Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-02-15

Mrs. Bland was not told Of the fate
of her child because there was none to
tell her. Adelaide mad steeled her
heart against her mother and she never
sent her word or wrote her. All 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
a policeman who took her to his wife,
who gave her sewing to do Tor her
board. He was impressed with her
Yo, kshire dialect and her innocence
and knew that she was n country girl
wholly unacquainted with the dan~ars
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
soa's generosity. She has small but
pleasant house in small village adj
Joining Guiseley, and she is not alone,
for her only emaining child, son, is
with her, and some of her husba nd's
kindred are near by. She is harmless,
and her ply sicians 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. Her
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
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
90 to Leeds and see for herself il Miss
Nelson and her Lizzie were not one
and the same. She recognized her the
moment she saw her come Upon the
stage, AMI sat through the act laboring
under the greatest excitement. Then
she hurried to the stage entrance and
was admitted to her daughters dress
lnR-IOOi1. IL Is IdlHtt w
learn just how the actress received her
mother, but certain il is she saw her
the next day and promised to 60 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
me Their and bought her house. She
never made but one more visit to her,
and that was to see if she was estab-
! lished 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 to her life, she might have been
strong to resist the temptations that be-
set her way. But To the end Of her
life she yearncd 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 and live a quiet
/ life. She was tired of everything con
nected with the stage. An evidence OF
her craving for an appreciation of af-
| lection was shown in her making a
will, giving to Admiral Glyn, her for
tune, in return for the offer of his
! 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 hearts
! 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 &c
the impenetrated and impenetratable
country the gifted and beautiful child
who thanked her not for the boon OF
| life, branded as it was with illegiti
macy. BETSY ODowD.
| uIrYxHnDortS SDHrCty