Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-14
ELLEN TERRY,s HUSBAND.
The Late Charles Kelly and How He
Came to be Divorced.
London Letter 20 P6iladelpkia Bulletin.

harvest OF professional men and women.
and the harvest still goes on. Within a
week three actors of repute on the Eng
lish stage have been removed, one amid
circumstances of a singularly sad and
dramatic character. Let me deal with
the most remarkable first. On Friday
last, after two days illness, Charles Cla-
Vering Wardell, better known as Charles
Kelly, the husband of Ellen Terry. died. to
the great grief of wide circle of friends,
not a few of whom loved the
dear fellow with an affection that never
can be nurtured on sour, ill-favored. un.
generous soil. He was a dear friend of
my own, and l doubt not Yesterday and
to-day many a pen found itself writing
words very much to the same purpose, so
thoroughly did he captivate those who
came within the range of his delightful
influence. Charles Claverirg Wardell
was the son OF county of Durham cler-
gyman, person high In the church, who
was twice offered a Bisbopric. The boy
was educated at ROssal, one of our most
distinguished public schools, and in the
tullness of time he entered the army, the
Sixty-sixth( Berkshire being the regiment
In which he received a commission.
Ihen, lmbued with passion for the stage,
mined to sink or swim as an actor, max
ing his professional debut as ''Montano,0
in "OthellO," at Hull. He was fortunate
in his friend and mentor, Fred. Villiers.
Nilliers was a splendid actor, and one of
the best stage managers that ever lived.
l need not follow Kelly-as | may call
bim-step by step. He married a bright
little Irish actress named Kelly. She
acted as Miss Kelly for years, and en-
lOVpd VNhllp GhN liUo6 ia Id
Of true happiness. 1t was during her last
year that first came to know
my friend. He, most de-
voted husband, nursing his wife
through her last illness with the tender
ness of a woman, and, as it were, living
only in and for her. Years after, when
ne had been associated with S0thern, bad
been allied with Charles Reade in the
production of some of his pieces, and had
otherwise made name as the best OF
what are now called the Reserved Force
School of Actors, he met with Ellen Terry.
de met her, as actors say, Sin business"
They were both acting at the Court
Theatre In "New Men and Old Acres -
she was playing the part of the Young
girl who, in spite of herself, yields to
the charm of her rough, plain, honest
SultOr's simple and vet noble nature
while he was figuring as that sutton
What might almost have been predicted
happened. Those who have met Ellen
Terry know her inyincible power. She is
the most fascinating woman in the world
when she cares to throw her spells
around. She threw them around Kelly
II may be single-heartedly. | cannot saw
1t may be that she appreciated some of
his good qualities-she could not help
that, I should imagine. ANYHOW thew
We're engaged. 1 knew ard saw a good
deal OF poor, dear Charley at that period,
and l well remember how full of rapture
he was at the thoughts of his future. We
some OF us, at any rate-were dubious
We-some of us, at any Tate-yemem-
bered Tennyson's poem, ''The Grant
mother" and applied it. Nelly had
trpped in her time; would she "trip
againY We hoped not: we believed not.
If ever the woman had had chance in
life it was here when the strong. brave
hearted man and she engaged themselves
TO be man and wife. He would keep her
together if anyone could. The case of
Watts against Watts and Goodwin was
tried in the Divorce Court. Mr.. J. F.
Watts, r. A, charged his wife, Ellen
Watts (born Terry. with having COM
mltted adultery with Mr.. Goodwin. +. S. A..
and friendly witnesses, among the rest
the late Tom Taylor, were called
on behalf of the prosecution. 1t
was a short case and it came to
a foregOne conclusion. She obtained
ga decree nisi,' in the course of the
allotted time the legal separation of the
1ll-assOrted pair was made complete. and
Charles Clavering Wardell, actor. mar
ried Ellen Terry, actress, the two there
upon going into business as actors for
their joint and several benefit. l cannot
say when the little rift within the lutte
was first apparent, but there came a time
when il was borne in ulOn us that
Charles Kelly was not happy. | make no
accusations; ! murmur no innuendOes: |
merely state facts. From the time
Ellen Terry became a member of
the Lyceum Company and her
of course. professionally associated with
that OF Henry Irving, the unbappnass of
Kelly's married life began. Ellen Terry
is Eighty; that is admitted on oil hands.
Her own mother has been heard to speak
of her as ''my mad Ellen" She is greedy
of praise. That is also manifest. You
cannot lay it on too thicklv as long as
you apply the brush and trOwel with
some regard to artistic effect. It was
obvious that there was more money TO be
made. more kudOs to be gained by acting
with Henry Irving than there was by act
ing with her own husband. Gradually the
gulf widened. Kelly himself, although
never a drunRard, as fOul-t0ngued
slanderers have avOuched, not tippler
in any sense, may have sought the sOlace
in the society OF sympathetic friends at
his club the Savage) which he found not
elsewhere. Anyhow. the gulf widened
still more. Then we heard that he and
his wife were living apart from each
other Following this were the triumphal
tours through the provinces and America,
one man dying the while, as much of a
broken heart as Of any other maady,
and then, almost on the day of Ellen
Terry's return to England, the big
hearted, nOble-souled gentleman. the
steadfast friend, the bright, honest,
sternly straightforward man and true ar
list dies. i shall never believe augbt nut
what It was the prospect Of her imminent
return that killed him. Only three weeks
previously Henry Lee, the naturalist. and
] sat with him for four hours at the Wig
wan Tub, pleasing him, poor fellow, and
ourselves, for we really meant and be-
lleyed II, with the expression OF our de-
light at his improved state of health. He
was much better. We sat next each
other in the stalls of the Adelphi on
the night Of the production Of
GEORGE r. Sims new drama and, /
never knew him I'm better or brighter
spirits. He had a fund OF caustic humor
ana very pretty wit. and some of his
criticisms OF the piece were IN his happi-
est vein. / was with him the day before
he fell i'll. and so flatterinp was his an