p. 185

170.

Walnut street theatre, just before that lady sailed for England, 1837, said that she made a great mistake in not having made her first appearance in this country at the Park thea-tre instead of at the Chesnut street, under May-wood & Co.
And Mrs. Sloman expressed the same regret, maugre the efforts of Mr. Wemyss and Mr. Maywood to establish their star system upon independent grounds. And Mr. Wemyss, in his stage history, tacityly, at least, admits it.
The family of the Prices were peculiarly un-fortunate. The brothers, from position, con-nections and education, were highly respected. They were all, we believe, bred to the profes-sion of the law. They were high-toned, finished gentlemen, full of chivaltry, benevolence and enlightened notions.
William Price, the laywer, was a man of ex-tensive practive at the New York bar, and was deemed a leading and talented member of it. He was universally liked as an upright and un-sophisticated man, amiable in private life, and of excellent social qualities. We remmeber him well. and have been in his society. His sudden death in New York gave regreat through-out the city.
Edward Price was destined, many years since, to fall in a duel with a Major Greene, of the British army.
Major Greene had been stationed in the En-glish army in Canada. He was returning home by the way of New York, where he had taken passage in one of our then new and splendid packet ships in the London trade. During his sojourn in New York, waiting for the day of sailing, Major Greene risited the Park theatre. He had taken no seat--the house being full, he found it difficult to obtain one. He inadver-tently opened a box door to seek one, wherein were seated a number of ladies, who were at-tended, we believe, by Mr. E. Price. The Major saw that it was full, and withdrew, but it would seem that he repeated the intrusion, when Price followed him into the lobby and demanded some explanation of conduct so rude and unbecoming a gentleman. After some ex-postulation, recrimination and harshness of words, and, of course, insulting terms on either side, cards were exchanged, and the following day a challenge resulted.
The terms of the combat were arranged, the meeting to take place at Hoboken, and on the very morning of the day the packet was to sail. Major Greene made an arrangement with the Captain to await the result of the conflict in the lower harbor. If he survived the encoun-ter he would immediately join the ship having a Whitehall boat in attendance; and if he fell, he would cause the ship to be signaled to that effect.
The parties met at Hoboken, on the very ground where General Hamilton fell, in 1804, in a duel with Aaaron Burr. They took their positions at ten paces, and poor Ned Price fell positions at ten paces, and poor Ned Price fell dead at the first fire, being shot through the body. Major Greene instantly gained the ship and sailed for London, and Price was brone to his sad home by his friends. This even cre-ated great excitement in New York, and eli-cited universal sympathies for the family of the deceased.
We have seen in our "travel's history" somevery melancholy scenes resulting from this cruel, mistaken and senseless code of honor, which barbarous custom is happily diminishing in our land. A writer somewhere say, and very truly, "The duellist values his honor above the life of his antagonist, his own life, and the happiness of his friends."
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CHAPTER FOURTH.
Alexander Wilson--Mrs. Anderson, nee Euphe-mia Jefferson--Romantic story of Miss Jeffer-son and Captain Hook--His duel with Lieut. B...........--Mrs. Entwisle, subsequently Mrs. Crooke--Her death.
On the second night of the season at the Chesnut, Wednesday, December 4th, 1822, the popular new play of " Damon and Pythias" was presented, and the farce " Where Shall I Dine?"
The performances were given at this time on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
On Thursday evening, December 5th, "Venice Preserved" was played, which introduced Mr. Wilson as Pierre. The piece was thus cast:
Duke of Venice, Mr. Wheatly; Priuli, Mr. Warren; Jaffier, Mr. Wood; Pierre, Mr. Wilson; Bedamar, Mr. Darley; Renult, Mr. Hathwell; Spinosa, Mr. Greene; Belvidera, Mrs. Wood. The afterpiece, "Of Age To-morrow," was per-formed, in which Mrs. H. Wallack danced a pas seul.
