already in the profession, — one, Mrs. Maria Bradshaw, as a singer, at Covent Garden, and the other, Mrs. Quin, as adancer,
at Drury Lane. Their influence, of course, favored their young
relative, and an affectionate mother protected, cheered, and
encouraged her. In 1827 she was engaged as a member of
the Drury Lane company, and in that theatre she made her
first conspicuous successes. Her range of characters, even
then, was wide. She played Lady Teazle^ and she also
played Jane Shore^ thus touching the antipodes of
comedy and tragedy, la that same j'^ear, and at that same
theatre, Charles Kean made his first professional appearance ;
and it is probable that the acquaintance then and there com-
menced, which was afterwards to ripen into love and marriage
between these two distinguished artists. At that time, and
for several subsequent years, theatrical business appears to
have been uncertain and unprofitable in London ; and, as a
matter of prudence no less than enterprise, Ellen Tree ya*
ricd her metropolitan engagements with various provincial
tours, visiting and playing in the principal cities of Kngland,
Ireland, and Scotland. Success, in every respect, continu-
ally attended her footsteps. She played by turns all the ac-
cepted leading parts in the legitimate drama, and her profes-
sional reputation was steadily augmented. One of her
eminent successes was her personation of Clemanthe^ in Tal-
fourd'd classic and beautiful tragedy, which was first acted
at Covent Garden, May 26th, 1836. With Jon, too, one of
the purest and brightest of all the denizens of the world of
fancy, her name is identified. In 1836, she visited the
United States, and made a starring tour of this country,
which lasted three years. Her success here was very great,
and she found the warmest favor, not merely with the general
multitude of theatre-goers, but with the best educated and
most refined classes in American society. Years afterwards,
in 1865, when, after a long absence, she reappeared in Now
Page:Eminent women of the age.djvu/500
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EMINENT WOMEN OF THE AGE.