mined never to act again, was a signal loss to society and a cause of abiding sorrow to a wide circle of friends. She was a lovely woman and in the realm of comedy a great actress, and the nobility of her character was equalled only by the goodness of her life. She parted from me in the room in which I am now writing, in which I heard her voice for the last time, and in which I wrote the Elegy that I venture to insert in this place,-not knowing whether I shall ever again have opportunity thus to commemorate, however insufficiently, one who gave so much happiness to the world, and who so entirely deserved affection and honor:

HAUD IMMEMOR.

ADA REHAN.-DIED, JANUARY 8, 1916.

I think I am not all bereft

Of her, so dear,

For when she went away she left
Her laughter here.

A spirit, in this room it dwells,
And ev'ry night,

When I sit here alone, it tells
Of her delight;

Her joy in life, that was so wild,
For, all her days,

She never ceased to be a child

In her blithe ways;

A child, and yet a woman too,

Could love, could weep:

Her heart was pure, her friendship true,
Her passion deep.

Her gentle laughter, soft and low,

Is in this air:

None else can hear it, but I know
That it is there;

And there, to make my soul rejoice,
Is one sweet word

She whispered, in the loveliest voice
I ever heard—

"Remember!"— Death may set me free
From all regret,

But not while life remains to me
Can I forget!

LATER REVIVALS.

Since the Daly presentment of this comedy in 1888 five productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," aside from the revivals of that one, have been accomplished on the New York Stage, three of which have been shown in other cities. On October 29, 1888, the play was presented, in a conventional manner, at the old Star Theatre (Broadway and Thirteenth Street), by John Albaugh's Travelling Company,-Edmond

D. Lyons appearing as Bottom, Edward J. Henley as Lysander, Katherine Alvord as Helena, and Minnie Seligman as Hermia. On October 8, 1900, Louis James (1842-1910) and Kathryn Kidder produced it, at the Grand Opera House,-James acting Bottom and Miss Kidder Helena. On October 26, 1903, the occasion being that of the opening of the New Amsterdam Theatre, N. C. Goodwin appeared in it as Bottom,-Ida Conquest acting Helena and Florence Rockwell Hermia. Neither of those ventures was important. The Albaugh presentation remained visible for two weeks and then disappeared. James was a capital actor, and to give a conventional, burly, amusing performance of Bottom was to him a matter of his "journal course." The comedy, when shown at the New Amsterdam, was set in rich, elaborate, and effective scenery and was performed in three acts. Goodwin is an exceptionally good actor, thoroughly trained in good traditions of his profession, and, in many parts, intrinsically comic and sometimes delightful. It was expected that he would give more than a good performance of Bottom, but the part completely eluded him: his appearance in it was a complete failure and, after a few dismal repetitions, the play was dropped from his repertory.

ANNIE RUSSELL'S PRODUCTION.

The opening of the Astor Theatre, New York, September 21, 1906, was signalized by a production of “A Midsummer Night's Dream," made by the managers of that theatre, Messrs. Wagenhals & Kemper. Miss Annie Russell, an actress of English origin but exclusively American training, acted Puck, and was gay, agile, and frisky, much in the manner of the nimble Demon of the old style "Black Crook" Ballet. Puck, though a busy part, is subsidiary in the play, and, except that it provides opportunity for the manifestation of a sprightly, mischievous, frolicsome spirit, possesses no charm that should attract an actor of fine ability to undertake its representation. There is no obvious reason why a female should play it, and probably the only reason why a female ever elected, or was assigned, to play it is that Puck is most effective when assumed by a person whose figure is slight and handsome and whose temperament is volatile-as commonly happens with young women. The most that any player can accomplish with the part is an exhibition of physical agility and vital, elfish, exuberant delight in the mischievous activities of a droll deviltry. Miss Russell's acting had usually manifested a sentimental temperament and a finical style, but as Puck she was moderately vivacious and pleasing. The only Ameri

can star actress who had preceded her in this character was the beautiful Laura Keene, 1859.

The scenic embellishment of the play made incidental to Miss Russell's emergence in it did not rival the earlier pageantry of either Hayes or Daly, but it was full of light and color, diversified with effective groupings, opulent with handsome Grecian costumes, and pervaded with an atmosphere of joyous though excessively noisy animation. More emphasis was laid on the element of spectacle than on that of acting,— a practice which, perhaps, is necessary to make this comedy acceptable to the general public. The scene of the Fairy Circle, showing the slumber of the Queen, the "translation" of Bottom, and the enchantment which follows Titania's awakening, was exceptionally beautiful. In her professional associates Miss Russell was unfortunate, the acting, in general, being incompetent and deplorably inferior. Bottom, himself an exaggerated eccentricity, was assumed by John Bunny (18—1916), and by him was grossly travestied. An actor less interesting, less amusing, and, particularly, less humorous, has seldom been seen and could not readily be imagined as a possibility. He was not funny, even for a moment. On the contrary, he was hard, gross, vulgar, drearily commonplace, offensively blatant: nevertheless he subsequently obtained worldwide popularity and was, by the multitude, considered