OF the
works bv which she was so well known, and at
that time brought people from the ends of the
eartl to see her