Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-17


rience in theatrical and other business,
10 whom she declared herself quite pre-
pared to sacrifice every feeling OF pei
sonal pride IL by such sacrifice she
could secure o solid, permanent good
to her family. The advice Of her friend
was to put her pride out Of the ques-
ton and to persevere under the circum-
stances, and, indeed, under any other
discouragements which might in the
future be thrown in her way. This
counsel was wisely taken by Miss
Bolton, and by her exertions she
soon obtained g hold upon the favor
of the public which daily grew
in strength up TO the time
of her retirement from the stage. Not
alone was she q success as vocalist,
but as an actress, in such parts as Lady
Grace in 1.-The Provoked Husband"
she was most acceptable. One OF the
most memorable Of her professional
triumphs was that Of Ariel in
Shakspeare's Tempest" to which
her natural endowments, both per-
sonal and vocal, combined to lend an
unusually superior charm. This charac-
ter exactly suited her delicate figure,
lady-like department, and gentle cast
Of countenance, which had in it an ex-
preston Of candor and innocence, and
she was, in very deed, the "deli-
cate Ariel" Of the great dramatist. At
one Of the representations Of the play
the poetical Baron Thurlow, the nephew
and successor Of Lord-Chancellor Thur
low, happened to be present, and his
lordship was most powerfully i'm
pressed by the modest gracefulness of
the Ariel of the night. He became
violently attracted toward the theatre
and the performance, and night after
night he visited the establishment.
In short, be was gone on Ariel. for
in her voice he found marvellous
sweet music" and in very sooth
she did "her spiriting gently"
And so it came to pass, as one of the
wits of the day had it, that, as the
Duke Of Bottoms Polly first engaged
the heart of her future lord by her
mellifuous voice, so Polly Bolton riyet-
ed the affections of Lord Thurlow. The
lady, be it said, was in no way Ian
gushing for q lack of admirers-these
she had in plenty, but Thurlow was
lord paramount of her bosom, and when
his love was declared she as promptly
responded to it. So, like her predeces-
sors, she took her farewell Of the
public, and on the 18th Of November,
1873, Mary Catharine Bolton was
merged in Lady Thurlow, and took
with her into her new life the afiectionate
good-wishes of all those whom she had
left behind her. She became the mother
of three sons, and enjoyed and graced
her married life for nearly sixteen
years, when her husband died
on the 4th Of June, 1929. Lady
Thurlow did not long remain
widow. From her early years she ex-
hibited consumptive tendencies. Grief
at the death of her husband undoubt-
edly accelerated these. Alarming
tendencies were elected, and she fol-
lowed her lord to the grave on the 2Sth
of September, 1880. In appearance
Lady Thurlow was tall and slender,
with delicate and dainty figure her
complexion was blonde, and her hair
was of "gentle lustre." She died
leaving not blemish on her name, and
sincerely mourned by all those whose
good fortune it was to know her.
THE DUCHESS OF ST. ALBANS.
Harriet Mellon, whose baptismal
name was Sarah, and was successfully
the wife of Thomas Coutts, the noted
London banker, and the Duke Of st.
Adams, is described in person as being
tall and finely-formed originally, but in
her after-life acquired fulness which,
in its excess, became ungraceful
bulk. Her countenance had an east
ern conformation, the features were
small, the eyes dark and bright,
with deeply-fringed lids, delicate nose,
with well-shaped mouth, with white
and regular teeth which looked like
snow-hakes embedded between the
leaves Of a rose, clear and blushing
skin, and fine black hair waving In
natural curls. Yet, with all these at
fractions, it is said that her countenanct
was unsusceptible of varied expression,
and q heavy frown or sunny smile
constituted all its meaning when not in
repose while a modest dropping of the
eyelids from time to time, while speak
ing, had a most lovable effect upon the
percipient.
Harriet Mellon was Irish, her mater
nal grandfather and grandmother being
Of the humblest class Of Irish peasantry
residing i'll Cork and deriving, will
their only child, meagre subsistence
from the cultivation Of small patch o
ground annexed to their cabin. Tit
grandfather died, and the property
small as it was, falling from the widow
she, with her daughter, was compelled
to seek her living elsewhere. Tit
daughter was sharp-eyed, alert, ant
capable person, and obtained admission
into the family of shOp-keeper, wher,
she acted in the capacity of maid-of-all
work. From this situation she was no
long after dismissed, the discovery hav
ing been made that she was, as Lad!
Randolph expresses it in the play o
Douglass" in the way that ladies wisl
to be who love their lords, and that sh,
had loved, if, indeed, there was an
love in the matter, not wisely, but to-
well. About this time a strolling com
pany Of play ers, who were bound TO
Wales, by some misadventure made
landing in Cork, and, being there owe
night, gave q performance in barn, a
many a theatrical company has done
the use Of which was granted then
by a benevolent farmer. Anon
the audience present was the lat
seryant-maid, who was just then turne
twenty-four. This was her first appear
ance at q theatrical entertainment, an
she was completely carried away wit
ii. She conceived the idea that SD
could play Juliet as we'll as the fai
lady who had performed it, and so tn
next morning applied for admission int
the membershiD ~ Mr. and Mrs Kama,