Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-03-31

her friends, and her picture was on
view only because an artist had ad-
mired her beauty and obtained per-
mission to transfer Il to canvas
These friends, one OF whom was
Kyrle Below. induced her to go up-
IN tnc stage. Turing her first sea-
son she played more than fifty small
parts undof the name OF Flore a. Q
Friend. For the next three years
she continued 10 act In the British
provinces acquiring fairly wide
experience, but nNScr attaining the
reclamo of an appearance in the
West End, or finding a London man
ager who cared TO secure her ser.
vices.
The next step In her career was
a sufficiently surprising one, though
the account OF II that has passed
into current theatrical history is not
quite correct. The accepted version
Is that Daniel Frobman during one
Of his summer holidays was making
a solitary bicycle tour over the de-
lightful highways OF England. Stop
ping over night in a provincial town
hc spent the evening at the local
theatre, as he often did when he
found one open. on this occasion.
the romantic legend continues he
made a much rarer find--a leading
woman OF such beauty and talent
that he promptly made up his mind
TO engage her for his New York
playhouse. II seems that In the
summer OF 1896 he bought the
American rights OF Sidney Grundy's
farce. THE Late Mr.. Costello" and
It was then being produced at a
theatre In Islington, a northern SUI
burb of London. He not unnatural
ly thought II worth while 10 see a
performance of the piece The COM
pany was a provincial one. and the
leading Juvenile role was played by
Florence Friend Mr.. Frohman,
charmed with her attractive, eirlish
personality and her simplicity and
sincerity, sent for her and engaged
her for his stock company. OF which
he made her the leading woman. but
changed her name from Florence
Friend to Mary Mannering. as be-
ing more attractive and euphonious.
In the same company at Islington
the second role was played by
Miss Constance Collier. who is now
one of the leading women OF the
London stage.
Without any flourish OF trumpets.
then. on the 24th OF November,
1896, Miss Mannering made her de-
but in America. Miss Mannering's
leading man In that very first play
was James X. Hackett. Between
these two Il was practically case of
love at first sight, and they were
married before the first season had
run its course, although the fact of
the union was kept secret for sew
eral months. She remained at the
old Lyeeum theatre until the end
of its existence. During that period
the two impersonations that stand
out as her best were Fay" the
Italian girl in "The Princess and the
Butterfly" and Rose Trolawney,"
the delightful actress who gave
"Trolawney of the Wells" It's title
Acting one winter with the troupe
after its removal TO Days, Miss
Mannering then signed 20 star in
dramatizatiOn OF the years best
seller" Janice Meredith" The story
has never appealed TO her, and she
liked the play still less. but It was
fortunate, perhaps. that she did not
take the advice OF a New York critic
who suggested that JOcelyn Leigh
in ITO Have and 10 Hold" would
suit her down 10 the ground" For
Janice Meredith" proved a strong
popular success. while ITO Have
and To Hold" put forward later
with Isabel Irving and Robert Lo-
raine Ia the chief parts. turned out