The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-24

800 QOtB9W uAvVGO 0eI. W0ea q
man cruelty wfcnged Duse, she a..
10 . lonely retreat In the Italian
hills. Inundated and heart-brokn
And so It was throughout =
early life-always sensitive. -
yAys sorrowing. Life did not sps,s,
Her even - An infant. The dana.
ter Of poor italian players, she ~
made to do her share In suppofth,
the family at the age OF 4, Nhes
she played Cosette. From then :.
she Was always working. playip,
flrxt one role and then another a.
ways travelling from place to plaza
In dirty, third-class Italian rsil.
way carriages Often hungry ana
cold. There was nothing to com.
pensate for the drudgery Of fhis
life. She was not heralded as auv
child prodigy; In fact, her compan.
Ions looked upon her as a rather
stupid. plain little girl. who was
absolutely hopeless as an actress
buses greatness did not mani,
fest itself until she was a mature
woman. Rachel was famous at tha
age of II, but Mrs. Siddons was p
before she made her first great i'm.
Dreosioa, md DuAo was "a bsfors
she showed evidence Of genius. Sbe
had achieved a few small successes
before that. but 1t was in her 2sth
year in Naples, after her first sad
love affair, that she brought the
Italian public to her feet.
Her First Success.
Her first opportunity came IN
Zola's play, "Therese Raquin." Tia
leading woman, then the greatest
actress in Italy. was suddenly
taken i'll one night, and Duse went
on in her part, without rehearsal
scoring a remarkable triumph
Soon afterward, she was starred N
Dumas play, Femme de CLAUDIA
Dumas was her favorite French
dramatist and she helped to makS
many Of his plays famous. Thu
two were very good friends, CORE.
spending frequently with one an. i
other, but they met but once. Il 1
was characteristic of Duse to b.
so moved at this meeting that she
burst into tears. 1t was in answer
to Dumas persuasion that she went
to Paris for a first brief tour.
secretly fearful that she would fail.
But the French people gave her
such an enthusiastic welcome that
for once, she told friend, she was
really happy. Then, Dumas. her
devoted friend, died. Her greatest
ovation was received on what she
afterwards declared to be one Of
the saddest days in her life-ths
day she acted to obtain a memorial
for Dumas grave.
Just whena Babriele d'Annunzio2
came into Buses life is not def.
nitely known, but certainly not IN.
til her fame vas we'll established.
Their love affa LASTED for several
years, during which time d'Annun-
zio rose to fame through her as
sfstance. It was Duse who made
d'Annunzio's plays know to tho
world. She acted in them not only
in Italy, but In this country and In
all the chief capitals of Europe.
While she was the leading figure,
every de'Annunzip play was sue.
cess. The Italian public rebelled
at la Giaconda." but rather than
have its playwright discouraged,
Duse took it to, London which CRATE.
fully accepted it.
Then came the break. Suddenly,
1t was known that Duse and dan.
nunzio had separated, and later
came his sensational novel, I'll
Fuooo," which was brazenly adver-
tised by the publisher as the trusI
history Of their love affair. Need.
less to say, the royalties from this
novel were greater than from s7y
other d'Annunxio ever wrote. !
Later the world learned of Duset
retirement, that she
was living in a tiny villa in the
Italian hills, that she spent most Of
her days in her garden, reading and
sewing. planning many things for
her beloved daughter, who had been
reared in Germany. At last, tho
gossip ceased, I'll Fuoco" was for.
gotten, Duse, the great tragedienns
became almost q mythical figure
Only zacconi and Marco Prago, ths|
Playwright, interrupted the peace
Of her life. They would not let her
rest, bat were always after her toll
come back to the theatre-to pub
lie which still sympathized " It'll andI
worshipped her. And SO at last
they have succeeded, L