Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-12
ADELAIDE NELSON.
TIE BIRTHPLACE OF TIE ByAuriFUE
ACTRESS IN YORKSHIRE.
Humble Birth and Early Life OF the once
Queen Of the siage-A visit to
Her Mother.

Her Mother.
For thu Observation-Disclosures, 1851
The American tourist in the Yorkshire
region of England is apt 20 seek first
the village Of Haworsb, which the fame
OF Charlotte Bronte has made interest
ing, and then to go TO Guseley, the
home Of the great actress. Adelaide Neil
son. 1t is a trip OF seven miles from
Bradford to Guiseley, and the ride
through the country is exceedingly plea
SAINT. Guiseley, like HsTorth, has grown
considerably of late years, and now 1t is
moro OF a manufacturing town than a
village. In the girihood OF the actress
il had but one school-house and two
churches. but nov the public schools, as
well as the railroad station, attest the
fact that the place is OF Importance as a
manufacturing centre, and possesses all
the accessories OF u growing town.
No region OF England is richer in his
toric association than this same York
shire country, but one has to have
knowledge Of it's past or DO rich in the
personal acquaintance of its accomplished
historian, Mr.. j. Horsford Turner, TO
appreciate the fact fully. Mr.. Turner
Is, by the way. an old friend OF York
shiromsn whom we all love, Rev DIR.
Robert Collyer, and he is consequently
genial end hospitable toward all who are
from his friends adopted country. 10
know Mr.. Turner and bis books is to be
fitted to appreciate Yorkshire and all
things animate and inanimate in it.
Fortunately for me | had the addi-
tional advantage of long standing ac-
ouaintance with one of Mr.. Turner'S
gifted townsmen, Mr.. William Scruton,
to whose friendly service l am indebted
for much that learned OF Adelaide Neil
son and her family.
NELSON Ak LlZzIE BLAND.
This 1nprepossessing town OF Guise-
ley was her home from her fourth to her
seventeenth year, and the few people
here who remember her at all nave much
10 say Of her gentle, wlnsOme ways and
remarkable beauty Of person. Her
mother and her stepfather moved to the
place from IA adjoining town soon after
their marriage, taking with them the lit
tie girl, who thereafter was called Lizzie
Bland. Her mothers maiden name was
Browne, and her child had been styled
Lizzie Browne after her.
MIR. Bland was n paper-hanger by trade
and was q good workman, so that soon
after they wcro established IN small
habitation in section OF the village
called Green Bottom he obtained steady
employment. An Old Yorkshire woman
who knew the household at this time said
that Mrs. Bland had sad. soured nature.
but that Lizzie WAS "honnle lass.
with her long curls and her eyes that
Cooked the love right out Of you and
took it to herself" This was the hap
piest time of the chid's life, before there
were other children TO divide hermother's
attention and while she WAS yet young
enough to feel no care OF life.
THE SECRET NOT KNOWN.
She did not then know that she was
branded with the shame OF illegitlmacy
or that the commonplace man whom she
thought her father was not related to
her. Recalling the lovely being we
knew as Adelaide Nelson, and her APP
pearance in such roies as outlet, "
''Yiola," "Cymbeliue. and "Pauline, "
it was hard TO imagine her the child of
such home and such surroundings as
we're depicted before US. Olsen
chantment is the portion of oil who 20
to Guiseley with any hope Of finding
bright background to the early life Of
this woman, whose exquisite person
atty commanded the admiration OF
all hearts. could not learn OF roman
tic incident connected with the young
girls career: could but recall the pa
thetic, wistful look often seen in her
great, luminous eyes, and understand 1t
In the face of all these revelations.
There was q tightening Of the heart
strings as 1 listened to the kind soul who
chatted with me in subdued sadness Of
the little grl she had known 50 well,
who had gone away and come back
"grand LADY, All the contradictions OF
Nelson's nature | understood thorough
" well before / had left her old ac-
Guaintance, and | could but wish that
those who have harshly condemned the
great actress could have heard this
loving, loyal tribute TO a dutiful daugh-
ter. who was as we'll household drudge
and factory girl at one and the same
time.
WHO WAS HER FATHER
Unquestionably Adelaide Nelson
was the most remarkable product of this
place, | said 10 my friend as we walked
away. "Yes," he answered and then,
with deprecating shruR Of the shout
ders 10 added, And she was not native
10 the soil, nor had she more than half
English blood in her veins. tie went
on to say that Mrs Bland had once told
him that her daughter was born ut
Leeds. and that her father was man of
high birth. His name or any other par
ticnlar relating to him she would never
tell, and now i was too late to nope to
learn anything further OF the parentage
of her gifted child.
Putting all 1 had gathered of the facts
Of Mrs. Glands life together, | concluded
that in her early girlhood she had been
very much in love with some star actor,
who played an engagement or engage
ments at Leeds (wheTe she was mem
Der of stock company forseveral years.,
aud that the little Lizzie was his child.
That this man was fond of her aud OF the
child is attested by tue letters he wrote
her, and which were One day found and
read 10y the eleyen-year-old girl, who
came upou them as she was searching IN
a forbidden bureAu.drawer for some
thing to read.
THE FEARFUL DISCOVERY.
Mrs Bland preserved with Jealous