Part 10 (1/2)
Those who were visitors to, or residents of New York city during 1867 will remember the advent of Walter Montgomery, the English actor. He came almost unheralded, but in the brief period of his sojourn
ACHIEVED A DRAMATIC TRIUMPH
unparalleled in the history of the American stage.
In form and appearance he was a magnificent creation. A trifle larger than Edwin Booth, with a physique modelled by the master-hand of nature, a physiognomy of cla.s.sic outlines, and a genius for his art, that is said to have rivalled that displayed by the most noted histrions of the English stage. In all respects he is said to have been as ravis.h.i.+ngly perfect as the forms Angelo hewed from blocks of marble, or Guido traced on canvas, which to-day haunt the memory as a vanished gleam of sunlight, that kissed life's rippling river--and then was gone. In addition to the qualities mentioned there was entire absence of the s.h.i.+lly-shallying practices many actors delight to indulge, in their efforts to secure applause or attract the admiration of susceptible females. He was esteemed, an accomplished artist and true man. He opened at Niblo's in ”Ruy Blas,”
making his headquarters at the Metropolitan, and frequenting a theatrical club-house on Houston street, known as the ”House of Lords.” Socially, he was never received by the Knickerbockers of the Empire city, his relations with men of letters and the professions were extremely cordial. How Mrs.
R. and himself became acquainted is not clearly defined. But that acquaintance on her part was resolved into an infatuation irresistible and indescribable, and she succeeded in inspiring him with
A RECIPROCITY OF FEELING
that was not to be misunderstood. Wherever he went professionally, she was constantly included in the list of his admirers. Upon the Eastern circuit, throughout the West, from Pittsburg to the Pacific slope, the susceptible Madeline was first and foremost among those who wors.h.i.+pped at the shrine of this gifted exponent of Melpomene.
Upon his return to New York from San Francisco, he concluded his engagements and sailed for Liverpool by the Cunard steams.h.i.+p Scotia. By this time the attentions bestowed upon Montgomery by Mrs. R. had become more than a topic of comment with observers beyond the pale of the social set of which she had been a prime factor. It was reported that they were engaged to be married, and that his return to England was for the purpose of completing arrangements in that behalf. At all events she accompanied him as a fellow-pa.s.senger on the Scotia but reached England alone, for during the voyage Montgomery suicided by cutting his throat.
No cause was ever a.s.signed for the deed, but the fact that he had a wife, living in London impressed his friends with the belief that remorse at the lengths to which he had permitted his
FLIRTATION WITH MRS. R.
to proceed, prompted the deed. He was buried in Kensal Green, within sight of St. Paul's, and after the completion of the ceremonies at the grave his whilom admirer disappeared, to come to the surface at Paris as the promised wife of Sir St. George Gore, a landed proprietor of Tasmania, off the coast of Australia, and a man of wealth and prominence in the British possessions of the South Pacific. But it is not believed this alliance was perfected by a priestly benediction.
Since then she has been a wanderer. Possessed of wealth, beauty, accomplishments, and much that would command esteem, she seeks to find in the excitement of travel a solace for her wasted life, and in intercourse with strangers forgetfulness of her woes. She is said to have come hither from San Francisco via Cheyenne, and that during her stay here she was known as Mrs. F.
One more example of the same kind. The President is about to be married. The following is from a London paper, and though not so stated, it is, I trust, only inserted as a picture of the American system of lionizing any celebrity. The name of the bride that is to be is given in full. I subst.i.tute an initial. I conceive the article is taken from a New York paper, but this is not clearly stated, only that the source is American.
President Cleveland's approaching marriage is now regarded as a certainty. It is understood that the engagement took place during Miss F.'s last visit to Was.h.i.+ngton. If Mr. Cleveland is married at the White House, in June, it will be the second marriage of a President during his term of office.
Mr. Tyler was married while he was President, but his marriage took place in New York. The best portrait of Miss F. now in Was.h.i.+ngton is a large one, which hangs in the President's bedroom. Miss F. was very averse to giving a sitting to the photographers when she was here, and has a great horror of publicity. When she was in Was.h.i.+ngton last, a number of paragraphs were printed about her school life, which she traced to one or two of her school friends. She quarrelled with them for it. It is said that she went away to Europe so as to be out of the range of possible gossip and criticism during the engagement period. Miss F.'s hair (says a correspondent) is soft and brown, of a shade between light and dark. It is combed well back from her full forehead and loose wave tendrils fall away from their confinement against the ivory whiteness of her face. She has violet blue eyes, a well-shaped nose and mouth, and a full, round chin. The warm pallor of her complexion contrasts with the deep red of her full lips, in which all her colour concentrates itself.
