Sketches of leafy Warwickshire, rural and urban . r the success of her little actress, came forward, and,leading the child to the front of the house, made her repeat The Pable of the Boys and the Frogs, which entirely turnedthe tide of popular opinion in her favour. What must the feelings of the same mother have beenwhen the child became the admiration of the whole kingdom,the first seeing of whom was an event in every persons lifenever to be forgotten! When she was only twelve years old, and before she wasintroduced to Lady Bertie Greatheed, of Guys Cliffe, we dis-cover Sarah Kemble performin
Sketches of leafy Warwickshire, rural and urban . r the success of her little actress, came forward, and,leading the child to the front of the house, made her repeat The Pable of the Boys and the Frogs, which entirely turnedthe tide of popular opinion in her favour. What must the feelings of the same mother have beenwhen the child became the admiration of the whole kingdom,the first seeing of whom was an event in every persons lifenever to be forgotten! When she was only twelve years old, and before she wasintroduced to Lady Bertie Greatheed, of Guys Cliffe, we dis-cover Sarah Kemble performing in the neighbouring City ofWorcester. In the cast of the playbill there was a young actorrejoicing in the name of Henry Siddons. What need to recitewhat everybody acquainted with the history of the stage alreadyknows ? But for those who do not—Sarah Kemble and young Sid-dons dared to love each other, despite the rage of old RogerKemble, who vowed that should his daughter ever wed anactor, she should be no daughter of his. Under these circum-. z UJ X I- o Mrs. Siddons and Guys Cliffe 25 stances, the parents of the future tragedienne discouraged theattentions of young Siddons, and kept the watchful eye of aShylock upon their daughter. No wonder that these domestic rigours became distasteful toSarah Kemble. Her home, such as it was, grew miserable toher, and she resolved to leave it. Then came her connection with Guys Cliffe, near Warwick—a spot clothed with the history and romance of ages. Sheenrolled herself as maid to Lady Bertie Greatheed; and there,for one whole year, this girl expatriated herself from that pro-fession of which in after years she became so brilliant anornament. But in the meantime she did not miss an opportunity ofmeeting her lover. When Roger Kembles company performedwithin a league of Guys Cliffe, Henry Siddons made off tointerview his love. This meeting by stealth, however, in the dim groves andmagic caves of one of Natures loveliest spots, could not
Size: 1335px × 1872px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookidsketchesofle, bookyear1895
