Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/281

 259 WORLD OP WOMEN LADY HENRY SOMERSET •"The startling statement was made by Lady ^ Henry Somerset a short time ago that drunkenness and drug-taking among women are on the increase rather than the decrease. And Lady Henry Somerset speaks with know- ledge. She has devoted the greater part of her life to lighting drunkenness among women and brighten- ing the lives of desti- tute children, and in the year 1895 founded the industrial farm colony for inebriate women at Dux hurst. It is claimed that 60 per cent, of the women who have gone there have been sent back Lady Henry Somerset ^Ine Hughes to their homes sober and respectable. When quite a young woman, Lady Henry Somerset used to ask the labourers on her estate in Here- fordshire to spend Sunday afternoon at Eastnor Castle, when she would chat with them in an informal manner about temperance. These talks were much appreciated, and soon the farmers and their wives also came. And then Lady Henry found herself making long speeches. The fame of these speeches spread, and she was invited to take part in large temperance meetings throughout the country. In one year Lady Henry Somerset attended 1 1 5 meetings and 27 conferences, travelled over 8,000 miles and spoke in 20 counties to about 200,000 people. There is probably no woman in England who can draw so big an audience. MRS. AUBREY LE BLOND rF the band of venturesome women who ^^ of late have penetrated remote regions of the earth, Mrs. Aubrey le Blond will always be remembered for her amazing mountain- eering feats. Curiously enough, she made her first acquaintance with the mountains as an invalid. As a girl she was weak and frail, and after trying the Mediterranean, the Tyrol, and Algiers, she was sent to Switzerland in search of health. There she was seized with the fascination of the mountains, and shortly after her arrival made her first ascent. Since those days Mrs. le Blond has climbed nearly every peak worthy of the name in the Swiss Alps. She has also travelled practically over every inch of the most inaccessible parts of Norway, and few lady travellers can boast of more varied experiences. Some years ago she estab- lished herself in a tent at a little place called Jaegersvand, two hundred miles within the Arctic Circle. Here she was surrounded by a small colony of Lapps. These little people were very amusing, and after a time became quite friendly, though they had a great dislike to having their photographs taken. Mrs. Aubrey le Blond lillioU &■ Fry Miss Mary Moore Oovrr Street Studios MISS MARY MOORE A T.THOUGH she is now partner with Sir Charles -^^ Wyndham in the proprietorship of the Cri- terion, Wyndham's, and the New Theatres, this talented actress (who is the widow of the late James Albery, a well-known dramatic author) began her career at the bottom of the ladder. A Londoner born. Miss Moore, after being educated at Warwick Hall, Maida Hill, where she gained prizes for the ability with which she acted parts both in German and English plays, determined on a stage career. But although her husband, whom she had married at the age of sixteen, and who was the author of " Pink Dominoes " and other popular plays, introduced her to sundry London mana- gers, they one and all excused themselves on the ground that her powers were untried and her capabilities unknown, Mrs. Bronson Howard, the sister of Sir Charles Wyndham, however, induced him to give Miss Moore an engagement in the first " Candidate " touring company he sent out, and such was her success that, when he himself opened with the " Candidate " at Liverpool, he sent for Miss Moore to play Lady Oldacre with him. This was in 1885, and the following year she scored her first London success as Lady Amaranthe in " Wild Oats." Shortly afterwards Sir Charles revived " David Garrick " at the Criterion, with him- self in the title role, while the part of Ada Ingot was represented by Miss Moore. The piece was an enormous success owing to the powerful manner in which the leading parts were played. Since then Miss Moore has scored many successes, amongst her best stage portraits being Lottie in "Two Roses," Susan in "The Case of Rebellious Susan," Lady Jessica in " The Liars," and Mrs. Gorringe in "Mrs, Gorringe's Necklace." MISS BRADDON ■"The daughter of a London solicitor. Miss first novel was published in i860, inherited her taste for literature from her mother, a very gifted writer. At seventy-three years of age. Miss Braddon is still able to recall how, as a schoolgirl, she wrote a story in one of her exercisr books, called "The Old Armchair," which made her famous among her schoolfellows. Hard- hearted publishers, however, refused to publish this effort, as well as many other- which were turned out while Miss Braddon was still in her teens. Miss Braddon After writing a small London stereoscopic Co. comedietta and a volume of verse, however. Miss Braddon startled the world in 1862 with " Ladv Audley's Secret." Her son, Mr. W. B. Maxwell, who, too, is earning great fame as a novelist, hves with his mother.
 * Mary Braddon, the famous author, whose