Mr. Alexander Wilson we have mentioned in our first sketches. He never rose above the secondary sphere of characters, although he as-pired higher. His figure was manly and tall, bating a stoop in the shoulders, and his features strongly marked. His elocution was not good. Wilson bad been a most zealous and persever-ing man, and quite an artizan in the design and manipulation of stage decorations, properties and costumes, and, as such, had rendered Pepin and Breschard essential service when they ad-ded dramatic performances to their hippodrome amusements. He had been a sea captain, a merchant, a speculator in lands, goods and tene-ments, actor, manager, and finally retired to a farm in the vicinity of New York. About the year 1833 he visited London, and played Othello at the Haymarket theatre, with what success we never heard. He became manager of the se-cond National theatre, at the corner of Leonard and Church streets, New York. Mr. Wilson had acted in all the theatres throughout the Union. His final exit from the profession was after the destruction of the National theatre, at the above location, when it was under the reign of Mr. Burton. He married a very charming Philadelphia girl by the name of Brobston, who played eucceesfully at the Olympic theatre here in 1812. We mentioned her in our first thea-trical sketches. Mrs. Wilson died about a year ago at her husband's farm on the banks of the Hudson. He died some time before.
Mr. Cooper was engaged for a great portion of the season, and made his first appearance in two years, as Virginius, on the 6th of Decem-ber. The following was the cast :--Virginius, Cooper; Appius Claudius, Wood; Vibulanus, Hathwell; Caius Claudius, Wheatly; Sicinius Dentatus, Warren; Icilius, H. Wallack; Lucius, Greene; Decius, Parker; Titus, Burk; Servius, Johnston; Cneius, Bignall; Publius, John Jef-ferson; Plebeian, Murry; Lictors, Andes and Scrivener; Virginia, Mrs. Anderson, (from the Charleston and New Orleans theatres, her first appearance in two years;) Servia, Mrs. La Folle; Female Slave, Mrs. Greene. The after-piece was " The Spoiled Child.?
The house was excellent; probably $800 were received. It would prove supererogatory to dilate in this place upon the great excel-lence of Mr. Cooper in this Roman father and hero, as in our first series of stage pencillings we have enlarged upon those merits in a most lengtbened manner.
In 1822 Cooper was yet vigorous, although obviously on the wane; but still he remained " the noblest Roman of them all."
Mrs. Anderson, who was the Virginia of the night, was Mise Emphemia Jefferson, the eldest daughter of Mr. Joseph Jefferson, Sr., and the wife of Mr. William Anderson, originally of Placide's company of Charleston, S. C. Mrs. Anderson was tall and well shaped. A pleas-ing sensibility of expression pervaded her fea-tures. Her voice was musical in intonation, and her action was ever chaste and graceful. She evinced that sound judgment and discre-tion in all things in her role that usually cha-racterized her father's conceptions and execu-tion. Thus she " never o'erst pped the modesty of nature." Mrs. A. never soared to the sub-lime, nor could she pertray the sterner or more lofty passions ; yet she was not without force of the gentle kind, and played some juvenile parts with touching pathos and feeling effects. Her forte was the higher range of comedy. Her Lady Teazle was a very plessing piece of act-ing. We hare seen worse Lady Teazles, with much greater pretensions and previous herald-ing. Mrs. Anderson had a very pleasing sing-ing voice, and, take the tout ensemble of her merits, she was a valuable acquisition to any company, as her talents were very versatile.
Her marriage was a most unhappy one; and, being early afflicted with an insidious disease, that gradually destroyed her constitution ere she reached the prime of womanhood, after much physical and mental suffering she re-signed her spirit to Him who gave it. She lived with her two daughters in her last days, estranged from her husband. Captain Hook, of the United States army, so early as 1814 solicited her hand in marriage. On dit, that they were betrothed. This report the lady subsequently denied. Her father and mother favored the union with all their parental authority and infuence. But her heart was not so bent; and in the summer of 1815, while the company was playing at Washington, Miss E. Jefferson eloped with Mr. William Ander-son, and they were privately married. The family repudiated Anderson, and would never afterward hold any communication with him. Mrs. Anderson and husband lived fitfully together, and some time before her death she