Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-15
STORY OF ELLEN
TERRY'S MARRIAGE
JUBILEE REvIvES TALES OF
MATRIMONIAL VENTURE
AS Artist Watts Bride, Her spriehtly
Nature Rebelled at Solemnity.
Went to Dinner in Tights
and Made All Gasp
specia1 cable 10 rhe Hera1d.

Special Gable to The Herald.
LONDON, July 14.-Ellen Terry's
Jubilee has brought up the story of her
marriage to Watts, the painter-the
one thing in her life which has always
been more or less of mystery. That
the marriage took place and that
legal separation was obtained by Watts
many years after the pair had parted
are about the only facts known to the
general public.
Miss Terry was only sixteen when the
then middle-aged artist fell in love with
her golden hair, her dancing blue eyes
and her graceful form. A woman who
was at the wedding says it was a sight
never to be forgotten rs Ellen Terry
walked, or rather skipped, down the
aisle on the arm of the dignifed, distin-
guished man. she looking like some
fairy from the realms of the sprites as
the sunlight caught her hair and her
roguish glance flew from one friend to
another.
Watts lived in a big house with two
maiden, sisters, who managed his sim
pie but stately establishment with all
the rigid decorum which only English
people seem capable of maintaining in
their everyday existence. This was the
home to which Watts took his bride.
sunny IdCPu, u0QlSClDllneO, WdNWdrQ
child, reared in an atmosphere of Bo-
hemia and totally unable to compre-
hend the serious people who undertook
to order her life.
Hated the Stage
Watts had an adherence of the stage
as a fit place for his wife, but Miss
Terry had already tasted of the excite
ment and success of the theater and
was not at all prepared to give it up
altogether. She was now removed en-
tirely from any assoCia tion with it, and
her time was purposely filled by her
husband with a succession of visits
among friends as conventional as him
self. and by humdrum domestic duties
when at home.
Watts was a man of great nobility of
character. but he was not broad in his
sympathies and was inclined to be
harsh and stern in his judgments. He
never understood Ellen Terry and had
very little influence in restraining her.
She played pranks all over the house,
to the open disgust and amazement of
the servants, and she Mortified the two
maiden sisters every hour in the day.
At last matters came to such a pass
that she determined to leave the house
and return to her life on the stage. She
managed to get her clothes out: then
she arranged her farewell with the
consummate mischievousness which
characterized her. There was a big
dinner party at the house, as staid and
formal as the circle of people in which
Watts moved Every guest was in
place, but the young wife had not ap-
peared. A servant was sent for her and
all waited.
Finally she came. audacious and
dimpling. her graceful figure outlined in
pink tights. She made her bow and
then fed.
Watts never saw her again, but for
years he cherished the hope that she
would give up everything and return
TO him. He acknowledged that he prob
ably was very largely to blame, and he
never ceased to care for her.
An artist friend who was travelling in
Egypt with him a few years before his
death tells a story of coming across a
beautiful young girl in Cairo, an Eng
lish girl with Ellen Terry's face and
hair and manner. Watts tur ed deathly
pale when he saw her and nearly
tainted, but gathered strength to get
back to his hotel, where he shut him.
self up for the rest of the day.