The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-03-14

ken 10DO Bn1L1ereenS. 1naJ Same eVSn-
ing an ivory backed mirror presented to
Miss Nelson by the Countess Of War
wick years before slipped from her hand
in her dressing room and was ruined.
Turning to me, the actress observed
with an expression closely approaching
terror: "Fate, fate, Vincent Something
is going to happen.
Her UntimeIy End.
Later in the week, during a perform
snce of Twelfth Night, " at the request
Of Cakes Ames, second, one of the pro-
prietors Of the theater, she consented to
have his daughter presented to her. In
the course Of conversation, without any
warning, Miss Nelson fell backward
into my arms. 1t was generally given
out at the time that it was a fainting
fit, but and many others knew better.
got some alcohol from the gas man 8
torch and applied it to the region Of the
heart. After vigorous rubbings and a
glass of wine Miss Nelson was restored
sufficiently to be enabled to finish the
performance. When she was preparing
to go home that evening, she observed
to me: Fate again. A repetition of
that attack will some day kill me. !"
And, sure enough, it did. One day she
was driving in the Bots de Boulogne,
Paris, when a similar fainting away
rendered her unconscious The physi-
clans treated her for a swoon instead of
heart failure, and the career of this
beautiful and talented actress was at
an end.
Miss Nelson was as accessible as the
most humble person in the world. / re-
member that / was breakfasting with
her when an old man was ushered in.
He presented portrait of herself which
he had painted and wished her to accept.
She took it most graciously, compli-
mented him highly, and then, after a
few pleasant words about lack of appre-
citation Of artistic ability, took out a
checkbook, and calling a boy sent him
to the Office for the amount, $500, for
which she had written it. This she put
into an envelope, with her signature and
a sentiment on card, and handed all
to the artist, who little suspected that
the package contained aught of value
1t used to amuse me when Miss Neil
son called for Tommy Sheridan, a car
penter at Booths theater, to "tuck her
up" in the tomb scene when she played
Juliet. Tommy was very painstaking in
his work, for which he always received
a present of 80. She would not allow
any one else to do this. l mentioned
that fact one evening at the Manhattan
club, and Leonard Jerome and Wright
Sanford promptly inquired whether I
did not want sCme volunteers.
Miss Nelson was another of the many
generous souls of the stage. At the con-
clusion of an engagement at a theater
she would present check to every one
connected with the stage, from the high
est to the lowest. | have still valuable
malacca walking cane for which she
paid 500, and after having it suitably
inscribed presented to me.
Adelaide Nelson was excessively
gentle, but she was one of the best bust
ness women that ever lived. At her
death she was possessed of a considerable
fortune, most of which, 1 believe, she
bequeathed to a British admiral to
whom she was reported to have been
betrothed at the time. Some estimates
placed the value of her estate at about
$3.50, 900. She probably made money
more rapidly and consistently than any
foreign player who ever came to this
country. l.. JOHN VINCENT.