LILY LANGTRY AND MR GLADSTONE

Shannon News, 14 April 1927, Page 4

LILY LANGTRY AND MR GLADSTONE

The special correspondent of the Daily Mail at Monte Carlo had s chat with Lily Langtry, the once famous actress at her famous villa, “The Lily,” overlooking the Chapel of Sainte Devote. Though now 75 years of age she joins in the social life of the Riviera, attending the opera, which is her greatest recreation. She visited the Sporting Club during the hearing of the Gladstone case, and\ was overwhelmed with the sympathy of her women friends in regard' to Wright’s allegations against her and Mr. Gladstone. “I have always been willing to take the blame for the things I have done," said Mrs. Langtry “but it is hard,

now that I am blameless, to be the weapon of an attack upon the memory of a; man whom I always respected; Years ago I went everywhere in London. I met Mr. Gladstone casually; at Millais’ studio, when ho was painting my portrait. “Later, while I was appearing at the Haymarket, Mi Gladstone occaionally joined a group of my friends. H e was young then and asked no more than the privilege of holding open my carriage door." “I do not suppose that I met Mr. Gladstone more than half a dozen* times in; my life, yet his" memory remains. H e seemed to appreciate, all the difficulties lying ahead of my theatrical career, and always left me tile feeling that he was essentially a good man. Sometimes he read to me his- favourite passages from Shakespeare. At other times he would bring me books. One day ne brought .me the memoirs of Sister •Somebody,’ —I forget the name, but 1 felt at the time that Mr. Gladstone wanted me to observe all the lessons of that Sister’s life. “Mr Gladstone used to say that ha had the, simple religious faith of a child and you felt that he broadcasted goodness. Among other useful advice, he told me never to rush into print to explain or defend myself, and I am not disregarding this now.” Mrs. Langtry spoke with deep feeling. She was dressed in a shortcut, modern Kasha coat and skirt, so remote from the Victorian age that it seemed impossible that she should ever have known Gladstone. “In those days," she said, “as a slim, straight girl, I had the boyish figure that is so popular to-day.” She still has this outline and despite the. court revelations as to her age, she is young enough to bear out her assertion that a womai like herself may always be charming, no matter what figure is the fashion or vogue. Born in 1552 at Le Breton, the daughter of a clergyman, on the Island of Jersey, Mrs. Langtry, as she is best known, was famed in English society as “Th e Jersey Lily” before she began her stage career in London in 1881. In 1874 she had married Edward Langtry, who died in 1597. In the latter year she ffiarriea tho Hon. Gerald de Bathe,