Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-12
SWEET ELLEN TERRY.
Some Interesting Gossip About the
Personality and
LIFE OF TIE CHARMING ACTRESS.
Her Great Popularity and Her Numerous
Marriages.
HENRY IRVING HER DEVOTED SLAVE
rwnrrrrx ron THE DrsrAroH.1

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsRATcH.1
It has curiously been said by some httera-
teur that Dumas, fls, did not shape his
characters from Partisan life, but that Paris
ian life shaped itself from Dumas
characters-in short that Marguerite Gautier
did mot exist before "La Dame aux Came
las, I" but after, So the strange English
aesthetic type--the long jaw, full pOuting
upper lip, sinuous neck and the halo Of
hair, joined to strange length Of body, es-
pecially from shoulder to elbow and hip to
knee, may be said to have been formed from
the art school, which represented it, instead
of the school being founded upon the exist
ence of these types
am sure we never called Ellen Terry
pretty in her youth, but when 1t was discov-
cred that her jaw was like the Burne-Jones
saints she seemed, as 1t were, to grow up to
it and become what was expected of her.
She was very young. poor thing, when
she married the great artist Watts; she had
always been on the stage, and her bright,
joyous personality had even then begun to
attract attention 1t was not love match;
SIZE was only 16 and he an old man who
would never have thought Of marrying, it is
said, if II had not been suggested to him by
a friend who lived next door, and who the
gossips we're beginning to talk about. saying
that certain splendid piece Of tapestry,
which hung in the hall of the Watts house
next to hers when lifted disclosed sliding
panel So she thought it would be wise to
have him marry some raw-boned girl. Ellen
Terry was selected as the victim, and the
grand lady danced at the wedding.
So you see her romance commenced very
early in life. ~
CONTRADICTORY STORIES.
Neither the old artist or the woman Of the
world understood this strange girl. In fact,
neither thought much about her. She was
surrounded with art influences and left to
grow by herself They had made mistake
In their selection and did not know 1t. She
was of strange, nervous. peculiarly pliable
nature, and to live in the midst of all these
strange splendors and strange people and
strange conversations, was new life to her,
new education, and she gradually grew
up to it, and, ere long, her nature began to
expand, to be satisfied with her position, to
say to itself, ~, too, am an artist."
There are many different versions of the
final break up. His friends say that streak
Of insanity ran through all her actions. that
she was SO nervous, so eccentric and uncon-
ventional, he was at last obliged to put an
end to all her mad pranks; that on one oc-
coming down to dinner in tights.
Her friends tell that she bore everything
as long as she could, and was q martyr to
-, Al rnau1u rvhiuna All at Lost oua dnr1 aho
lifted the tapestry IN the hall, and disturbed
the serenity of the embroidered queens, and
pulled him out by the heels from under q
bed where he had hidden when he heard her
coming.
Modern life is full of tragedy as well as
ancient life, although in less romantic
setting. When she left him she was still
Young and was beginning to be called
beautiful. She was the aesthetic type of
beauty that people had been educated up to
and prepared to like beforehand-in
artistic society she attracted much atten-
ton.
AN EsCAPADE.
There was friend of her family, young
architect of great talent; one night he was
taken ill in an old house alone, with no.one
near him, and he sent word by passing
boy for some OF the family to come round to
see him. They were all occupied excepting
the young girl, who without thought went
to see him alone-all the world knows that
she did not return.
For many years they lived together in the
country, aud were very happy in that COM
plete oblivion Of the world which only ar
fists can feel who are completely wrapped
up in their art and in themselves-but he
was very ambitious, he was petted and
praised by many noble ladies, his work led
him into many of the finest houses of Lon
don as counselor and friend, he had walked
through crowded bathrooms with coroneted
duchesses on his arm, and his soul began to
yearn for the feshpots of Egypt, to feel that
he was not appreciated, that his life was too
narrow tor him.
She watched 1t grow day BY dsy-she did
everything she could to make him happy,
and when she saw the end had come said
nobly, without quarrel or reproach: ST
know-you want to marry arich wife-well,