The times., 1899-08-20

quoted these lines of George Eliot-lines
that give to the idea of departure from
this world new tenderness. And on last
Tuesday, while the skies were dreary and
the rain poured down, little procession
of friends and relatives took all that was
mortal Of Miss Macnichol to the place in
which rests portion of the great major
ity' and quilted it there. The usual pray
ers were said and the usual ceremony gone
through; perhaps with the usual spirit.
In front of that ugly bed in which the most
beautiful and the most artistic must come
to lie the service was briefly prolonged in
the usual way. But the real benediction
was lovingly uttered in the hearts of those
who accompanied Lizzie Macnichol as far
as was possible on her final journey and
left her body, secure in the belief that the
soul of the singer had gone to join the
choir invisible
At the house, the coffin in which the ac-
tress had been laid was covered with flow
ers. Many of those who had been fond of
Miss Macniehol in her life took this means
of showing their fondness when she was
dead. There was a great design sent by
Henry w. Savage, of whose company the
Washingtonian was member. and another
from hdldSeI VI kut LdldyStbC
Square. Dozens of bouquets bore cards of
people in the Castle Square organization at
the American Theatre. An exceedingly red
olent offering had come from Jessie Bart
lett Davis, in Chicago. Miss Davis and Miss
Macnichol might have been said to be ri
walls, since they were unequaled in their
field but the local girl was too generous,
too unselfsh, and too lovable to give oppor-
tunity for jealousy. So Miss Davis tribute
I Io-, XtA -, atfa Oft tEa
was over wagon was procured and the
whole roomful was sent impartially TO the
various hospitals and refugees in town, re-
! gardless of the creed or color of their
founders. 1t was thought that Miss Mac
nichol would have wished this
| In theatrical circles last week one heard
! nothing but comment on the singer and
! her sudden taking off Those who had
i known her anG those who had only ad
mired her joined in praising her qualities
! as woman and, her ability as an actress.
"She was one OF the most charming per-
sons have ever met said Joseph Luck
EFT, at whose theatre Miss Macnichol once
appeared for term of six weeks. Other
! stage folk who had been in position TO be-
! come well acquainted with the artist spoke
/ of her in the same strain. And the princi-
! pal dramatic papers devoted space TO eulo-
! gies no less glowing, The Mirror re-
marked: In private life as well as in
public Miss Machichol was a favorite with
1 everyone who saw or knew her. Among
the singers with. whom she was associated
professionally she was idolzed.' And the
New York Telegraph generally ribald
and facetious enough, added: Miss Mae
nichol was one of the gloriously womanly
women the breadth and beauty of whose
| lives are not narrowed nor obscured by
professional iealousies or personal faults.
/ Those of us who remember the unfailing
! gentle tenderness with which Miss Mac
nichol smoothed the path of her first hus-
| band, Franz Vetta, to the grave the devo-
ton and unweared self-saerifiee with
which she nursed and supported him
through the long tedious stages of a slow
consumption, can never be at loss for an
ideal of perfect wifehood and it is difficult
| to understand why so much talent, so
much graciousness, such superb vitality
| should be rudely snuffed out in the full
| bloom of a splendid career"
! OF course with all this appreciation and
( commendation of Lizzie Macnichol there
were various anecdotes related in proof of
her simplicity and loneliness. One CT the
stories illustrates the gentleness of her
nature better than the rest 1t is not
/