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A DRAMATIC CRITIC Miss Neilson as an actress possessed an ineffable charm, which has never been analyzed or explained. A signal illustration of this charm was afforded by her Viola, in Twelfth Night. Of all Shakespeare's women, Viola is the most elusive. Deeply reserved, void of initiative, confirmed in patience, exquisitely fine in all the tex- ture of her nature, as pure as new-fallen snow, she is, however, not like Miranda, fearless with the ignorant innocence of Paradise, or Isabella, calm with the un- tempted chastity of the cloister, but is familiar with life and its lures, as well as susceptible of love and its enthrallment. Yet she passes through uncounted com- promising situations without a smirch, and in her masculine attire is no less virginal- sweet than in her woman's weeds. Miss Neilson's performance said all this, and the much more there is to say, with an art that was be3'ond criticism; keeping the character well in the shadow to which it [ 170 ]
ADELAIDE NEILSON belongs, and at the point of highest tension, with a hundred deft touches, conveying the strength of the tender passion which could endure and smile at grief. But, aside from the distinction and charm, the sub- tilty and the depth, of the impersonation* aside, even, from the completeness with which the personality of the artist was trans- formed into that of Shakespeare's heroine, there was a quality in the performance by which it was related to some evanescent ideal of perfect beauty, to some vision of supernal loveliness vaguely apprehended but eagerly desired, through which it touched the infinite. Other of Miss Neil- son's assumptions had a like power; but the manifestation through this character was singularly clear. More than once I saw scores of mature men and women gazing through eyes filled with sudden- surprising moisture at this slip of a girl, as she stood upon the wreck-strewn shore of the sea, in the midst of sailors, and [ 171 ]
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A DRAMATIC CRITIC<br />
Miss Neilson as an actress possessed an<br />
ineffable charm, which has never been<br />
analyzed or explained. A signal illustration<br />
of this charm was afforded by her Viola,<br />
in Twelfth Night. Of all Shakespeare's<br />
women, Viola is the most elusive. Deeply<br />
reserved, void of initiative, confirmed in<br />
patience, exquisitely fine in all the tex-<br />
ture of her nature, as pure as new-fallen<br />
snow, she is, however, not like Miranda,<br />
fearless with the ignorant innocence of<br />
Paradise, or Isabella, calm with the un-<br />
tempted chastity of the cloister, but is<br />
familiar with life and its lures, as well as<br />
susceptible of love and its enthrallment.<br />
Yet she passes through uncounted com-<br />
promising situations without a smirch, and<br />
in her masculine attire is no less virginal-<br />
sweet than in her woman's weeds. Miss<br />
Neilson's performance said all this, and<br />
the much more there is to say, with an art<br />
that was be3'ond criticism; keeping the<br />
character well in the shadow to which it<br />
[ 170 ]
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