Page:Great Men and Famous Women Volume 8.djvu/238

 862 ARTISTS AND AUTHORS of her originality, her vivid power of depicting emotion, the vehemence and in- tensity of her histrionic manner. Her best successes were obtained in tragedy, although she possessed a keen sense of humor, and could deliver the witty speeches of Rosalind or of Beatrice with excellent point and effect. Her Meg Merrilies will probably be remembered as her most impressive achievement. It was really, as she played it, a character of her own invention ; but, in truth, it taxed her intellectual resources far less than her Bianca, her Queen Katherine, or her Lady Macbeth. Her physical peculiarities no doubt limited the range of her efforts, hindered her advance as an actress, or urged her toward exceptional im- personations. Her performances lacked femininity, to use Coleridge's word ; but in power to stir an audience, to touch their sympathies, to kindle their enthusiasm, and to compel their applause, she takes rank among the finest players. It only remains to add that Miss Stebbins' fervid and affecting biography of her friend admirably demonstrates that the woman was not less estimable than the actress ; that Charlotte Cushman was of noble character, intellectual, large and tender- hearted, of exemplary conduct in every respect. The simple, direct earnestness of her manner upon the mimic scene, characterized her proceedings in real life. She was at once the slave and the benefactress of her family ; she was devotedly fond of children ; she was of liberal and generous nature ; she was happiest when conferring kindness upon others ; her career abounded in self-sacrifice. She pre- tended to few accomplishments, to little cultivation of a literary sort ; but she could write, as Miss Stebbins proves, excellent letters, now grave, now gay, now reflective, now descriptive, always interesting, and altogether remarkable for sound sense and for force and skill of expression. Her death was regarded in America almost as a national catastrophe. As Miss Stebbins writes, "The press of the entire country bore witness to her greatness, and laid their tributes upon her tomb." The following letter of good counsel from Miss Cushman to young Mr. Bar- ton is reprinted, by permission of Messrs. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., from the " Life and Letters of Charlotte Cushman." " I think if you have to wait for a while it will do you no harm. You seem to me quite frantic for immediate work ; but teach yourself quiet and repose in the time you are waiting. With half your strength I could bear to wait and labor with myself to conquer fretting. The greatest power in the world is shown in conquest over self. More life will be worked out of you by fretting than all the stage-playing in the world. God bless you, my poor child. You have in- deed trouble enough ; but you have a strong and earnest spirit, and you have the true religion of labor in your heart. Therefore I have no fears for you, let what will come. Let me hear from you at your leisure, and be sure you have no warmer friend than I am and wish to be." . ..