Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-02-21
Mrs BLAND was not told of the fate

Mrs. Bland was not told OF the fate
of her child because there was meme TO
tell her. Adelaide mad steeled her
heart against her mother and she never
sent her word or wrote her. Ali who
are familiar with the actress life know
that she slept for two nights in Hyde
park under the trees and that she OBJ.
tanned shelter through the kindness of
policeman who took her TO his wife,
who gave her sewing to do for ker
board. He was impressed with her
Yo kshire dialect and her innocence
and knew that she was country girl
wholly unacquainted with the dangers
that surrounded her.
To her new friends she told her
wish to become an actress, and very
soon she had found place as a ballot
girl. From that foothold she climbed
the rough way she had selected to fol-
low, and to-day all the English speak
ing world laments the early death OF
shakespeare woman"
The old age of Mrs. Bland is entirely
comfortable, thanks to Adelaide Neil
sons generosity. She has small but
pleasant house in small village adj
joining Guiseley, and she is not alone,
for her only remaining child, son, is
| WIFI HGI, anu SOlllC VI ntl nuoOi III :
kindred are near by. She is harmless,
and her physicians fear no change in
the form of the mental disease from
which she suffers. She is irresponsible
but docile, and if anyone will listen to
her she is happy in talking of her
daughter. Sometimes she is really in
teresting in her "reminiscences. Hell
account of the manner in which she
discovered her daughters identity
eleven years after she left her, is
graphic and dramatic, sometimes.
Someone told of great actress who
had come to Leeds TO play. She was
a young and beautiful lady and she
was playing 20 great audiences. The
poor woman at once thought of her
missing child and grew anxious to hear
more. The Leeds paper was bought
and when the mother had read all that
il said of the actress she determined to
go to Leeds and see for herself if Miss
Nelson and her Lizzie were not one
and the same. She recognized her the
moment she saw her come Upon the
stage, and sat through the act laboring
under the greatest excitement. Then
she hurried to the stage entrance and
was admitted to her daughters dress
ing room. 1t is rather difficult to
learn just how the actress received heI
mother, but certain it is she saw her
the next day and promised to go to
Guiseley the next time she was in
Leeds. Meantime she gave her money
and sent her home, and she kept her
word and went to see her mother and
gave her more money. After the first
visit which Miss Nelson made to this
country she went TO Guiseley and set
tied fifteen thousand dollars upon her
mother and bought her a house. She
never made but one more visit to her,
and that was to see if she was estab
lshed in comfort in her own house
Miss Nelson had but little affection for
her mother, and by many who know
her well, the mistakes of her own life
were attributed TO this fact largely
Had she received from her kindred the
love she craved, and which was ess n.
tial 20 her life, she might have been
strong TO resist the temptations that be
set her way But to the end of heI
life she yearned for the affection de
MED her.
The night before she left New York
on her last voyage TO England, and but
three weeks before her death, she said
to friend that she should love to have
home in England aud live quiet
life. She was tired of everything con
nectcd with the stage. An evidence OF
her craving for an appreciation of af
lection was shown in her making q
will, giving to Admiral Glyn, her for
tune, in return for the offer of hi:
hand. To accept it was to cause him
to lose his social position in London
and this she would not do. But she
was grateful for his honest and un
selfish devotion, and rightly valued
him. The child of love, she yearned
for love and awakened it in the heart,
of those with whom she came in con
tact. A more loveable, winsome per
sonality never lived than that of Lillian
Adelaide Nelson; more painful
pathetic story can never be penned
than hers. The old mother, who fond
les her pictures and reads over her few
letters day by day, has brought herself
to idiocy by her unrestrained grief
since she died, and soon will follow tC
the unprecedented and impenetratablC
country the gifted and beautiful child
who thanked her not for the boon o.
life, branded as it was with illegiti
macy. BETSY O'DowD.
A HUMOROUS SKETCH.