New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-10-14

kissed her hand" said Nine. Ristori, "and
without hesitatng an instant 1 threw myself at
Chapardo"
Calm yourself. madame" said the Queen.
without being able to dssemble her emotion.
an, what two different tragedies are being
Piayed to-nlght! she exclaimed, after hlslori
mad finished her petition. Then, asking for
pen and Ink. She signed the petition
histor1 her heart overfowing with content
rnent, flew back TO the stage crying, HE IS
pardoned! The good news had spread through
the audience, and when she appeared on the
stage she was met by such burst Of acclama-
ton as almost took away her breath. She tried
70 tell the audience that 1t was not she but the
Queen who deserved their thanks but the Queen,
pointing to the actress, cried from her box: mo,
no! 1t is she?' The pen that signed Chapardos
release became later one of Ristoris most priced
possessions
One of the greatest disappoiEtments of Ris-
toris life came TO her in Athens where King
George, captivated by her Interpretation OF clas-
steal heroines, desired to arrange for her a
grand, daylight, dramatic performance, with
classic costumes and stage effects. in the theatre
Of Bacchus To Ristori, whose first hours on
Greek soil had been spent on the Acropols in a
study oe the carytides' drapery, the prospect of
appearing upon the stage of that ancient thea
tire in classic Greece appeared too delightful; Of
reviving for a moment the art of SophocleS and
H9sChylus of reposng in spirit in the majesty
Of Olympus" But unluckily, she was engaged
TO appear in Legouve's Les DeuX Reines," at
the Lyric in Paris, and obliged TO refuse this
unique experience. Fancy her disappointment on
touching AIessina, route for Paris, to re-
ceiVe a telegram saying that, owing to political
complications with the Holy See, Napoleon III
had prohibited the play.
Ristor herself attributed not little of her
success TO her beauty. Persons who saw her at
thrty-five describe her as tall and slender in
person. beautifully proportional though some
what too thin. Her beauty OF the Madonna
rather than the classic type. She had luxuriant
brown hair, handsome shoulders, a complexion
brown but fresh" and hazel eyes full of fire.
sweetness. scorn, tenderness and mirth," Her
voice was said TO be 1.-The finest organ on the
modern stage
Although devoted to parts of the deepest
tragic gloom away from the stage she was the
most human and humane the most simple. I'M
affected and sympathetic Of women. Punctual-
ity was with her cardinal virtue. Consequent
~ she was q favOrite with managers. Travelling
in Russia in February, 1872 she one DAY came
70 river the bridge over which had been de-
molished and being rebuilt There was
only a narrow board, high a swollen
torrent, and her company refused TO intrust
themselves 10 il, but there was an engagement
10 play in Dunaburg and Mime. Ristori had not
the slightest intention of breaking IL account
OF a mere bridge.
Being assured by the workrnen that the board
was quite safe, Ristori, accompanied by her
family, from whom she was never separated,
walked across, "merrily and with some laugh
ter" The company followed, stumbling and
tripping, and all reached Dunaburg on schedule
time.
Ristori was familiar figure in all the big
European cities when in 1866 she made her first
visit 10 the United States She said herself that
great was my Impotence TO carry my language
opened at the Lyric Theatre in New York, Sep
TENDER 20 of that year. This remarkable woman
found stimulus in this new country. She also
confessed that she saw the necessity Of learning
70 act in English she had never seen il be-
fore. Vt was not however. till her fourth visit
to London, in 1873 that, weary of playing al
ways the same things" and feeling the neces-
sty Of invigoratng my mental powers by some
strong emotion" she decided to essay Lady Mac
beth in English
In private life Ristori was known as the Mar
quise Capranica del Grillo. Her home life was
ideal, her only sorrow being the loss of two
young children and many years later of her
husband. After her retirement from the stage
she devoted herself to benevolence and to her
family, consisting of her beautiful daughter.