The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-08
Revival of Nell Gwyn.


the coming autumn Miss Julia CeilsoI
and Miss Marie Tempest appearing at
olHerent London theaters as the coquet-
fish mistress of Charles II.
Nell was an actress herself for time,
and never. in all probability, says Tha
sketch. did any one, after playing 50
rev parts rise from obscIrity to bril-
liancy in so short time and retire into
what may, euDhoniousIy, be called PR
vate life, as did Mistress Gwyn. BON
without any dowry except her beauty.
and with no power except her native wit,
she rose 10 sit at tn cleft hand OF a
King, and to be. in more senses than
one, his good and not his evil genius
Nell Gwyn was the daughter o. 4 small
tradesman in Drury Lane, and she had
out little more than entered her teens
when she had TO 60 into service to ga n
her own living. Already her beauty va
so pronounced that she attracted the at
tentlon OF q visitor at her mistress. He
attempted TO make love 70 her and when
she repulsed his advances he complained
OF her to her employer. with the result
that she was dismissed, and win such
character that her father threa eued to
cut her off if she did, not at once go Il
Yorkshire to live with her auu-. -YoI
can abandon me if you please" said
Saucy Nell; but l will not abandon
| town, and she proceeded to turn her
attention toward the stage, as Offering
the opportunity for advancement which
| she could not get elsewhere. Having
little money which she saved from her
wages and her presents while in service,
she took a lodging away from home, and
passing as a young lady from the coun-
try, began not only to read plays, but
to go to the theater in order to see how
| they were acted
After a few weeks she calmly invited
Betterton, then the leading actor on the
stage, to call on her, and, with COM
placency which the actor managers of
| today do not unhappily emulate, he ac-
| cepted her invitation and she recited for
! him and asked for an engagement You
have TALENT said the manager, '.but You
are not fit for the stage yet To the
theater, however, Nell determined to go.
! and in order to study both sides of the
stage she bought a basket and some
oranges, and went to Drury Lane to
offer her wares now to the audience and
now TO the actors who were playing
there
Who is the handsome orange wench?"
asked the public and the players alike,
and before many days were over her
beauty had answered the question to the
satisfaction of one at least of the in
quirers.
Within few months she made her
first appearance on the stage in Dry
den's Indian Emperor" and won the
commentator Of Pepys by her appear
ance in a part of no great importance.
Next year she deepened the impression
she had made.
Next year Nell played in another of
Dryden's plays, Secret Love; or, "The
Maiden Queen" the plot of which is sup
posed to have been suggested by King
Charles himself whence IL is commonly
known as the Kings Comedy.
1t was in still another play of Dry
den's, Tyrannic Love-" that tradition
has 1t she captivated the rowing fancies
of King Charles, who went behind the
curtain and carried her off after the per-
Torrance.
She was a power for good with the
King and was unendng insthe exercise
Of her wit for his amusement
One day as her coach stopped in the
street, a soldier approached the door
and begged for aims, declaring that he
had beeen wounded in the royal cause in
the civil wor Something should be done
for such men," said Nell, and straight
she went to the King, and used her per-
suasive powers to such good effect that /
Chelsea Hospital was erected Today It
stands a monument to those undoubted
virtues which she possessed, virtues to
Tension himself. who preached the fun
eral sermon on the day when her body |
was carried from the house, now 70 Paul |
Mall, in which she had lived, to St |
Martin-in-t he-Fields. where she was |
buried, at the age of 49, amid universal |
expressions Of regret, for she alone, |
among the mistresses of the dissolute |
had so borne herself that even those who /
were opposed to her never, in her life.
lampooned or reviled her, and in her
death always spoke charitably Of her.
What He Could DO Best.
While there are some wardens Of pris-
on who never are happy unless they
are signing their names to every official
document they can obtain, there are 9TH
ers who look upon signing official docu-
ments as altogether outside what their
duty ought 10 be.
One of the latter class, at the reception
of a number of new prisoners into pris-
on, said to a man, who happened to be
a forger, and VINO, on a former convic-
ton. had learned the warden's objection !
TO signing papers,
Now, Wen set you to work tomorrow.
What can you do best?"
We'll" replied the convict, with
grin. IF you give me a weeks practice
on your signature, I'll sign your official
papers for you"
still Another Case.
A distinguished scientist. noted for his
was hurrying with a
friend TO catch train when he stopped .
suddenly and exclaimed, There, I've ,
come away and left my watch"
Let's go back and get II" suggested
he friend. =