New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-15

Two years ago, just after Martha
Hedman, who is appearing in The
Boomerang" at the Belasco Theatre,
had returned to this country, Margaret
Ellington paid her compliment. She
said that Miss Hedman was like a bud,
opening slowly and beautifully into
wonderful white rose. From the night
when she made her first appearance in
New York, Miss Hedman began to
promise, and began to fulfil.
There is so often a disappointment
about meeting an actress off the stage.
Before the footlights they are at their
best. their artificial best, and even
though we believe in realities for ev-
eryday life, some illusions we want TO
keep. 1t is much peasanter to think
Of the fine actress than of the person
who spent her husbands fortunue IN
making her fame, or worse yet, what
one remembers after an interview, that
she's the lady who thought Gainsbor-
ough drew covers for "McClure's, who
stuffed you full of tales about her
moods, who insisted on telling you, just
as leading ladies had done yesterday
and the day before, that somewhere
man was writing a great play for her.
But when the day came recently to
meet Miss Hedman, just after seeing
Iar IN 9TH Rooroorano,v tho othpr
night, the gods were kind there was
no disappointment. The charm which
comes across the footlights is here; so
also is the beauty, and so is the re-
pose. Yes, she did talk about herself
but it was as much what she did not
say as what she did that made her
interesting.
Martha Hedman, girlish and woman
ly, knows distinctly what she is doing
She uses her odd moments for think
ing, and when her thoughts come out
they are aptly expressed. No, she is
not clever, in the sense of witty re-
marks, but, as she said about some one
else, there are good faults, as well as
bad virtues, and that is good fault
of hers. Her balance, repose, what Is
called in acting authority" has come
through variety of circumstances, but
most of all it comes from her race and
the training she got at home. As Stew
enson says of the Scot, "the daft Cor
don blood and the Aberdonian school
days kept their influence to the end"
so the traits of the hardy Scandinavia
ans from whom Miss Hedman comes
will show to the end. And as the true
Scot, wealthy now and living on Fifth
Avenue, is thankful for those early
days of the Shorter Catechism and por-
ridge, so Miss Hedman also is thankful
for the strict upbringing in her Swed-
ish home. She says that she will new
err go back there to live-no more than
the bank president goes back to Edin-
burgh-but she is very loyal, and be-
lieve she always will be, to her native
land. She proudly declares that Swed-
en- is the most beautiful country in the
world, though she chooses America,
and she has come to love our country,
too, as the place where she will live
and act.
In reality most of her acting has
been done since she left Sweden. There
she was under the influence of the
Strindberg family, and it was Mrs.
Strindberg who put her on the stage,
but when she started her career proper
she went to London. She studied Eng
ish there, and she acted in England
and in Scotland for several years be-
fore she got her chance in this coun-
try. She came here in The Attack"
then the next season she went back
TO St. James's Theatre in London. in the
same play and The Two Virtues" and
the following year she played in "The
Heart of a Thief" and The Prodigal
Husband" In these few years she has
made steady progress and she has been
leading woman with Sir George Alex
ander, John Mason and John Drew.
And now she is one of the principals of