The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-14
bryan As AN AoroR.
Recalled ny Ada Gray of Fast
Lynne" Fame.

Lt
Emma II. De zouche in the New York
World
Dear old Ada Gray. whose performance
in East Lynne is affectionately remem-
bered by many. many thousands--she has
played 1t more than three thousand times
told me yesterday her memories of Bry-
an as an actor. They relate to time
that is remote from the present. when the
crime of '7S and the depredations of the
trust monster had probably not begun to
afford MIR. Bryan any uneasness. but Miss
Gray's recollection is as vivid as though
it We're yesterday.
She is in the Fordham Home for Incur
ahles, martyr to sciatic rheumatism
but cheerful as ever and. she says well
on the way to renewed health ana activ-
ity. She was reclining I'm an invalid chair
when l saw her
at was dozen or fifteen years ago
that the young man appeared with me
for a season in the West" said she at
was during the lifetime of my first hus-
band, Charles Watkins. who was also my
manager. | remember the shock it gave
me when l saw Mr., Bryan's face again as
Presidential candidate. 1t was big
jump '-refiectively-"he played the
part we'll"
1t seemed indicate TO ask which part.
Thoroughly mystiied / refraned and
Miss Gray told me more about Bryan's
career as an actor. Imagine the cham
pion OF the common people in the even
ing dress of the period. with a mustache
waxed in the manner always associated
with polite villainy, "a single eyeglass and
set OF stage morals absolutely beneath
reproach. scene i'm which Mr.. Bryan,
as the ,heartless Sir Francis figured is
the great one in the third act, in which
Lady Isabel turns upon her betrayer in
all the bitterness of her desolstlon:
Lady Isabel-Tal<e your money Never!
| had rather die. starvei
Sir Francis with a sneer-Wen good
by dear, Don't forget me- Ta-ta.
Don't forget your Frankie! exit, twirl-
ing his mustache)
Ada Gray had been reported as crit-
cally i'll and little likely to live the win
ter through. The veteran actress, how
ever has rallied, is no longer confined to
bed, and begins to walk few steps each
day
Il practice with that" said Miss Gray.
laughing as she pointed to walking ma
chine all wheels and straps 1.-THE front
wheels go ahead and the hind wheels fol-
low on at an amazing rate 1t is worse
than bicycle riding, but they tell me
am getting on wonderfully we'll"
1t was in the midst of her season. just
at Christmas time, While touring Con-
necticut that she was struck She was
removed 10 her home at No. 402 West
Ftfty-ninth street. but her condition con-
tinued to grow worse. and she was final
~ induced to go to the Home for Incur
ables as ward of the Actors Fund.
While my nursing has been so good
that the doctors are confident of making
a well woman Of me in a month or two,
the depression felt at seeing the suffer-
ing about me was inconcevable. | tried
to be brave, but when l saw one poor
creature brought into the ward on a
stretcher, unable to move hand or foot
the effect on my emotional temperament
was terrific. / wept necessarily the first
few days"
Acquaintance with her fellow-sufferers
and her own Improvement have greatly
cheered her. She now signs for her
friends and her work. Miss, Gray's hus-
band Charles f. Tingay who was play
ing with her in East Lynne" and threw
up his engagement to attend to his sick
wife, has been most devoted I'm his at
tention. Every day he-Nasits her In time
for the walking exercise. Mr.. Tingay is
an Euglishman formerly of Sir Henry
IrVings company. 4''
"How long have l been on the stage?
Since l was a little girl Of fourteen and
that is a good many years ago" Miss
Gray's smile had just a touch of sadness
The blue eyes. are as clear as ever The
satin-smooth skin that was once ar
greatest beauty Bears Comparatively few
of Times trademarks i'm wrinkles and
crows feet, and the lips are still red
Miss Gray says she has been happy. PEI
haps that accounts for it, At the time
of her second marriage in 1894 she had
already passed the fftieth milestone
II was born in Boston and nearly II
al haf 4
she went on 81 was che daughter of a
Mason. who died long before l first took
TO the footlights. That first play? 1t was
The Hunehback.' That, and Lucreta
Borgia determined me. At IA made my
debut. At 16 1 was playing leading bus
mess, and there has been hardly a break
in my career since.
Yes / believe there are fewer emo
tional actresses to-day than there were
Why? Well, possibly because public taste
has Changed and the demand is no long
er as great as it was. 1t has always been
amazing to me that East Lynne has pre-
served its popularity undiminished. The
power of mother-love as presented in that
play is, in my opinion, its perennial elc-
inent'
"An object lesson is always better than \
a sermon, l ventured
Yes" said Miss Gray. II felt the truth
of that curiousy out in Ohio a few years
ago. A letter came 20 me at my hotel n
one of the large towns one day from a
man who told me that ] had saved him
from the blacklist villainy. He had been
i'll in hospital and nursed by a young
woman who gave him her love-the pre-
lude to her ruin. lie deserted her with
cut a qualm But East Lynne converted
him. Isabels sad story wrought upon
his mind that he returned and married
- an MM - $3.50 -