The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-09-13
MISS La VERNE TO
Be WITH G|FFEN
Grief Over Loss of Her Husband
Causes Her Decision to Go
Back on he Stage.

DCSn Sh Nv OsSS VI
Miss Lucille La Verne, who has been
a popular and prominent figure of the
Giffen Company ever since that organi-
cation made it's first appearance at the
Academy of Music in this city. will be a
member of the organization during the
regular season Mr.. Giffen notified Man
ager Leath of this fact yesterday.
The announcement will come as de-
cided surprise to the theatre-goers in this
city. who remember the actresses farewell
speech on the last night of the ..4,ten
ComparE's season at the Academy IN
July, when she said that she was leav-
ing the stage to fill role on the domes-
tic hearth with her husband to whom
she was devotedly attached. The rea-
son for this sudden change is the death
of her husband. He passed away unex-
pectedly before he met his wife. and
it is supposed from the meagre informa-
ton at hand, that he died on his way
to London to meet Miss La Verne while
she was speeding across the Atlantic on
her way to join him, with her heart full
of Joy and the hope that she might be
able with the aid of the Christian Science
of witch she was a votary, to cure him OF
the maladies he had contracted while Ia
boring in the fever-stricken regions of
South America.
Miss La Verne had not been long mar
ried. It was no bC.v and girl attachment
but a deep, real true love that came into
her life and possessed her very soul.
Her husbands work lay in Guatemala and
between that port and Peru he follow
ed the life of a trader, amassing consid-
cradle wealth. It was an open secret that
Miss La Verne had brother TO whom
she was greatly attached. and while she
could not be with her husband on ac-
count of his trade she followed the pro-
fession she loved so well, chiefly for the
sake of her brother who was a real
burden and anxiety to her, because of his
waywardness She might have had the
money to do this from her husband. but
her friends know that she refused it be
cause she did not think it would be fair
to him.
Miss La Verne was one of the suffer
el.s by reason of the collapse of a bank
here the season before last vet in spite
of all her griefs, she was one Of the
most hopeful and cheerful members of the
Giffen Company, and she made a host
riends in this city.
Before she left Richmqnd she took
an advanced course in Christian Science,
with which knowledge she was confident
would be instrumental in restoring ler
husband to health when they met Then
she set sail for England and arrived in
London only to learn that her cup of JOY
had been dashed from her lips and that
the dregS contained only gall and bitter
ness.
The meagre details of her grief are
told in letter she wrote to Mr. Gift
en-. Mr.. Giffen wrote to Mr.. Leath yes
terday as follows:
Miss La Verne is to be with us, as
her husband whom she sailed for London
to see. died before she reached there.
She left here August 9th and was to have
reached London on the 18TH Her hus-
band was to have sailed from Guatemala
in time to reach London on the 18th.
but in a letter I had from her dated the
o3d she said he had passed OUT on the
l4th She did not say whether he had
been buried at sea had died in Gaute-
mala or in London. She was almost
distracted and said that work was the
only thing that would save her reason.
When she sailed 7 did not know whether
we should do stock work or not. and she
had no intention of returning to the stage
fr some time, if at all. She asked me
in her letter to do everything I could
to place her in case I could not use her
myself but I cabled her that her place
with me was secure, which / thought
might be of some comfort. She said she
did not think She could secure passage
home before the last of this month, as
all the steamers We're c@owded to over
flowing for weeks aheaG
Sir Henry Irving is to appear in Rich
mond. Manager Leath received the con-
tracts yesterday morning.
The great actor will be the Christmas
Day attraction in 1908. What the pro-
duction will be is not stated, but it will
be the great event OF next season, there
can be no doubt
At the Academy of Music next week
the attraction will be "A Stranger in New
York. matinee and night Monday: "a
Trip to Chinatown" Tuesday matinee
and night; Elizabeth Kennedy. in Cap
tain AJinks. of the Horse Marines Wed
nesdav. matinee and night. and the farce
comedy Zone the Quiet" Saturday mat
inee and night.
The Norfolk Landmark and Virginian-
Pilot are unstinted in their praise Of the
production of "A Stranger in New York
which was done in that city Thursday
night. The Norfolk Dispatch said that
the company presenting the piece gave
the best performance and presentation
of the piece ever seen in that city.
The great New York comedy success
"On the Quiet by Augustus Thomas
author Of "Ariznna = I'm Missouri "a Ia
hama" etc. will be presented at the Acad
envy on Saturday night.