Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1894-02-01
ROSINA V0KES DEAF
The WsiI-knoWa Coincidence passa,
in London After a Brief IIJno' '

IN lonoon A'IeF Brief Illness
LONDON, Jan. 29,--Rosina voI'
talented actress, died TO-DAY 0'ss
home in this city after briaf at at
Miss Vokes had been sutfer;r 1'aes
overwork in the United sto+ss ''e
closed her tour and sailed for w. al
on December IS last, Prior to hay n,Sa
ing New York Miss Vokes' besIt.E va
such as to seriously alarm her g.;
At Chicago and again at Denver sI
seriously i'll and was obliged ~
down the curtain in her perform. "
her indisposition finally leadinn' ~
Clay, her husband and manager :, ",
ruptly cancel her tour and hasa aO
Tor London. Miss Nokes suffer- 81
influenza and heart trouble y" SV~
The Vokes Family were r..
merry makers, born and bred -} "a e
feats and frolics of the stage. At y
time Of their American debut A.
were five Of them, including Faw s1v2
who was not member of the family GrP'
cept in a professional sense. Tbn't
others were Fred. the acrobatic do,D"
Victoria and Jessie, the dark. py ua1c
ters, and the youngest and most no u
of them all, Rosina. whose v}r,0Pua
spirit set the pace for the othnr, as
contributed in largest measure % > oi; nll
their SUCCESS. '''D'
Rosina was the flower of fhav
family, Born in London na lS54 0 St
made her first appearance upon f t5e
stage at the age of months, when so
was cast for the role Of the infant in f 4,
farce of "Mr. and Mrs. Peter W.T.
at the Surrey Theater. Rosina dnT,
her youth frequently took part in nIns
in the juvenile roles, finally becom%%'
known as soubrette of great yer.
tility.
On the 10th Of March, 1877, after h.,
ing been connected with the stage
twenty-five years, and five years afte
her first appearance in America, RosiS.
Vokes retired from the boards to h~
come the wife of Cecil Clay. The csSe
of popular actresses who retire in theI
prime and stay retired are as rare as
genuine four-leaf clovers. Rosina Vokes
was no: one Of the exceptions. At the
beginning of the theatrical season Of
ISS5-'S6 she had organized q COMPANY
for an American tour, she being the star
of it. Her American season began al
the Globe Theater, Boston, on October
5, 1886, the play selected being 'The
Tinted Venus" and in the comp ANY an.
pearing was Weldon Grossmith, Bran.
don Thomas, Courtney Thorpe, and
Miss Carlingford. Ten weeks later Miss
Vokes began an extended engagement
at the Standard Theater, New York.
and the wiseacres Of the stage did not
hesitate to predict her failure, but nc
such result attended the engagement
for she Immediately jumped again int
popular favor, eclipsing even herpn,
vious successes.
Personally Miss Vokes was one Of the
most charming women on the stage.
She possessed g disposition of rare
sweetness, was a pleasing conversations
alist, and was exceedingl y companIon-
able with all her acquaintance. She
was not pretty woman; on the con.
trary, she was quite plain; and
in this particular she strongly contra
dicted the oft-repeated statement thata
soubrette or ingenue must possess {
pretty face in order to succeed on abe
stage. Miss Vokes' success was phe'
nomenal; everywhere, after her first sea-
son, Der temperance was marked
crowded theaters, and her popularity
was exceeded by few women: As q
wife she was a model. Never was the
slightest whisper of scandal breathed
against her, and she and her husband
were lovers TO the last,
III mt
this country a style of entertainment
peculiar to herself and one which no
one has succeeded in initiating. Tier
bill generally consisted of three short
plays in which comedy and pathos were
mixed. Miss Nokes was a good slnSFt
and her song, "His Art was True 70
POLL" was one of the delights of MY
Milliner's Bill" She was a grace
full dancer, too, although IL
late years she became rathe'
stout and her breath failed lfE
Wheneverthe character would permit.
Miss Vokes allowed her fady-llke man
ners to shine and her refinement wa
always apparent. She was a New 4o 9I
and Chicago favorite and devoted TIT
greater part Of late years to long en-
gagements at Daly's Theater in New New
York and Hooley's in Chicago: sh'
appealed to the best class OF theate'
goers. Miss Vokes retained much O
her youthful beauty and spirits tour
end.
One of Miss Vokes' brothers, treu
Vokes, married Bella Moore, daughIeI
of PONY" Moore, the minstrel ma ma
ager, and father-in- laW OF OnSiN
Mitchell. the defeated pugllist.