The National tribune., 1909-04-15

One by one our really great actresses
are leaving us, and no one comes to
fill their places There are very many
charming and talented women on the
stage to-day, but where is there a Lady
Macbeth, for instance, to be compared
for moment with Charlotte Cushman,
Ristori or Modjeska? Later, when a
change has come in the public taste and
demands, such actresses may again
tread the boards" but at present their
sun has set. The last of these, Nine.
Helena Modjeska, has just passed away
at her home in California Altho not
SO very old as age goes nowadays, be-
ing at the time of her death but 65, she
has not appeared on the stage much
for several years, her last appearance
being in 1905. Nine. Mojeska was a
native of Poland, and tho a great ac-
treSS found time to deeply concern
herself in the political condition of her
beloved and long-suffering country. She
came to Ap.erica in 1876, not as a sue
cessful actress to draw the shekels from
our pockets by her wonderful imper.
sonations on the stage, but to found a
colony for her countrymen whose rights
and liberties in Poland We're so re-
stricted, bringing with her, or soon fol-
lowed by, the noted Henryk Sienkie-
wicZ, among others. The colony was a
failure, and lit became necessary TO,
Nine. ModJeska TO resume her profeS-
sion as an actress 1t was not long
before she completely won the Amer
lean public, and fortunate indeed arc
those of the present generation who
have seen her in Mary Stuart" Mac
beth" or in the Shaksperean comedies
For nearly rs years Nine. Modjeska
held foremost place on the American
stage, much of the time her own man.
ager. She generally had an excellent
support, and it was said that she was
most careful not only that the members
of her theatrical family should have
talent, but that their moral characters
should be above reproach. The young
er members of her company adored
her, and all loved and respected her
sincerely. She was twice married, re-
tanning the name of her first husband,
Modjeska, in her professional career
Her second husband, Count Bozenta
was an ardent patriot and deeply inter-
ested in his talented wife's colony
scheme. Owing to the active part she
took in the politics of Russian Poland.
Nine Modjeska was forbidden to act
on the stage of Russia, and both she
and her husband, Count Bozenta, were
exiles from their native land. On this
account it has been wondered If the
Count would be allowed to take his
wife's body back to Poland for inter.
Government will not object to this IL
II be done quietly. At the time of Nine
Modteska's death she was preparing
the story of her interesting life, with
Its varied experiences. for publication,
and II is earnestly hoped she had COM
pleted this before the Grim Reaper
appeared. She was a woman of de-
cided personal beauty, with a truly
classic po1se of the head, and the fas-
cinating foreign accent of which she
could not quite rid herself. tho her
English was very good, indeed, gave
her wonderful acting an additional
charm.
While the Anarchist, Emma Cold
man. does not bother us so very much,
all Americans object decidedly to her
on principle, and will be glad to know
that she has been declared an alien by
the courts, and that she can conse-
quently now be deported and kept out
of the country. 1t seems her first hus-
band. one Jacob Kerschner, a Russian,
obtained his naturalization papers i'm
this country under fraud, ard these
having been conceled. she likewise loses