Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-06-10
LUNCHED WITH LILY.
gNGLAYD'S HOST BEAUTIFUL ACTRESS SEEN
AT SHORT RANGE
Correspondents Talk With Hsr-Mrs. Langry,
the Famed Jersey, Once the Pet Of the
Prince of Wales and the Toast Of
Two Continents
SHn Fransiseo Chronicle.

san Fransiseo Chronicle.
When Mrs. Langtry first burst upon
London as a professional beauty"
and her photographs embellished the
windows of many stationerS, she excited
an immense amount Of active curiosity,
and people went far and near to obtain
a glimpse of her in the flesh. This
curiosity was stimulated by countless
piquant paragraphs in the society
journals recording the cOmings aud
golngs Of the Jersey Lily" as some
body christened her, and when her
name finally got rOmantically mixed up
with that OF the Prince of Wales as
fervent admirer and patron the fever
reached it's climax, and Mrs. Lantry
was as much discussed, gossiped over,
lied about, and socially pulled to pieces
as though she had been OF royal birth
or of tremendous GiStinction-the fact
being that she was merely pretty,
attractive-loOking woman Of middle
class birth who arrived in London, and,
possessing aptitude, tact, and ambition,
happily succeeded in making herself a
lionne. A section of fashionable society
for time took rhe up, then dropped
her in a measure-that is TO say, her
name was not observed in the lists Of
guests at certain swell houses where
she once had viSited-and finally, when
the lady discovered that her social star
did not glitter as brightly as IL had
previously, she wisely decided to go
upon the stage and turn the public cur
iosity into solid &. s. d.
HER DEBUT ON THE STAGE.
The doors of the Kingdom Of Bohem-
ia are' always wide open to clever,
pretty, engaging woman, and Mrs.
Langtry, having decided to face the
footlights, induced Mrs. Henry La
bauchere, who was once an actress, TO
coach" her, and likewise persuaded
Mr.. Bancroft TO bring her out at the
Haymarket, OF which theatre he was
at the time manager. Before her me-
tropOlitau debut the lady tried herself
at a tentative performance at public
hall, at Twickenham, Mrs. Labouchere
acting with her in two-part vaudeville.
She ACQUITTED herself very nicely, dis
closed unmiStakable possession,
and gave All intelligent portrayal Of the
character she represented. Then fol-
lowed the Haymarket appearance in
"She Stops TO Conquer" which went
off fairly well. The critics were amia-
BILE, the public were tolerably we'll
pleased-they had seen the sensation
beauty Of whom they had all heard and
read so much-and Mrs. Langtry was
safely launched on the wide but tran
quill sea Of the drama.
OF course she made money. She
went about the Provinces, and the
country people displayed quite as much
eagernsSs to see her as the metropolis
had shown. 1t was purely personal
success, and, curiosity stated, the BUSH
ness quickly fell of; she no longer
drew crowded houses, and then away
she sailed to the United States.
HER TOUR OF AMERICA.
There she was feted, and every form
Of ingenious reclame that could be in
vented was put into operation to direct
public attention TO her. The articles
that appeared in the journals about her
English career were, perhaps, the
most daring ever printed in the annals
OF journalism. They were by turns
commendatory, abusive, sensual, reflec-
tive, personal, vulgar, libellous-in
point Of fact, often outrageous. But
they stirred up the easily excited
American public, and whenever
the Lily appeared the theatre
was crowded to suffocatIon. The men
raved about her physical sharms. The
women were not quite so enthusiasts
10 this direction (they never sre), but
both sexes were in accord on one point
that she was only clever, promis-
ing5agreeable. amateur actress. They
had seen Sarah Bsrnhardt, Ristori,