Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-07

II
TO the skill Of the sculptor and the
work Of art. So think one reading or
listening to Sims's pathetic lines should
forgive any indicate illusions for the
sake of the sentiment which the story
contains, and its poctical construction
! hope Mrs. Potter will not be foolish
enough to discard a poem she renders
so well, while there are still many
here who would be pleased to hear 1t
again and again.
The Washington papers seem to
speak coldly of her performance in the
"Russian HCneymoon." BE that as
it may, private letters received by her
friends here chronicle one social sue
cess after another and in Baltimore
her acting was received with great
favor. The fact is she put many
nose out of joint in Washington society,
and "Phyrne's Husband served as
an opportunity to get even. She may
soon retaliate, for in ali likelihood she
and her entire family will be called to
Washington to substantiate claim
which the Urquhart family have against
the Government. II can't see what
makes Mrs. Potter such fsvorite
there are many young ladies as pretty
and far more beautiful" said an en-
vious young beauty. Possibly this is
true, but the secret Of Mrs. Potter's
success is that she has great tact. !
do not believe any one ever left her
presence without feeling that they them
selves were the most important people
on earth. Now, any one is apt to re-
gard favorably the source from which
sense Of their own Importance is de-
rived.
A NEW INSTITUTION.
Mrs. August Belmont and Mrs.
Charles Bergman are greatly inter-
ested in the new institution for the aged
blind, for which Mrs. Thurber so gen.
erously gave the first nights receipts
of the opera Lakme." In CONVEX
sation with Mrs. Bergman she said
that the present quarters on Fourteenth
street had grown too small and that the
committee of ladies hoped the new home
p-town might be ready by May LIST.
Mrs. Bergman is a well-knOwn lady Of
society, and her charities are great. Her
daughter, Miss George Bergman, is also
one Of society's greatest favorites, and
no entertainment is considered COM
plete without them both. Mrs. Berry
man, who is still young, has a refined
face, which breaks into smiles as she
converses. Her hair is light brown,
her dress very quiet, but elegant. She
was Miss Whitney, a niece Of Stephen
F. Whitney. The ladies hope that
with their recent efforts interest may
be awakened in this home for the blind,
which is intended for those aged and
destitute, and that substantial subscrip-
tons may result from their labors and
Mrs. Thurber's good example.
The announcement that Mr.. Clarence
Collins married January 9th last Miss
Rosalba Beecher, the singer, created
quite a sensation. Mr.. Collins is tall,
blonde, and handsome. lie was once
the husband of Miss Clark, daughter
of Horace Clark, whose mother was a
sister of William II. Vanderbilt. 1t is
said that the first Mrs. Collins, finding
her life uncongenial, paid Mr.. Collins
| 100000 to let her obtain a divorce.
She afterwards married an English army
| officer.
The marriage Of Miss Gilbert to Mr..
Townsend, which was Spretty affair,
opens a train Of thought. Miss Gilbert
is a cousin of Mr.. Fred. Gilbert, who
few years ago married pretty Constance
Leigh, a member of Wallack's compa-
ny. Now, here is Howell Osborn mar
ried to Fay Templeton, and very soon
Jay Gould's only son, George, is to
lead to the altar Edith Kingdom, a
member Of Days company. If our
young milliOnaires continue this sort Of
thing what is to become of the society
girl who has no opportunity to display
her talents or sing bewitchng songs !!
No wonder some have taken to the
banjo.
CLARA MORRIS.
Clara Morris, who has been playing
here fora week, is the most extraordi-
nary phenomenon Of our day. She de-
fies all presidents, violates all rules,
overturns all criticisms. People still
flock to see her and pack the theatre to
sufiocation, but l defy any one Of them
to tell why. In fact, nobody has ever
vet told us why Clara Morris yields a
certain uncanny fascination. She is
not gOod-loOking she is not strong
she is mol artistic she is not heroic or
tragic or versatile; she is gaunt and
almost CHASTITY; her voice is weak her
face is drawn with the lines Of pain ;
her teeth are bad; her action is slow
and CONSTRUCTED and stealthy.
But in spite Of all this she is the one
actress on our boards to-day who
yields the strange, mysterious mag
netic influence that holds an asSemblage
in spell and from which no one can
escape.
It's a subtle psychic influence that
hasn't been analysed. | cannot help
thinking that it is the same morbid
feeling that makes women crowd round
a coffin and peer into the white mys-
terry Of that frozen silence.
Clara Morris plays her best in sort
Of trance. She goes out Of herself into
the character. She is possessed for the
time being, and then she reminds you
of those clairyoyant sibyls, who, will
distraught air, do the bidding of some
unhealthy power beyond themselves.
To those who know her her life is a
great a mystery as her art. She ha
been an invalid for years. She lives oil
air. Nobody ever saw her eat heart!
meal. The late DR.. Beard, who CAV,
his life to the study Of morbid pie
| nomena, once told me that she was tn
most magnificent example he had eve
( seen Of the superiority of invalidism t
5 art.
, People go in droveS to see Clar
t Morris and then hug the nightmar
. recollection of her Mass Mutton wit
' shuddcring delight.
) Now, the very sntithesiS Of Clar
. Morris is Judic, playing here now 70
- l.. 4 4.