Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-02

| the must of centuries, but the most
striking popularity belonging to them
was the beautifully engrossed letters
in Norman French and principally
Latin, which told of the genealogy OF
the family, with various family trees,
and their collateral branches, all bear
ing the royal arms of the house of
Stewart and the French armorial bear
ings of the French house of Guise,
who were the progenitors of the royal
house of Orleans. From father to son
or next of kin those precious heirlooms
were transmitted until finally they
came into the possession of Dick
Stewart, whose father, also an actor
l believe, was accustomed in his social
moments with pride to boast of his
royal lineage and the son, in his child
hood days, whenever he had trouble
with his playmates, would be derisiVely
called King Dick and until he left the
neighborhood wherein his early youth
was spent the soubriquet of King
Dick to his everlasting annoyance, was
the too frequent manner of hailing
him.
Theme of Many Romances
about month ago, happening to
get hold of q Sab Francisco newspaper
wherein / read of Modjeska appearing
as Mary Stuart, Nance O'Neil at an
other theater as Lady Macbeth and
Nellie Stewart as Sweet Nell of Old
Drury' at the third theater, l thought
of the peculiar coincidence-for the
royal Stuarts have been more the
theme of romance and poetry since the
days of the unfortunate queen of Scots
than all the combined royal families
of Europe twenty times over. The
affinity relating to the three plays
above mentioned is rather remarkable,
for to the bloody reign of Macbeth the
house of Stuart was founded. Fleance,
escaping the murderOus intention of
Macbeth, fled into Wales and was there
allotted to the service of cupbearer to
the king. He grew to be wise and
brave, and from butler to the king he
became oYerseer and steward of the
kings household. The kings daughter,
falling in love with him, and he re-
ciprocating her affection, the king be-
ing opposed to their union, both fled to
Scotland, where he proclaimed himself
as heir to the Scottish throne; then
vacant. He was duly crowned, and to
distinguish himself from all preceding
royal families, adopted that of Stuart,
the last of whom reigning as king being
James II, the brother of Charles II.
HOW History Repeats itselt
"And this brings me to the end of
my story. Here is a Stewart, playing
q role, the story of which is founded on
events of her ancestors. There was
Nance O'Neil playing Lady Macbeth,
the instigator of Macbeth's criminal in
tents, which caused the name Of Stuart
to come into existence. And there was
the ever sweet and charming Madame
Modieska, essayins the role of the
unfortunate queen of SCOTS. Mary
Stuart, covering the character with
such a mantle of sympathetic genius,
such as l have never beheld i'll any
other artistic, not even excepting Ris-
tori. How small the world is and how
history does repeat itself!
Calls Up the Past
Here is Nellie Stewart personating
Nell GWynne, the prime faYorite Of
Charles H. through whose influence
Chelsea hospital, a home for disabled
and superannuated sailors, was
founded. And away i'll the southern
seas, beneath the effulgence of the
southern cross, Il similar edifice for q
similar purpose was raised by the par
tial contribution of the talent of DOGGY
and Maggie Stewart.
who might be out of the cast of the
current plays took the opportunity of
seeing Sweet Nell of Old Drury, for
while 1 have had the credit of placing
before the public some remarkably fine
dramatic productions 1 would here say
that at no time have l seen OH any
stage so perfect q production of any
play, in it's every detail, as Sweet Nell
of Old Drury,' and to show the intel
ligence that permoates this presenta-
ton, and particularly the star, even to
the remarkably broad trimmed hat
worn by Nell in the second act, which
to some ignorant so-called critics ap-
peared as an eccentricity of costume by
the actress. The fact is that Pepy's
diary describes how the kings atten-
tion to Nell Gwynne was first attracted
by her appearing in a hat as round as
"a coach Wheel and that Dryden, the
poet, wrote specially a part for Nell,
whereby she should wear such a head
gear, and in doing so bring discom-
future to a stage rival. 1 mention this
little incident to show the correctness
and intelligence combined with which
these 'mummers' from Australia pre-
sent their wares, and among whom the
art-corroding influence of a baneful
theatrical syndicate is as yet un-
known"