The Indianapolis journal., 1892-05-01
MARY ANDERSON.NAVARRO
She Will Return to the Stage, Playing
Perdita, in ga Winters Tale"
Her Health Is Regained, and the Novelty OF
Domesticity Has Lost Its Edge-Local
Attractions Of This Week.
s,ec,a, 70 the Indianapolis Jour nal.

From hail uOZen "Iuciy uifcikeht poAn'o
from men and women who know her well.
from her quiet home IN England, and from
that busiest mart of theatrieals. the Broad
way "Rlalto"-come ll-defined hints that
the former Queen of the American classic
drama longs To renew her old triumphs. In
this there can be no surprise for keen OBJ
servers of the world of players Nothing
san be more natural than that Mary Ander-
son should sigh for the olden days. They
were days with scarcely o cloud-"the hap
pest days" so she has written TO one of
ler gII lhoOd friends, In her lifetime-and
now that the novelty OF domestlclty mas
somew hat lost It's edge. what more rational
than n wish for the homage which. once
gained, is never quite relinduished by its
fsci pieIrts2 It Is now about three years
since Mary Anderson became the wife OF
Antonio De Navarro. Their union was the
part of young De Navarro, who had good
looks a fine physique. a graceful, well-knIt
1igure an eloquent tongue and true low
er's persistence 10 aid him in his suit. It
had long been known In theatrical circles
that he was a wOrshiper at the shrine Of
this chaste and chilly goddess of tragedy;
but no actor and no actress who had ever
played the same stage with Mary An
derson had predicted success for Antonio
De Navarro in his wooing. He was
not wealthy IN his own right.
'His prospects were bright" might
truly be said of him; as of
many another clever and hopeful young
man; for he came of good stock, and his
mon ricnes, by the erection OF the finest
block of apartment houses IN America. But
with these things In his favor. Antonio De
NavarrO's more material claim for the
actress's hand began and ended. She had
been cOurted by many suitor higher in
rank and richer In purse. On each of two
continents she had refused an alliance
which may well have tempted beauty and
genius. even such as hers. In England
and this Is no longer q secret-a Catholic
peer, who is both famous and wealthy, had
laid his title and his worship at her feet,
and was chagrined aud amazed to receive
flat refusal. In this city q member of
that august body which groups itself
fondly as the 4O0 was fascinated by the
actress. and for three years paid her un-
ceasing court. 1t has been said that once
she looked upon him with fair degree of
kindness. not to say favor; for he was
gallant. he was ardent, he was rich, and he
was emlnently eligible as well as sympa-
thetic. He had graduated from Columbia,
and two millions weroS at hls command.
His set was the most exclusive of all the
gilt-edged sets within the magic social cir
Gle. But he was IN matters of religion O
Free-thinker. and Mary Anderson IS
Catholic of the most devout type-a RO-
manlst whose piety Is as sincere as 1t is un-
ceasing. It Is said that discussion on
spiritualistio seances first revealed to
her the beLt of her suitor's mind. Ger
fainly he could have touched upon no topic
more likely to alarm the actress than this.
Arguing, as she dOubtles did, that his con-
version was out of the question, it is not
difficult TO understand why she suddenly
ceased to regard him with favor. De
Navarros religion Is her own. There was
that circumstance to aid his suit from the
first. 1t was not necessary in his case to
AIwAs
ecclesiastical lntrieacies of mixed mar
rage" laws. with the absolute promise by
the non-C Catholic that all the children born
of the union should be educated in the
Catholic faith.
Mary Anderson Will be thirty-three years
old on the 18th day of next July. Those
who have visited her recently at her pretty
home IN Tunbridge WeIls-which is in the
south of England. where the climate is even
and balmy-declare that she bears her
years remarkably well. She is described as
IN excellent health and in high spirits.
Her eyes still have the fash which made
them famous In her earliest stage days.
Her form Is as graceful and as plant as
ever. Her carriage - as queenly and her
laugh Is as merry as of yore. Twelve
months prior to her marriage she was de-
ieeted mentally and weak physically. She
had with scarcely days notice terminal
ed her contract with Abbey. sehPf-
ened TO her bedside. in Philadelphia and
again in Baltimore, had declared that she
would probably be an incurable invalid.
One practitioner of note had even yentured
TO say that her mind was seriously affected
1t 10 easy to recall the shock occasioned by
this sudden collapse of tho youDg actress
She had only then gained the best success
IN her career, for her triumph as Perdita, In
"A Winters Iale." was far and away the
finest revelation of her genins she had ever
made known To us. In the very midst of n
season which had promised TO surpass all
Others. alike IN Its pecunlary and Its artistic
points. she broke down and withdrew from
the public gaze. A period OF retirement in
the quietest province of England was fol-
lowed by q leisure tour of continental
Europe; and it was during this latter term
of relaxation and rest-the first real dolce
far niente ever enjoyed by her-that Mary
AndersOn's hearta was attacked and cap
tured by bold Antonio.
There Has been no issue of their union
thus lar. year ago feminine gossips
were certain that Mary Anderson De
Navarro would soon find ample use for her
leisure in the care of an heir or heiress;
but these gentle predictions have been nn-
fulfilled. In their place now comes the
Oft-reiterated promise that she means to
return 20 the stage. It Is declared that
within the past three months she has ia
vO.ably received a proposition from Mr..
Abbey to make tOurnee under his direc-
tiOD. the play TO be "A Winters Tale" and
so her triumphs are to be renewed ut
che very point where they were termI-
mated by her illness. In proof
of these nego tiations. il is set forth that
Abbey has actually made an offor of q sea-
sons work at q handsome salary TO one OF
the best leading actors OF this day-an En-
Rlishman and not a stranger In Mary An
dersons support; and IL Is further cited as
evidence OF what is to be that costumes for
q revival of "a Winters ! ale" have been
ordered in this city to be in readiness by
early fall
The profits of "reappearance tour" by
Mary Anderson would, It is believed. equal,
IT not exceed. those of any other tragic
actress IN the history of the stage. Peculiar
interest would attach to her return TO
the footlights. lt was the common
criticism OF her warmest admirers
that IN all her impersonations there
was lacking the power TO simulate the
passion of love. Her coldness was the sim
gle and Oft-dnoted weakness in her art.
she could hnely express scorn and pathos.
but the melting tenderness of love was al
ways wanting. Somebody has said that
MOdjeska was the first to realize this. and
that she declared that not until Miss An
OersOn had experienced the power or hu-
man affection would she become q sur-
passingly great actress; but IN truth the
remark was first made by Sarah Bern
hardt who surely may be accepted as an
ex cathedra authority on the passion
OF love as related TO the art of act
ing: For this reason alone Mary Ander-
sons return 10 our stage would
be an event of most significant import.
she has not been forgotten. Into
the retirement of her Tunbridge homo
the memories of the most affectiOnate the
ater- going public on the face of the earth
have followed her. She would be well
coined with enthusiasm beyond a doubt.
ana nowhere moro earnestly than on our
own stage. lt Is now only a little over
sixteen years since she made her debut in
a Louisville theater as Juliet. A native of