Her shoulders are broad, and her bust and waist of cla.s.sic proportions. She has finely moulded hands and feet; not small, but well suited to her height. With one other pupil at Aurora she shared the palm of being ”the beauty of the school,” the other being Miss Katherine Willard, of Illinois, who was her intimate friend, though not a fellow-senior, and she is now in Germany cultivating her voice. Miss F. has been with her there during much of the past winter. Many of the young ladies have flowers pressed in their alb.u.ms, labelled ”From the White House,” these being mementoes given by her from the boxes of flowers weekly sent her by the President from his conservatories here. For her graduation, last June, he forwarded a particularly lavish supply.
On that occasion she wore white satin, and, as one of her schoolmates describes her, ”looked more like a G.o.ddess than a woman.” Her student life has been marked by seriousness and deep religious feeling. She is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo. She was deeply loved by her teachers, more for her solidity of character and amiability of disposition than for exceptionally brilliant intellectual traits, though her average of scholars.h.i.+p was good.
The postal arrangements are good in the States. Postage is cheap, and letters are carried and delivered as safely there as in England. The street post-boxes though are not equal to English ones--they are small in size and fastened against the walls, instead of being prominent objects like ours. In some few towns, owing to the scarcity of labour, letters are not delivered at all. Each resident has a number a.s.signed, and a corresponding pigeon-hole at the post-office, where his or her letters are placed. The letters have to be called or sent for. This was the case at Colorado Springs.
Why I know not, but the rule of the road is different in the States to ours. On meeting we take the left side, on pa.s.sing the right; there they do just the opposite, as in France.
As a rule the Americans are not good drivers. A very common, not universal, habit is to hold a rein in each hand, and it goes without saying that a person doing so cannot drive well.
Their trotting-horses in the trotting-carriages (very light, four-wheeled vehicles, models of good workmans.h.i.+p, with fore and hind wheels of the same size) perform wonders. I speak under correction, but believe fifteen or sixteen miles in the hour is not an unusual feat. Anyhow, I am sure they can trot much faster than any horses we have.
As foolish as we are in that way, the bearing-rein is used in the States. But it is taken over the top of the head between the ears. I know not if this is better or worse than our plan, but this I do know, bearing-reins, like blinkers, are hurtful, cruel appendages to harness, and in India, where I owned horses, I used neither. Had I horses in England I would do the same.
The roads in the States are far behind ours. Perhaps to this is due the fact that there are not many bicycles and tricycles to be seen.
In the first days of November, 1885, I left the ranch on my way home.
It was a trial parting with my sons. Let them even do well, it is pretty certain they will not return to England under fifteen years. I am not young, and I could not help feeling, as I said good-bye, that it was very doubtful if I should ever see them again. Still we parted cheerfully, for they were happy with their possessions and the sanguine hope that they were on the high road to fortune.
I had taken my pa.s.sage home across the Atlantic in one of the Monarch line of steamers, and not caring to halt _en route_, or linger in New York, I timed my departure from Colorado with no day to spare. At Denver I took a rail-ticket through to New York, and did the distance, about 1700 miles, in eighty-four hours, halting nowhere except the necessary time to make connection at the princ.i.p.al stations between the incoming and outgoing trains. I have not much to say as to this my last journey in the States, still I will briefly describe the country pa.s.sed through. Nebraska was the first state after leaving Colorado. This, again, like Texas and Wyoming, is a vast country of gra.s.sy plains, on which many thousands of cattle are reared. The endless plains, though rich in gra.s.s, look desolate, owing to the total absence of trees, except in the vicinity of towns, where some attempt has been made to remedy the want. It is a very thinly inhabited state; for miles and miles, as we swiftly pa.s.sed on, not a soul could be seen. The rail line through it, from west to east, is about 480 miles long.
Iowa was the next, and beyond that Illinois. They are much alike, so I will describe them together. They are very rich pastoral countries, with large towns, and abound in farms. The scenery in many parts is beautiful, and the general outlook very English. Iowa, by the rail, is about 320 miles across, Illinois about 180 miles.