The Irish standard., 1888-07-21

was the moInentous issue. They pro-
dduced the same play at the same time.
and both sustained the same character.
S Lad * Townly fashionable woman
OF the period was the. character. The
chroliclers Of the time tell us that Kitty 8
essay was A bad failure; and she bad the
modification Of playing to almost empty
houses, while her rival, Peg Wellington.
was attracting all Dublin to her pertor-
1nrnces. When the season was over
Kitty returned to Drury-lane, and never
left it until she retired altogether from
the stage. She appeared for the last
time on April oath, 1859. She was then
SO years of age, and of those she had
spent Al in the service Of Drury-lane
Theatre.
Although Kitty had spent almost hal!
a century Oh the stage, she was still in
her prime when she babe adieu to the
playgoers Of London. She retired to the
pleasant retreats Of Twickenham, where
house was presented Ler by Horace
sNalpole, one Of the most ardent Of hel
admirers. He gave the name of t;Clive-
dem to the house, and, cutting a lane
through the meadows which divided it
from his own residence, he called il
"Drury lane Alexander Pope, who
also lived hard by, said Kitty crowned a
youth OF folly with an age of cards.
There was certainly csrd-playing in the
old age Of Kitty, but folly was altogether
absent from her youth. Her private
character was irreproachable. The most
that could be SAID Of Kitty was what was
said by Boaden-'sShe spelt most audaci-
ously," and we are told that the follow
ing letter which she sent to Garrick in
1776, after having been robbed by foot
pads, was for her marvel of good spell
ling
Have yc,11 not heard of the adventures
Of your poor Pivo? I have been rob'd
and murdher'd coming from Kingston.
Jimey Cher brother) and ] in a post-chey
at half-past nine just by Teddington
Church was stoppt. [ only lost q little
silver and my senses. for one of them
came into the carriage with a great horse
pistol to search me for my watch, but j
had it not with me.
This is better specimen Of what she
could do in the way of photography. It
is letter she wrote to the elder Cole
man ..
There is nothing to be said on these
melancholy occasions. To person OF
Understandings these canlot fail peo-
i,le OF sense must and will. and when
they have sank their spirits till they are
i'll will find that nothing hut Submission
can give any consolation 30 Inevitable
nlisfortunes.
This 'snixtrre N ccmbustiblesn (ss
Tate Wilkinson calls Kitty lived for SIX
teen years at Twackenham after her re-
tirelnent from the stage. She died III
1885, aged rs years. How she passed
away Horace Walpole tells lis in his
memoirs" He writes-~s'Sle went to
General Listers burial and caught cold,
and had been Ill for two OF three days.
On the Wednesday morning she rose to
have her bed made. end while sitting on
the bed, with her maid by her, sank
down at once and died without pang or
groan." Thus passed away one Of whom
Tate Wilkinson wrote-',A very Sensible
woman, and, SIS comic actress, of gen.
uine worth. Indeed, indeed, she YVES
diamond of the first water"
Kitty Give was laid TO rest in the
battle-ground attached to 17vickenham
parish church. which is dedicated to st.
Mary the Virgin. The edifee stands on
the hanks Of the Thames. It is a
modern looking, red brick structure,
more like school or town hall than a
church, with no architectural preten-
sions to speak Of, beyond an ancient ivy
grown stone tower, weather cock capped,
which is survival Of the old structure
pulled down in l713. On the east gable
of the church there is small marble
weather stained tablet. erected by Miss
Margaret Pope, another Irish actress.
This tablets displayed on one of the
exterior walls of the church; but it af-
fords no means OF Identifying the grave
III which the actress sleeps. The grave
is now unknown. AS with Parnell,
Goldsmith, George Anne Bellanly, and
Maginn. so it is with Kitty Give her
last resting place cannot be identified,
and the sexton of the church could not
tell whether she was inferred in the
church OF in the grounds outside.
LINCOLN AND YOUNG ARMSTRONG