The morning news., 1888-03-18

MISS CoGHLAN AND HER ADOPTED CHILD.
II can answer that readily. l should tell
her that if she possibly could she had better
alb. nton the idea and try and make her liv
ing, were that necessary, in some other
way. Ii she were 50 consumed with
enthusiasm that my advicn fell on unheed-
ing ears | should tell her to 90 ahead. Only
genuine love for the art and an amount
Of abiding enthusiasm could reconcile her
to the hardships and heart-burnings she
would be sure to meet with, and besides
this it is only those qualities which could
insure her rising above the first round of
the ladder. Then if girl is attentive to her
business, works hard not only on but off the
stage and keeps her face steadfast to the
goa of her ambitions, she will surely get on.
L am, OF course, presumlng that she is
physically capable of the task and has those
physical attributes necessary to a successful
actress. The moral shoals and qllicksands
on which some women get wrecked are to
be found in whatever state of life girl may
find herself in, and are, am convinced, to
be found in no greater numbers in the course
# stage career. 1t is more a question on
the stage, as elsewhere, of temperament
than environment" During the latter part
of our chat a third pers IN mad been present
and occasionally put small oar in with
much persistency. The newcomer was a
demure young lady of some 5 summers,
whose curls fell in admirable disorder over
a spotlesS white pinafore She had met the
visitor before and so no formal introduction
was necessary, and her greeting, if some
what dignified, was 81 least concilietOry and
cordial l don't think this young persons
history has been told in print before, though
to Miss Coghlan's friends it is well-known.
She is the daughter of a minor actress who
fell through illness and not over energetic
hush and into extreme poverty and was
quietly assisted by several of the members
of Wallack's company as it was in the old
days. The birth of tine little one signed the
mothers death warrant and there seemed to
oe no refuge for the mite of an orphan but
a public institution when Miss Coghlan,
who was then unmarried, generously volun-
teered to see to the future of the child She
placed her with respectable people and
subsequently her mother, the elder Mrs.
COghlan, who lives in retirement near
Yonkers, took charge of the young one. She
grew up so pretty and winSome that when
Miss Coghlan married Mr.. Edgerly they
determined to adopt her formally and are
now as fond of her as though she were their
own child. Miss Coghlan on this occasion
brought her little discourse on the hard
ships of an actress lite to a close by catch
ing the young lady up in her arms and
questioning: Are you going to be play
actress, babyw to receive the emphatic
answer, mo, no. Use not,n and with a
merry laugh the successful star turned to
m with, isn't she sensible for her ageg'
1t was comment enough.
Before l went, however, / had learned
something of the actress future plans. AS
soon as the Wallack farewell season of old
comedies is over, which will be III May, Miss
Coghan will sail for England, and in a
quiet retreat on the Thames will, in company
with her brother Charles, pass the summer
and study her part in the new play. BY
that time, too she hopes he will have made
the sketches for the costumes, which, it is
needless to say, will be absolutely correct
from historical point of view. There are
few men to-day who are more conversant
with the art of stage cosJuming than Charles
Coghlan, or more capable of placing piece
artistically upon the stage. When her
vacation is ended Miss Coghlan will return
with her brother and set to work on the
actual production of the play, which will
first be seen at Newark. ''It is sufficiently
near New York" said she, for us to invite
the New York critics, and the stage is a
large and well-appointed one, so that we
shall not suffer in this regard. / shall then,
if il is successful, and OF that | hare no
manner of doubt, take it through the
country. for we have an excellent route
already laid out.
Our talk had lasted some time and already
the dusk of the evening was coming on, so
1 rose to go. I'm sorry | must drive you
away" said my hostess, but you know an
actress time is not her own. | have to
assume a rather more conN entional garb,
hurry through my dinner and then to the
theater," and two hours later happening to
drop into Wallack's heard her deliver the
famous account of the run as Lady Gay
SDGnker and receive the usual burst of ap-
piause at the close, and as | sat there l
reverted TO our conversation and tuought
tnat if there be hardships in an actress Life
there are compensatory advantages also.
IL, In. Itcnr,..