The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-02-19


 Although known to the world as
 tragic actress, her reputation was es
 abolished by her representations o
 comedy, and it was not until she wen
 to Paris in 1855 that her chief role
 were taken from the tragic drama
 She adopted this course with the idef
 that, playing abroad in Italian, tfaged! would be better understood than come
 dy, and her success was so instantane
 ous and so striking that she always al
 forwards preferred tragedy. Rlstorl first appearance before the public was at the age of three months, when sht screamed so vigorously that both tht words of the actors and the laughter oi the audience were drowned by her When she was three she was in childs part, but became frightened, anc simply fled the stage, unfortunately al tragic moment, so that the effect was completely spoiled, and the audience shouted with laughter.
 A talk with the aged Marchioness Ca prancia del Grille, as she afterwards became, is always especially interest ing. Her memory is as fresh as ever and she shows great courtesy in telling her experiences; while, surrounded as she is by precious objects and souve- mfrs, one is for the time being trans- ported into another world. When l saw her to-day, she began by saying. ! laughingly: q suppose actresses Of the present day, when the means of travel and study have been so perfect ed, will laugh at my making so much | of having been about the world and of l having acted in foreign languages, es- pecially English. However, fifty or sixty years ago the methods of travel were very primitive, and to go to South America and to the Sandwich ls-
 lands meant hardships little under stood in these days, but the cordial re- ception met wherever I went, and the widening of my outlook, quite repaid me and my family for everything To remark Of mine about her husband always accompanying her, she replied; Yes he never let me go alone, and we were living contradiction to the say ing that no marriage in the profession is happy unless both husband and wife belong to the stage. The marquis was more proud of my success than l Was and in everything did what was for my happiness. We and my son and daughter were separated until ten years ago. when my dear husband died just on my seventieth birthday, after a long and distressing illness. So. you see, the celebration of my eightieth birthday is not without sadness for me-
 "The points of my career which stand out most clearly in my memory, con tinued the marchioness "are the first time I acted as leading lady-the play was Silvio Pellico's Francesca da Rim inland my first appearances speaking in languages not my own-French, English and Spanish. I tried them all, and once in the United States, Eng fish with a German cast which was in the nature of an experiment but which took very we'll" On my speaking ad- miringly of her having twice obtained pardon for condemned men. she said: Tt has been my great privilege to be in a position to do so once in Madrid and once in Santiago, Chili, At the former place it was the cause of young SOL dier, called Chapado, who had impetu- ously put his hand to his sword against a sergeant who had insulted him, and was condemned to death. Queen lsa- bella so far listened to my prayer as to commute the sentence to Imprisonment for life, but when she gave birth to the Prince of the Asturias I implored fur ther grace for him, and the sentence was reduced to six years imprison- ment. In one of my visits to Madrid I saw the unfortunate fellow in jail. He
 l. r1t.ton a1H with head down, and conVulsively clutching his cap. He stood so for moment, and then feii on his knees be- fore me, kissing my gown in a trans port of gratitude without being able to articulate word All present were af- fected to tears, while I was touched to my inmost heart. The news of my presence having spread in the prison. all wanted to see me, and as I passed out with the governor on one side and Chapado on the other the prisoners all knelt, respectfully raising their hats. l shall never forget the emotions of that moment. The sergeant who had pro- voked Chapado afterwards fell ill to the point of death, and sent to ask his pardon, he being still in prison, which l was given without one moments hesi- | tation as he really was noble fellow. | I still preserve his letters In which he | calls me his second mother" Adelaide Ristori has many family | in her own room, conspicu- l ous among them being that of her | mother who was never on the stage, | and who, even as an elderly lady as the | picture represents her, was exceptional 1 ly handsome Her father was an actor, | and came of a race of actors while | most of her brothers and sisters fol- l lowed the profession" none of them, however, ever attaining to any special | celebrity One sister married an Ital- | ian actor of considerable local fame, and their daughter Signori Maieroni, went to Australia, where her children now live, two of the sons being on the stage and all stanch British subjects. Mime Ristori informed me that she was going to send her great-nephews the Engish papers which speak of her on his great occasion, as they would be interested in knowing what is thought If her in Great Britain. q shall never see England again." she said as I rose 10 leave, but I love it, and am glad to nave a tie no matter how slight, to connect me with it. Before all I am oa atriot, and do not forget that England ! ,oIy 1Ic in, o1IY, pnO6 ficbt |