Virginia Harned was born at Boston, and, at the age of sixteen, made her début as Lady Despar, in The Corsican Brothers. She first played in New York city in 1890 at the Fourteenth street theater in a play entitled “A Long Lane or Green Meadow.” In this play she made so good an impression that she was engaged by Daniel Frohman as leading woman for E. A. Sothern. In 1896 she was married to Mr. Sothern and has since appeared in leading parts in his company. Probably her greatest success was in the creation of the title rôle of Trilby.
Mrs. Lillie Langtry.
Mrs. Lillie Langtry, if she has done nothing else, has proven that a woman can command admiration even when she is no longer in the first flush of her youth or in the full bloom of her womanhood. This statement is made in view of the public regard which she still enjoys as an actress, in spite of the fact that she first saw the light in 1852, in Jersey, Great Britain. Her father was connected with the Established church of England. She married an officer in the English army and subsequently settled in London. Domestic differences ensuing, she went upon the stage. Her American début, as an actress, was made in 1893 at the Fifth avenue theater, New York. Since then she has visited this country on two or three occasions. Mrs. Langtry is popularly known as the Jersey Lily. She was married for the second time in 1899.
Julia Marlowe.
That tender and graceful exponent of some of Shakespeare’s women, Julia Marlowe, was born at Coldbeck, Cumberlandshire, England, August 17, 1870. She came with her parents to this country when she was five years of age. After a period spent in Kansas, the family removed to Cincinnati, where she attended public school until she was twelve years of age. She then became a member of a juvenile opera company which produced Pinafore, Chimes of Normandy, etc. After several years of arduous work and study, she appeared in New York, but was a failure. Not discouraged, however, she went to work to study again, and in the spring of 1897 attained that recognition from a metropolitan audience for which she had striven so faithfully. Since that time she has advanced in her profession and has secured a prominent place among the leading actresses of to-day.
ORGANIZERS AND LECTURERS.
Cynthia May Westover Alden.
Mrs. Cynthia May Westover Alden is an example of the possibilities of journalism as a vocation for women. She was born at Afton, Iowa, May 31, 1862, being the daughter of Oliver S. and Lucilda (Lewis) Westover. After a period spent in local common schools, she graduated from the Colorado state university and the Denver business college. Subsequently she taught geology, book-keeping and vocal and instrumental music. The owner of an excellent voice, she was for some years a soprano soloist in several church choirs in New York. In 1887 she was appointed United States inspector of customs at the port of New York, and during her term of service as such made many important seizures. She was also secretary in a municipal department of New York, and for a time was an employee of the New York state museum of natural history, resigning therefrom to engage in journalism. After editing the woman’s department of the New York Recorder, she took charge of a similar department on the New York Tribune. She is now on the editorial staff of the Ladies’ Home Journal. Mrs. Alden is also the founder and president-general of the International Sunshine society. Her life has been as busy as useful, and she has made for herself a large circle of friends who, though not knowing her personally, are nevertheless acquainted with her through the medium of the kindly and helpful journalism with which she is so generally identified.