The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-09
THE. CAREER OF MARY ANDERSON

well as in the provincial cities of Eng
land. On June II. 1890. she was married
to Mr.. Antonio de Novrro, and since then
she has dwelt in retirement only occas-
ionally emerging to read and to sing for
the benefit of the poor of London Her
home Is at Broadway, Worcestershire,
England; and her friends are glad to
know that she is--as she deserves to be-
one of the happiest women in the world
Fortunate IN her choice of a career
and fortunate in her management of it,
Mary Anderson was especially fortunate
in her retirement from public life at a
time when her renown was at its height
To the stage and to society-so eontinu-
ously and deeply affected by the stage
her withdrawal was not simply depriva-
tion, 1t was a bereavement, for 1t greatly
reduced the public store of innocent
pleasure. and 1t greatly weakened the
inspiring and ennobling influence of the
acted drama. But her exertions had been
great and continuous; as a heroic actress
she had reached the zenith of achieve
ment; her health required relief from
care; and she left the scene before the
lights had begun to darken and while yet
a time remained for the enjoyment Of
that life of the affections which Is the
chief blessing OF our mortal state She
did not take formal farewell of the
theatre Her last appearance occurred at
Washington. in the spring of 1889, and the
last part that she acted was Hermolne.
AS poet has written:
"She waned not as light from the land
scape at even,
As mist from the mountain or snow from
the hill
But passed as a star from the azure of
heaven.
flash from the cloud or ray from the
rill.''
In "the Haunted Room"
The tremulous quality of her magma
ton and her acute sensibility of psychic
influence were evinced in a description
that she gave to me, eighteen years ago.
of a singular experience in "a haunted
room" at Knehworth, In Hertfordshire,
the country seat of the Earl of Lytton
On one of the many visits to her friend
Lady Lytton. Miss Anderson, was ush-
cred to, a room that was strange to her
the one that she had occupied on occa-
sions of previous visits being in pos
session of another guest. 1t was large
red and gold room, hung with ancient
tapestry and in a smaller room adjoining
with a door between them WIS lodged her
maid. An evening had been cheerfully-pas-
sed partly in the playing of a game
devised to test the readiness of mem
ory-given any letter in the alphabet,
as many as possible of distinguished
names beginning with that letter. Thus
there was no predsposing cause for dark
imaginings or superstitious dread The It
ter A had been proposed and Miss Ander-
son had failed to think of many names
beginning with 1t; but after she retired
In great bed. with posts, canopy and
curtains-she reflected on that game. and
she remembered several famous names be-
ginning with A. The hour was about .
o'clock a. m. There was a dim light in
the room. Suddenly she grew Jelly cold
and was greatly agitated with an inexpli-
cable fear that caused violent beating of
the heart. Then she heard faint rust
ling, like the brushing of a garment
against the tapestry, followed by sound
as of light footsteps, She tried to speak
but could only whisper her maids name
That she whispered several times, but
could not speak aloud or move. She saw
nothing, but presently heard a deep pa
thetic sigh seemingly at the foot of the
bed The next moment she had fright
full sensation of being seized by the should
ers and held in convulsive grasp At THAI
she gave a loud cry, and the seeming
hands dropped away. The waiting woman,
pale with fear, instantly appeared at the
door, holding a lighted candle and asked:
'Have you seen it. Miss ?"-and then said
that she had heard her mistress first