The San Francisco Dramatic Review (1908)

THE SAN FRANCISCO DRAMATIC REVIEW January 3, 1914 James Dillon Leading Man Seattle Theatre—Seattle Charles £. Gunn Leads Orpheum Stock—Cincinnati Maude Leone Co-Star Del Lawrence, Vancouver Florence Young Leads Care Dramatic Rfa'iew Eddie Mitchell Business Representative James Post's Musical Comedy Co.—Honolulu Post's Orand Theatre, Sacramento, Presenting' Ed Bedmond Co. Josephine Dillon Leading Woman Kirbv Stock—Stockton Theatrical Courtship in 1819 Frances Maria Kelly was Ijorn in 1790, and was Charles Lamb's junior by fifteen years. After a somewhat stormy childhood, she became a pop- ular actress; the successor to Mrs. Jordan and premiere comedienne of her time. In 1819 Lamb was forty- four years of age and in receipt ot an income of £600; Miss Kelly was twenty-nine and was engaged at the English Opera House. Lamb's great work as an English classic writer as yet lay all before him. It is inter- esting to speculate on how much the world gained or lost by the events of this one day—for this celebrated epistolary courtship of three letters was all written on the 20th of July. THE PROPOSAL (Charles Lamb to Miss Kelly.) "20 July, 1819. "Dear Miss Kelly: We had the pleasure, pain I might better call it, of seeing you last night in the new play. It was a most consummate piece of acting, but what a task for you to undergo! At a time when 3'our heart is sore from real sorrow! It has given rise to a train of think- ing, which I cannot suppress. "Would to God you were released from this way of life; that you could bring your mind to consent to take your lot with us, and throw of¥ for- ever the whole burden of your pro- fession. I neither expect or wish you to take notice of this which I am writing, in your present over-occu- pied and hurried state. But to think of it at your leisure. I have quite in- come enough, if that were all, to justify for me making such a pro- Geo. F, Cosby ATTOBITET AITD COtTKSZ:iiI.OB AT LAW 552 Pacific BulldlniEr, Phone Douglas 5405 Residence Phone, Park 7708 San Francisco, Cal. ALF. T. LAYNE This Office AVIS MANOR Leads Howard Foster Stock—New Westminster, I? C, FRANCES WILLIAMSON Grande Danie.s and Cliaraeters At Liberty after .Ian. 1. lini. Care of Draonatic Beview WILLIAM MENZEL Bu.siness Manager or Advance Agent Address Draimatlc Beview. .San Francisco MINA GLEASON Ye Lllierty Stock, Oakland CHARLES LE GUNNEC SCRNIC ARTIST—AT LIBERTY Permanent Address. 3697 21st Street, San Franeiseo. Phone Mission 761."! FRED KNIGHT Characters At Liberty, care Dramatic Beview EDMUND LOWE Alcazar Theatre HOWARD FOSTER Own Company—Royal Tlieatre New Westminster, B. C. DIE BIER QUELLE A QEBUAN BEEB-HA!.!^ Conducted by Henry Brunner. 72 Eddy St., Next to TI\oli Opera House H. L. ANDREWS dOASS and TOBACCO Telephone Kearny .')7'.it 72 Kdciy .Street. .San Francisco EVA LEWIS Second Business At Liberty; care Dramatic B*vl«w posal, with what I may call even a handsome provision for my survivor. What you possess of your own would naturally be appropriated to those for whose sakes chiefly you have made so many hard sacrifices. I am not so foolish as not to know that I am a most unworthy match for such a one as you, but you have for years been a principal object in my mind. In many a sweet assumed character I have learned to love you, but simply as I-". M. Kelly I love you l)etter than them all. Can you quit these shadows of existence and come and be a reality to us? Can you leave olT harassing yourself to please a thankless multitude, who knows nothing of you, and begin at last to live to yourself and your friends? "As plainly and frankly as I have seen you give or refuse assent in some feigned .scene, so frankly do me the justice to answer me. It is im- possible I should feel injured or ag- grieved by your telling me at once that the proposal does not suit you. It is impossible that I should ever think of molesting you with idle im- portunity and persecution after your mind (is) once firmly spoken—but happier, far hai)pier, could I have leave to hope a time might come when our friends might be your friends; our interests yours; our book knowledge, if in that inconsid- erate particular we have any little advantage, might impart .something to you, which you would every day have it in your power ten thousand fold to repay by the added cheerful- ness and joy which yon could not fail to bring as a dowry into what- ever family should have the honor and happiness of receiving YOU, the most welcome accession that could be made to it. "In haste, but with entire respect and deepest afTection, I subscribe myself, "C. LAMB." THK REFUS.VL (.Miss Kelly to Charles Lamb.) "Henrietta Street, July 20, 1819, "An early and deeply rooted at- tachment has fixed my heart on one from whom no worldly prospect can well induce nie to withdraw it. but while I thus frankly and decidedly decline your proposal, believe me, I am not insensible to the high honor which the preference of such a mind as yours confers upon me—let me, however, hope that all thought upon this sul)ject will end with this let- ter, and that you will henceforth en- courage no other sentiment towards me than esteem in my private char- acter and a continuance of that ap- probation of my humble talents which vou have already expressed so much and .so often to my advan- tage and gratification. "Believe me, T feel proud to ac- kiKnvledge mvself, Your obliged friend, ' "F. M. KELLY." RKSIGN.\TION "July 20, 181Q. (Charles Lamb to Miss Kelly.) "Dear Miss Kelly: Your injunc- tion shall be obeyed to a tittle. I feel my.self in a lackadaisical no- how-ish kind of humor. I believe it is the rain, or something. I had thought to have written seriously, but I fancy T succeed best in epistles of mere fun; puns and THAT non- .sense. You will be good friends with U.S. will you not? Let what has past 'break no bones' between us. You will not refuse us them next time we send for them? Yours very truly, "C. L.