The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-17

and was not always engaging to
strangers. Mrs. Thrale exclaimed upon
first meeting the renowned actress:
Why. this is a leaden goddess We are
all worshipingi However, we shall soon
gild it, Her statuesque bearing was
largely affected by her study of antique
sculpture. Once, while touring in the
provinces, she was requested to buy
stucco bust so unlike herself that she
did not wonder that the salesman failed
to recognize the original. Feeling that
she could do better, she studied at
sculpture in her leisure moments, and
executed a bust of herself which NAV
be seen today in South Kensington- Her
studies Of marbles of antiquity served
to heighten her statuesque charm as
Hermione in THE Winters Tale" She
told Lord LanSdOwne that The first
thing that suggested to her the mode of
expressing intensity of feeling was the
position of some of the Egyptian stat
ues. with the arms close down by the
side and the hands clenched.''
Comparisons with Rachel, the great
French tragedienne, were Inevitable.
Those favored in beholding the art Of
both actresses were generally agreed
that in burning intensity Rachel sur
passed Mrs Siddons. especially in her
rendering Of passion in its 1ie-car con-
7
retained pre-eminence. in finish, dignity
and pathos. Although occasionally &C
cused of parSimony, Mrs. Siddo1s never
sank to the grasping avariciousnss5 Ior
which Rachel was so notorious, end
| DR.. johnson said of his counrcywOnlan
after one of his frequent visits:
Neither praise nor the love Of money,
| the two powerful corrupuons of man
kind, seem 10 have depraved her.
For thirty years she charmed her
audiences with her distinctive stage
/ genius, her rich, warm voice, and ner
sympathetic interpretations. Her spir-
| tied face has been described by a con-
/ temporary as so thoroughly harmon
| lied when quiescent and so expressive
when impassiOned that most people
/ think her more beautiful tnan she is"
/ In 1872 she took her leave OF The public
| in her great character Of Lady Mac
| beth, and reappeered on the stage only
/ in benefit performances. She occasion
ally varied the irksome vac1ity of the
] remaining twenty years OF he life by
/ readings in public or before the royal
/ family, chiefly from Milton or shape
| speare. Some have asserted that the
! Bible. Shakespeare and Milton were the
only books which she thoroughly com
pretended, and these she knew by
/ heart. Although her intellectually lay
strictly along these lines, she doubtless
/ enioyed a more varied reading IN ad-
dition to this exceptionally strong foun-
dation. In 1922 she published book
| called 1.-The Story of Our First Par
| ents. Selected From Millions Paradise
Lost For the Use of Young Persons
I Her poetical compositions were never
fully published.
The latter part OF her life vas sad
dened by the loss of husband, children
and frienSs; twenty-siX of ner friends
dying in six years, left her restless and
desolate. The greatest blow was the
death of her eldest son, Henry, tie FRO
prietor of the Edinburgh theatre. Al
though her voice was gone. and she
said her sight was almost washed away
by tears she determined % devote the
remainder of her life to her sons widow
and children. Before her death. in 1881
she was overjoyed at the favorable
reception given to her niece, Fanny
Kemble. whose performances she
watched with tears Of joy running down
her face.
Throughout her long life of seventy
six years she was sincere, industrious
and courageous, with an unconquerable
lore of truth which won her the imme-
date confidence Of all with whom she
came in contact. Even The riotOus moi
around the theatre fell back when il
heard the deep voice Of the dignifed
woman in the sedan chair appealing,
Good people, let me pass 1 am Sarah
Siddons-"
Sir Walter Scott. in responding to {
toast TO this great actress and robe