The Washington herald., 1916-06-17
YOUR WEDDING DAY
The Famous Men and Women Who
Have Shared II.
June l7-Mary Anderson and Antonio
F. de Navarro.
BY MARY MARSHALL,

II the marriages of actresses are usu-
ally failures, then the marriage of Mary
Anderson, one of the most charming
women who ever trod the boards, is all
that that rule needs By way of excep-
ton. Not only did this great actress
marry wisely and happily, but in her
career as an actress there is not one
single instance OF the lowering Of the
standards Of rigid conventionality So
anxious was this beautiful actress to
avoid even the idlest sort of gossip that
she refused the advances of the Prince
Of Wales, who later became King Ed
ward VII. Presumably these advances
were perfectly honorable, for, as every
one knows, the prince courted the ac-
quaintance of beautiful and clever
women, but Mary Anderson had no time
nor inclination for the fattery Of princes.
Mary Anderson and her husband were
both Catholics and in her memoirs she
says that one OF the happiest things in
her life was Father Boucher's acknowl-
edgemet (after disapproving of my pro-
fession for years. that my private life
had not fallen under the evils which at
the beginning he feared to be inevitable
from contact with the theater. Father
Boucher was dear old Frenchman," she
goes on to explain. who had known and
instructed me in matters religious since
my childhood"
Mary Anderson's stage career was
short brilliant and terminated when
she was only 81. Twenty-six years
ago today she married Antonio F. de
Navarro whom I had known for
many years" That is all she says of
her husband in her memoirs, indica-
ton indeed that she wished TO keep
her private life distinct from her pro-
fessional career and free from public
ity. The marriage took place in
Catholic Church in London. we'd
ding journey to Venice followed, and
the year following she sold her stage
wardrobe. the final indication that
Mary Anderson is one of those who
believe, that for herself at least,
matrimony is an alI-absorbing voca-
ton that leaves no time for a stage
career.
At the time of her marriage an in
teresting description of her appeared
in a London paper. The reporter
had visited her in Long Branch, n
j., where she had had a home for
years to which she retired between
engagements for rest. She used to
swim in the ocean by moonlight and
she had a little steam yacht to get
away on. She lived with her family
and her mother always travelled with
her. The reporter goes on to say that
when he saw her first she was
seated at an organ. dressed in a soft
white cashmere robe whose cliRging
folds display the graceful outlines of
her full, supple form. She wears
no ornaments and the simplicity of
her attire is only relieved by the
broad sash of pale blue silk which
encircles- her yielding waist. The
sunbeams fall upon a face of singular
loveliness, features exQuisitely chisel-
ed. small. finely. shaped head car
ried with a queenly gaze and lit up
with deep gray eyes, full of mingled
genius and passion. This head is
crowned with a wealth of that sell
DOM hair-gold in the sunshine
and in the shadow brown"
No wonder that this gifted actress
was courted by crowned heads and