Year: 1878

CnariOtto Cushman; Her Letters and Me-
moirs of her Life. Edited by her friend, Em.
ma Stebbins. Boston: Houghton, Osgood &
Co.; Portland: Loring, Short So Harmon)


Among notable and noble lives of women of
our time, none can afford richer material for
biography than that of Charlotte Cushman


artiit and woman. SIN the fierce light which
beats upon throne" whether the empire be
of lands and seas, or the regions, unlimited but
not less real, of art-tne figure of Charlotte
Cushman stands, powerful, queenly and spot
less as carved of the whitest stone from the
quarries of Carrara; the life of the great woman
lately dead-its own fittest monument.


From early childhood Miss Oushman gave
evidence of rare strength and originality of
nature. Her mimetic gift was soon developed
together with contralto voice of great power.
How this taste for the drama and music would
have been regarded by the long line of worthy
Puritan ancestors from whom Miss Cushman
was descended need not be imagined; but the
sternest of all these godly forefathers might
have seen, in the rich artist nature OF the &C.
tress, the principle and the religious faith that
were the handspring of his own life. Miss
Cushman began her theatrical career as
singer; but her voice failing, from overstrain of
its young powers, she turned her attention to
the spoken drama, making her first appearance
in the arduous part of Lady Macbeth, one
which seemed ansuited to her youth and little
experience, but in which there is no doubt she
made genuine success, however different her
early rendering of the part might be from her
great reading of it in later years. So early she
touched the heights of tragic aspiration-hav-
ing scared thus high che was content to drop
from the regions of her strong young flight, and
next we find her employed as "walking lady,
and general utility lady," conscientious, full
of dramatic instinct, and making minor parts
brilliant by her life-like and beautiful persona
tions. Miss Oushman was a charming Rosa
lind, fol of the dewy sparkle of that freshest of
Shakspere's heroines, the princess whose roy
atty was real enough to bear the test of lack of
court and courtiers. As Romeo she was the
very golden youth of Verona; as Queen Kath-
crime she seemed the embodied pathos of pass
ing majesty; and as Lady Macbeth grandeur
and terror struggled for the mastery in per-
sonation which is become one of the traditions
of tragic art. Perhaps it is as Meg Merrilies
that Miss Cushman seized most powerfully
upon the imagination of her audiences; and
there is no need to recall to those who were
fortunate enough to see her in this part the
ftful splendor, the sudden tenderness, the gro
tesque force that rose to wild sublimity. of this
strange character. Everywhere Miss Cushman
met with instant recognition; in London es-
pecially her success was great; and everywhere
the fine and lovable traits of the woman filled


the measure of admiration for the actress.
Her life in Rome was exceedingly pleasant and
interesting. There too she had honors and
troops of friends; and, surrounded by the
wealth of the past drew constant inspiration
of her tragic art. Among the many lovable
traits of Miss Cushman was the power which
she possessed in marked degree Of winning
and holding the affection of young girls and
women, who constantly re 'eived good counsel
and kindly remembrance from her, and who in
return addressed to her letters filed with
the tenderest and most genuine devotion.
While the impression Miss Cushman produced
upon the public was that Of extreme power and
tragic dignity lin private life her manners were
simple, cordial and gentle; and the dignity
which never forsook her, on or off the STAGE


was gra;ed by the most admirable courtesy aud
sweetness. She was una9ectedly and fervently
religious, and attached to her family by bonds
stronger than common-traits which she owed
in large measure to her Puritan fathers. In
contradiction of false proyerbal philosophy,
Miss Cushman was most the heroine and most
fondly worshipped by her faithful maid, Sallie
Mercer, a woman Of rare good senss and strong
qualities, who was Miss Cushman's attendant
and friend for many years, and who had thus
the good fortune to be the daily witness of this
nobly complete life. Miss Emma Stebbius, the
author of the biography of Miss Cushman, en-
joyed for many years close friendship with
her, aud this volume and fine bust of the
great actress are the memorials of their long
and happy acquaintance A photograph of the
bust, aud one taken from life are Contained in
the work, and give excellent likenessss of the
strong, expressive, though not beautiful face of
Miss Cushman. As biogrspher, Miss Steb-
bins has done her task with skill aud loving
minuteness; her style is exceedingly good in
its clsarness and unfailing quality of enthusi-
ssm for its subject. She wisely spares over
much Of eulogy, leaving Miss Cushman's life to
be its own praise; aud her selections from the
large material for her work, are made with
much skill and good taste. What better can be
said indeed than that the volume is a worthy
memorial Of Charlotte Cush nan--A woman
whose high example sheds steady light upon
the possibilities of art and of womanhood.