The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-26

Some years ago a sweet and gentle wo- man of gracious presence was delivering the epilogue of shakespeare's comedy. "As You Like It." in a voice of ex- quiiste musical cadence. She was the great Modjeska. It was the last night of her engagement at the opera house in Hamilton, Canada. In seat in the front row a little girl was bending eagerly for ward as if drinking in every word. Her black eyes gleamed with an intensity of pleasure-she saw but one object, had but one thought, the actress before her.
 The young girl who viewed the scene with such rapt eagerness was Roselle Knott, who plays at the Jefferson theatre tomorrow afternoon and night in Cousin Kate" It was her first visit to the the atre. Her social life was far removed from the atmosphere of the playhouse, but the drama was regarded as one of the elements of liberal education. As she grew up her day dreams were of the theatre, but parental authority refused consent to d professional career, and so the talented young woman became reader and elocutionist. While in her early teens her parents took her on her first visit to New York and she saw Richard Mansfield play "A Parisian Ro- nance" The play made a great impress sion on her, but what engaged her most were the trials of the beautiful heroine, Marcelle "I should like to act like that" she whispered to her father, who raised a cautioning finger to bid her be silent. little did she or her parents dream at that time that in a few years she would be playing Marcelle in Manstield's com pany and be reckoned among the leading actresses Of America.
 It was by pure accident that her ambi- ton was finally gratihed. A travelling company was playing at local theatre when one of the actresses was taken ill, and as there was one to take her place the closing of the theatre seemed imminnt. 'Is there no talented amateur here who will play the part?" inquired the manager. Some one suggested Roselle Knott. Her success was instantaneous. On all sides she had offers to embark on a professional career; her family finally gave the much coveted consent and she joined a professional company at Halifax. From this to playing the lead in Steele Mackaye's drama, Paul Kauyar," was but step, after which Augustus Pitou presented her in the role of Nourmale in "The Cherry Pickers."
 Her talent and beauty were now at tracting wide attention, which led to her engagement to play Marcelle, the part she had so fervently admired, with Richard Mansfield in "A Parisian Romance" Soon after came her success as Dygia in the original production of "Quo Vadis" at the New York theatre, and then followed her fine Empress Josephine in the superb pro- duction of More Than Queen;" Katinka in Clyde Fitch's play, "A Modern Mag daen," and last season Mary Tudor in "When Knighthood Was in Flower" This season the beautiful Canadian actress has been chosen to impersonate the role of Kate Curtis in Hubert Henry Davies comedy Cousin Kate" which achieved an extraordinary success at the New Hud- son theatre, New York city, last season Everywhere the critics have praised her in this part and she has more than duplicated her brilliant work of last sea- son as Princess Mary.
 Cousin Kate" pretepds to be nothing more or less than an original love story, of which the chief character Is young woman of twenty-nine, fancy free and rather cynical in her views about men. lSew old maid as she Is, Cousin Kate can not help falling in love with a hand some, well-made stranger she meets on a railway train. Her destination Is the home of her cousin Amy Spencer and her errand to reconcile Amy and Amy's sweetheart, Heath Desmond. To her sur prise, the stranger leaves the train at the same station as herself. After reach ing Mrs Spencer's she again finds the delightful young man and the couple mu- tually acknowledge their love. All is pro ceeding happily when, like a thunderbolt