Letter from Geraldine Jewsbury to Charlotte Cushman, n.d.

Letter from Geraldine Jewsbury to Charlotte Cushman, n.d.

Actors and Actresses--English

Actors and Actresses--US American

Beauty

Criticism

Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876

England

Gossip--Private

Jewsbury, Geraldine Endsor, 1812-1880

Journalists/Writers

Kemble, Frances "Fanny" Anne, 1809-1893

Relationships--Networks

Gossip--Private

Jewsbury tells Cushman about her experience of watching Mrs. Butler (Fanny Kemble) act in The Hunchback (which does not compare to watching Cushman play, in her estimation). Jewsbury mentions a newspaper (Douglas Jerrold's Shilling Magazine)in which she wrote about Kemble Butler, remarking that she looked horrible in the dress she wore first. She is also going to do an article on George Sand for the People's Journal. Furthermore, she mentions several others such as Sidney, Libby, and Frank, and how much Cushman would have laughed at witnessing their interactions.

Credit

Library of Congress, Charlotte Cushman Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Jewsbury, Geraldine Endsor, 1812-1880

LoC, CCP 11: 3437-3440

Friday

Reference

[3437] [crosswritten] Please tell Sue little +++ is gone but if Frank can find out where he is he will send the note.
Friday

My dear Charlotte,
+++ +++ is going to write you an account of Mrs. Butler I am not! For he is a +++ play goer & his criticism will be worth something wh. Mine w d not be: only I shall tell you that I am faithful to you. I never got moved the whole myself but was quite up to criticizing lovely things she said or did – I never got to believe in the play and feel quite contented as I do when you act.

[3437 reverse] I never saw you in the Hunchback so I was very glad not to be able to compare you together I never think of considering whether like what you do or not – it is a real thing & no to be chosen[?] about! & I had rather go & see you than go & see her. I get satisfied with one – I don’t feel sure[?] in the other – she looks dreadfully thin & worn & was much agitated when she came on – the people seemed to sympathize very much with her but as

[3438] as the play proceeded they gave her a good deal of applause but they waited till she deserved it. Her speech to Master Walter to stay the marriage was very effective but it was not the Julia the young girl of the play but a woman steeped in a life long suffering to her very lips – but if you want to know all I thought you may get Douglas Jerrold’s newspaper on Saturday & I dare say you will find it written for he asked me to go & send him word for his paper & I did as I was asked of course I had too much respect for an art of which

[3438 reverse] I am utterly ignorant to venture to criticize Mrs. Butler’s acting – I only gave an account of it in a natural letter – tell Sue she looked horribly in her first dress with long curls & pink ribbon round her head & a great bunch of roses stuck in one side. She was too much +++ (to look well) – & she is quite a skeleton – her other dresses look gorgeous are amber stain with gold trimmings & a white satin with a sumptuous +++ lace +++ two feet deep I am going to do an article on George Sand for the People's

[3439] Journal after all! But I am too dumb in my admiration to be able to write anything to satisfy myself.
I never told Sue all the +++ I was getting done at the house ++ her ++ covering the cushion with rose colored muslin to ++ +++ keeping with +++ the +++! & then my cousin who is clean to death at those things has made up a chair & an ottoman of such a desperate nature that

[3439 reverse] Peggy hoped I w^d put it in a corner for fear it shd put wrong notions +++ the minds of the men who come to the house!! By the way talking of wrong notions one of Mrs Jewsbury’s sisters got an offer the other day & accepted it & Frank does not too well know what to make of it

[3440] if you had been her one Sunday night you w^d have died with laughing +++ I little guessed such serious matters were +++ he was sitting up & +++ settling the +++ with poor Signey & finding her very sound on that matter he has purposed/proposed on the +++ +++ of it Libby got hold of +++ who was talking his meta+++ to her & she was admiring his eyes & wondering what on earth he was meaning I was settling with somebody else about something & Frank was getting +++ losing a game of chess

[3440 reverse] with my cousin! It was as good as a caricature – I am going to have a swarry tomorrow night – a smoking swarry I wonder how it will go off. Give my love to Sue & tell +++ she is to hold herself engaged to me the first week she is at liberty for disappointing me now – I don’t think I shall go & see Mrs. Butler again can’t afford it. I have asked Mr +++ to give me an introduction to her I want to see her +++ +++ take care of yourself if you can & +++ Your loving G. E. J."

Jewsbury, Geraldine Endsor, 1812-1880

Cushman, Charlotte Saunders, 1816-1876