Modjeska, who, though she is a Polish actress, lives in America and is associated with the American stage, made a great impression on me.  She was exquisite in many parts, but in none finer than in “Adrienne Lecouvreur.”  Her last act electrified me.  I have never seen it better acted, although I have seen all the great ones do it since.  Her Marie Stuart, too, was a beautiful and distinguished performance.  Her Juliet had lovely moments, but I did not so much care for that, and her broken English interfered with the verse of Shakespeare.  Some years ago I met Modjeska and she greeted me so warmly and sweetly, although she was very ill.

During my more recent tours in America Maude Adams is the actress of whom I have seen most, and “to see her is to love her!” In “The Little Minister” and in “Quality Street” I think she is at her best, but above all parts she herself is most adorable.  She is just worshiped in America, and has an extraordinary effect—­an educational effect upon all American girlhood.

I never saw Mary Anderson act.  That seems a strange admission, but during her wonderful reign at the Lyceum Theater, which she rented from Henry Irving, I was in America, and another time when I might have seen her act I was very ill and ordered abroad.  I have, however, had the great pleasure of meeting her, and she has done me many little kindnesses.  Hearing her praises sung on all sides, and her beauties spoken of everywhere, I was particularly struck by her modest evasion of publicity off the stage.  I personally only knew her as a most beautiful woman—­as kind as beautiful—­constantly working for her religion—­always kind, a good daughter, a good wife, a good woman.

She cheered me before I first sailed for America by saying that her people would like me.

“Since seeing you in Portia and Letitia,” she wrote, “I am convinced you will take America by storm.”  Certainly she took England by storm!  But she abandoned her triumphs almost as soon as they were gained.  They never made her happy, she once told me, and I could understand her better than most since I had had success too, and knew that it did not mean happiness.  I have a letter from her, written from St. Raphael soon after her marriage.  It is nice to think that she is just as happy now as she was then—­that she made no mistake when she left the stage, where she had such a brief and brilliant career.

“GRAND HOTEL DE VALESCURE,
“ST. RAPHAEL, FRANCE.

“Dear Miss Terry,—­

“I am saying all kinds of fine things about your beautiful work in my book—­which will appear shortly; but I cannot remember the name of the small part you made so attractive in the ‘Lyons Mail.’  It was the first one I had seen you in, and I wish to write my delightful impressions of it.

“Will you be so very kind as to tell me the name of your character and the two Mr. Irving acted so wonderfully in that play?