The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-27

told her to do something funny" and
this instruction continually rang in the
child'S ears. A short time before her
debut she had seen the elder Sothern
in Lord DUndreary, and was, for a
child, particularly impressed with some
of that actors peculiarities. As she
came on in the march the inspiration
came to her like a flash, and with
wonderful fidelity she initiated the pc
culiar skip and SneeZe that Sothern
used in his part of the English fop
The audience was quick to catch on
and the hit was instantaneous. The
action of the play was interrupted for
a time to allow the little one to repeat
her imitation. A short time after this.
Susan" Miss Davenport delivered her
first lines, Make way for the wit
nesses.'
One of her early memorable perform
ances was that of Carline, the SOU
brette, in the BLACK Crook" when she
was but IA years of age. Her formal
debut was made in 1862, when she played
Charles L. in Faint Heart Never Won
Fair Lady" at Niblo's, New York
Miss Davenport's career has been a
long and fruitful one. While still quite
young she was engaged by AuguStin
DAILY and for a time was the reigning
queen of the Daily theater. It was in
this school that she acquired her large
resources and esta blished herself in the
favor of New York. Here she played
the Shakespearean hero1nes, old Eng
tional drama. Like her father, her YER
satility was one of her most striking
characteristics, although in recent years
she so closely confined herself to a
certain class of drama that only the
old timers remember how many certain
things she could do well. It is rather
incredible to recall, for example, that
this woman's Nancy Sykes was one of
the most vivid and memorable imper-
sonationS ever given of a Dickens char
acter.
When she began her starring career.
Miss Davenport was seen in most of
the familiar Shakespearean heroines.
Her Rosalind, Beatrice, Imogen- and
Katherine received high praises. 1t was
not until she appeared in Fedora, :"
Sardou's great drama, however, that
she found her chief success: Thls was
at once her greatest piece of acting and
her most profitable play. It not only
served to make the actress a prosper
Gus star, but it introduced and made
Robert Mantell, who was the first Loris
Ipinoff a success which Mr.. ManIeII
has never since quite equaled-
The success of Miss Davenport as
Fedora" enabled her to secure first
options on all Sardou's plays and for
wears she was the great Frenchman' s
leading Interpreter in this country She
successfully brought out his "Theo-
dora" La Tosca," Cleopatra "Gis-
nonda'' and Joan dare The only
notable Sardou play which she did not
give in this country was 'Thermidor,' -
which Charles Frohman brought out
with Elsie De Wolf in the leading role,
and this, in spite of its spectacular
grandeur and dramatic eloquence, was
a failure.
The last years of Davenport's life
were embittered by the growing evi-
dence that her powers we're waning, and
with their decline her popularity was
diminishing She resented criticism as
few have resented it. She gave the
public the most lavish productions, act
ed earnestly and conscientious1y and
believed that she was entitled to un-
qualified praise in return.
Miss Davenport had two husbands.