Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-12
AN ACTRESS 1T HOME.
How Queen Of the stage Passes the SUM
mer Holiday in Rural SecluSion.

How a. Queen Of the stage Passes the sum
mer Holiday in Rural >eclusion.
"HOw do YOU pass the summer"
wrote an almirer Of Fannie Davenport
to that fayorite actress. The question
elected a prompt reply from the lady
who in private life is Mrs. Edwin Price,
from her beautiful country home near
Canton, among the Pennsylvania hills
" In the quiet Of the glorious Fourth
1or It's as silent as the grave here |
am going to answer your question.
You ask how i, who spend so much of
my life in the glare of the footlights,
can endure the monotony Of country
life. Endure it. 1 revel in it; but,
then. find no monotony in it. Not
day nor an hour but has its own duty,
its own pleasures. Is it not strange
the public think we live differently
from other people; Still, the curiosity
in regard to our lives at home is, |
think, compliment, for it means celeb
rity abroad.
Since coming to my home, few
weeks ago, | have gone over my house
from cellar to attic ; have hung some
three hundred pictures have put up
curtains, have put down carpets,
washed paints, and secured windows
in fact, can think of nothing about a
house | haze not done. Now that
have come forth from this chaos Of fur
niture, chira, pictures, tins, bric-a-
brac, etc, what d0 do?
well. rise az < o'clock, and after
my bath and coffee ! go like a true
housewife into my kitchen, into my
pantry and Lard, right what is wrong,
and give my orders for market and di-
rectiOns to the cook. together with the
details so familiar to every housekeeper.
/ My fine china and ornaments are my
next care. and then devote myself for
a couple Of hours to my books. | am
takitg an inventory Of them, for
pride myself on my library, and think
have the finest collection of books
of any woman in the country. have
chosen them myself, buying them gradu-
ally. ! have always had an ambition to
own library, and when | went
on the stage | made rule from
the first of buying book a week.
Sometimes it was a complete set,
more times it was single volume,
The foundation, however, to my library
was a little book, a wee Testament
with the following inscription on thC
fly-leaf: Miss Davenport. From hel
pareots. September 8. 1883 There
followed a scriptural verse. The frs
book, OF books, | ever bought wa
Dickens, n secondhand set, for which
paid, | think, q. This was the nu
cleus 80 my present large collection o
books.
I'VE live here in true country fash.
ion, dining at o'clock after which
study Il am busy now on Lady Mac.
beth, and Medea } or write until tn,
sun begins TO 90 down. and am off 70,
my gallop over the hills, followed by
my beautfU, deer-hounds. which
brought with me from San Francisco
and which were present during IN,
engagement there. They are magnif
cent animals. named Frisco and Scout
After tea, at :, another good, old-fash
Toned hour, | walk over to my mother,
house, little distance from mine, OF
the family come to spend the evening
with me. We invariably spend oul
evenings with music, cards. or other
games. Our latest fancy is for Pro
gressive Euchre.' One night we PLAY
at mothers Mrs. T.. L. Dayenport's)
the next at Frank Mayo's, whose coun
try-seat adioins mothers; the next al
my home. My summer life is unevent.
full, but so peaceful, so happy.
II have my horses. | call one
BILL after Mr.. Sykes another Peg,
after Wellington. Nancy called fol-
Mrs. Sykes, is small terrier. have
game cock, named 'Tharon, and a
hog, named 'Bouncer,' after Mistress
Bouncer, Of Regular Fix fame. And
so holiday-time passes pleasantly, hap
/ PLY, and oh so rapidly"