ued a member of the Museum company, and then Mr. Bartley Campbell, who, unknown to her, had for a week been watching her work
on the Museum stage, offered her the position
of leading lady in his "Galley Slave" company,
to succeed Miss Lillie Glover as Cicely Blaine.
It was a company of great strength, including
Joseph Wheelock, Marie Prescott, Junius Bru-
tus Booth, Frank E. Aiken, Owen Fawcett,
and other talented people. At the end of
this season Mrs. Kent was especially engaged
by Mrs. John Drew for the leading part of
Jeanne Guerin to Joseph Wheelock's Jagon.
While at Mrs. Drew's theatre she accepted an
offer from John Sleeper Clarke, Edwin Booth's
brother-in-law, and became leading lady of his
company. With him, as leading man, were
W. H. V^ernon, the distinguished English actor,
and Mrs. Farren. When John T. Raymond
produced "Colonel Sellers" in London, he
engaged Mrs. Kent for Laura Hawkins, but
her husband and father objected to her going,
and she was obliged to relinquish also an offer
from Mr. Clarke for a London appearance.
They were opportunities which would have
meant much to a young actress. The follow-
ing season she became leading woman with
Thomas W. Keene, being featured in the bills,
and for two years continued in this arduous
position, constantly travelling, and appear-
ing in all the principal cities in the United
States and Canada in a round of impersona-
tions, largely Shakespearean, among them being
Ophelia in "Hamlet," Portia in "The Merchant
of Venice," Desdemona in "Othello," Queen
Elizabeth in "Richard IIL"; Julie de Mor-
timer in "Richelieu," Fiordelisa in "The Fool's
Revenge." During this engagement she also
prepared for appearing as Mariana in "The
Wife" and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet."
When Mr. John Stetson's New York Fifth
Avenue Theatre Company produced "Divorce,"
Mrs. Kent was selected for Fanny Davenport's
old part of IjOu Ten Kyck. Tlie i)lay had a
great cast, with Sarah Jewett as Fanny Ten
Eyck (formerly Clara Morris's role), Annie
Russell, Herbert Kelcey, and other New York
favorites equally distinguished. This was suc-
ceeded by "Confusion," simultaneously pro-
duced by two of Mr. Stetson's companies.
Mrs. Kent and Mr. Kelcey heading one. Mrs.
Kent starred for a season, appearing as Pauline
in "The Lady of Lyons," Nancy Sikes in
"Oliver Twist," and in other standard plays.
Among the hundreds of characters portrayed
by her have been Camille, Lady Macbeth, Mari-
ana in "The Wife," Galatea in "Pygmalion
and Galatea," Lady Lsabel in "East Lynne,"
Armande in " Led Astray," the title roles in
"Leah the Forsaken," "Lucretia Borgia,"
"Medea," "Evadne," and "Satan in Paris."
She was also leading lady and stock star of sev-
eral companies producing Paris, London, and
New York successes Although exceedingly
versatile, her temperament especially fitted her
for tragic and emotional roles, and it was in these
she won her greatest successes. Mr. Henry Aus-
tin Clapp, in passing judgment upon her work,
frequently spoke of her "personal distinction
and nobility of manner"; her "rare tempera-
ment, distinguished beauty, and the depth,
range, and expressiveness of her voice." An-
other eminent critic said of her work: "Entirely
unaffected and natural, it is of commanding
character. This young woman possesses mag
netism, tremendous underlying power, rare
intelligence, and great personal beauty. Few
will forget that mobile and sensitive face or
that picture of passion, tenderness, and de-
spair."
After twelve years of successful and often brilliant work her health failed, just as she had signed a three years' contract to appear as a star. She was obliged to retire, and for some years was an invalid. On account of Mr. Kent's objections she has since then refused all offers to reappear. She is interested in literary work, writing under an assumed name. She is active in patriotic work. A charter member of the Colonel Timothy Bigelow Chap- ter, Daughters of the American Revolution, of Worcester, she has labored for its success since its inception. Having refused to serve longer as its Regent, she was this year elected Honorary Regent for life. She is a mem- ber of the AVorcester Woman's Club and of the Club lIou.se Corporation, president of the Worcester Revolutionary Memorial A.ssocia- tion, vice-presitlent of the Worcester Society of Antiquity, and a devoted member of
