New-York tribune., 1906-02-20
THE LATE MRS. FLORENCE.

The death Of the widow of that admirable come
dian and much priced friend and comrade William
James Florence is an event well calculated to make
old playgoers realize the flight of time. Florence
himself died in 1891, aged sixty. His widow has
survived him fifteen years The time was when
those players had great popularity and their names
were honored words Early in the course of their
professional career they followed in the path Of
Mr.. and Mrs Barney Williams, who had originated
the plan OF combining The Irish Boy and The
Yankee GAL" and in this. for time they
nearly successful their talented exemplars.
williams and Florence married sisters. Maria and
Malvina Pray, daughters OF the old prompter, who
was accidentally struck and killed by the falling
curtain roller at Wallacl's Theatre broadway and
Broome-st). There was a third sister, Louisa
Pray, who became the wife Of George F. Browne.
Of Wallack's company, proprietor Of once famous
chophouse. in Fourth-ave. Malvina Pray, who
became the wife Of Florence, had been married to
a man named LttelL and had obtained a divorce
from him After the death OF Florence she again
married January 1899. her husband being Mr..
George Howard Coveny. who deserted her. and
from whom she was divorced AT the time of her
marriage with Florence, 1883, she was a dancer at
WaIlack's Theatre, but she speedily made a
for herself as an actress. and when she appeared.
with her husband, at Drury Lane, London IN 1856,
where they acted, for fifty nights. with much
success,-she aroused positive enthusiasm as The
Yankee CAL Her acting eccentric. to
travagant degree. but she was exceedingly conf
cal and certainly she obeyed to the letter old
Munden's direction.-'Nature be damned Make
the people taught" The most memorable Of
her presentations that Of Mrs Green
Jones in that capital drama The Ticket OF
Leave Man,"-hrst produced in America by
Mr. and Mrs. Florence. at the old Winter Gar
den Theatre in 1863, when il had long
run and q marked success. Green-Jones acted
by Vining Bowers, clever comedian and good
fencer long since dead. and in the scenes with him
Mrs. Florence put forth her animal spirits, joval
humor. and merry loauaeity with delightful effect
The entire cast OF that piece remarkably fine
for it included Humphrey Bland Melter Moss.
A H. Davenport Dolly as the decoy, Mrs. Floyd
the mischievous boy; Hagan Hawkshaw. the
Detective Mrs. T. Hind Mrs. wiuoughby, and
Mr.. Tom Hind as the respectable merchant. An
other striking inpersonation by Mrs. Florence
that of Polly Eccles, in ''Caste',-given when
that fine comedy was presented here. in 1867, at
the old Wallack house, then called tho Broadway;
Florence playing DAlroy, with Davidge as Ee-
cles, owen Marlowe as Hawtrey, Mrs. Chanfrau
as Esther, Edward Lamb as Gerridge: and the
late Mrs. Gilbert making a brilliant hit the
Marquise de st. Maur. Mrs. Florence was a
good, kind, genial woman shrewd. sensible, and
Of & resolute character. On the stage she
conspicuous for humorous eccentricity. With less
vanity and more wisdom she would have led
Of about 70. Her death occurred on Saturday. Her
remains were buried yesterday beside the grave Of
Florence in Greenwood Cemetery. The veterans
Of an era when the stage was not conducted as a
department store, when acting the main thing
and when New-York society had much finer feel
ing about the theatre than it has now have al
all passed away. Mrs Barney Williams the
sister OF the late Mrs Florence. in her day
exceedingly beautiful woman and brilliant actress
in a great variety OF parts stiu survives. at the
age Of seventy-three- Golden sunsets are still pos
sible