The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-19
died in America in 1891. Alsop was a

clerk OF the delivery OF small arms III |
the Ordnance Office. and his wife was
"giddy and Irresponsible"
II was in 1885 that 1.-THE great chance
came to Dorothy Jordan. Garrick was
reviving wycherley's 1.-THE Country
Wife," renamed THE Country GIRL
Mrs Siddons was the queen OF the
London stage. She had no satisfactory
understudy. Some one suggested Dolly
for the place, and she, yearning for
honors and pay. was happy enough to
leave her Yorkshire work and go UP to
town. She was then known as good
"all round" actress. with special talent
for sentiment AS Peggy in THE Coun-
try Girl" II was her lot to relieve the
tragic gloom conventional in the metro
politan theatre OF that day. IL was not
an immediate conquest that she made;
but she won the favor OF discerning
critics and marched steadily and quite
swiftly to high place in the public
esteem.
one of her successes was in the part
| OF Miss Hovden in Sheridans making
over of Vanbrugh's Relapse" with the
new title 1.-THE Trip to Scarborough"
Miss Hoydcn, daughter OF the gross Sir
TunbelD clumsy, is the Joyous rustic"
girl, and Mrs Jordan played her to the
life as the kind OF young lady who has
left the nursery without being old
enough TO appear in the drawing
ROOM who feels the sentiments OF a
woman while still retaining the petu-
lance and waywardnesa OF a child" But
in none Of her parts did she ever SUR
pass her own Miss TomboU in THE
Romp." a character in which Romney
painted fer and in which she was con-
sldered as great as Mrs Slddons was in
her more solemn specially.
Her success brought her into droct
rivalry with Mrs Siddons. who was in
clined TO haughtiness and autocracy,
Jealous OF the new actresses vogue"
she announced that she would appear
in comedy. and render Thalia as fash
ionable as Melpomene." with implica-
ton that II the upstart meant TO make
the town laugh. the great siddons
would show how Il really ought to be
done. But Just then the stork made one
OF his numerous calls at the Siddons
home and Dorothy reigned unassailed
in Drury Lane. The fickle public began
= to lose its taste for tragedy, and Mrs
Jordan began to do very we'll in a A.
! nancial sense: no more shaving at "a a
. week. The gentlemen OF Brookss made
, up for her q purse of $500. In "the
:, Irish Widow and as Hvpohto in "Shs
, Would and She Would Not" she SCORED
|, heavily. At this time she had the
pleasure, for she loved mischief. o.
=, teasing with view OF her successe,
v while on tour some OF her sisters o
r tho stage who had been rivals of he,
. lesser days. In Edinburgh and Glasgow
r she won the town.
r Back IN London again, the rivalr,
o with Mrs. sddons was resumed. an,
% led to some performances OF rattle
n ludicrous sort, as when each lady wa
4 moved to leave her proper territory an
4 invade the others. Dorothy played Tmo
It gen in "Cymbellne." and though she wol
Is the applause OF the superficial her ven
ture was really. as might have bee
= expected, failure in art. The "delicat
h dignity" OF the role in some scenes wa
y not in her repertory. Then the Slddon
ar played Imo1en. with triumph qualifie
'r only by awkwardness In those scene
~ which required her to dress as DO,
l. She was a s..ckler for the proprietie
I'd and her "delicacy" was responsible. l
n an attempt to conceal the figure @
l. much as possible. for the adoption of
n. nondescript costume that caused unhol
Ad glee among the lighter laughing of III
IN spectators.
~ Then the rivals competed IN AS Yo
u Like It," and here again the elder az
IN tress suffered in masculine attire. Isl
c. had II in her option" said one critl
m ito act Rosdlind or not to act RoSditnt
ny but. determined to act the part, 81
ms should have dressed properly" Cam
ry bell, her ardent admirer. "mournful
ke and grudglngly admitted that II III
'e' lmpersonatlon was not entirely fallul
OF she had equally fallen short OF tr
an umph." Mrs Jordans na!vctc MAJ
u. her an excellent RoSdlind: perhaps he
nu and there too much the "romp.' II WI
IN n silly contest, for Mrs. Siddons VI!
ne her power in tragedy and Mrs. Jords
n with her strength IN depicting "simp
io arch, buoyant girls or spirited. loVii
nv women" were dramatic complemen
u ard with Miss Farren TO play the MI
~. born dame in comedy the London sta
Vi ought to have known harmony a.
@. peace, and 10 have been able to haho
"a anything.
no Richard Ford was the son OF 7
y, James Ford. court physician, VINO ne
vi n mortgage of f3l 500 on the Dru
zee Lane Theatre. He lived on a pattern
-. allowance and the meagre fees OF
- budding DarrlSIeT. NJ h'u"s N''S
W. Jordans earnings were enough 10
~. tract him, and his influence was tenn
= y. ing 10 her. The author Insists u
,os Ford preached his promise 10 tho
ege tress; there Is nothing TO prove n
ber she was unwilling to risk the conde
me nation OF society for possible enJoyme
hsr OF the old DOCTORS fortune. II
hardly a matter one way or tho OH
Ind for the twentieth century to get
the cited about. Tho obvious facts
cen enough: they lived together as Mr.. a
yer, Mrs. Ford. though every ono kn
fly there had been no marriage; q
; of were not ostracized. were we'll recei'
and ",n various circles" had comforta
lest home and two daughters and Ford
ade came Member for Grlns,ead. As
nee. Dorothy's part in II all, 1t seems u
nal. her life thus far Is not at all to be CO
he sidered as anything less than FL
oy' nently respectable for an actress
the those days, when one OF so high m
able AS Mrs. Siddons was accounted sim
mar miracle.
had Prince William Henry must III
seen Mrs. Jordan on the stage Der
'lier 1890, but 1t was in the spring OF I