Bertha Welby

The patli to fame and fortune for an actress does not, as a rule, lie in rocky roads or amid stormy surroundings. She wing not by the amount of disturbance she creates, by the curiosity she inspires, or by the prominence she assumes, but rather by innate gentleness - a woman's distinguishing and natural characteristic - gentleness, which becomes sympathie within the atmosphere of the playhouse and which is always admirable. The affections which, leveloped in daily life, constitute a great measures of a woman's charm, are, strangely enough, very rare on the stage. Miss Beetha Wblby is an actress who won her way professionally, gentle and unpretentiouuly. Born in Albany, educated in Bochester. she studied hard, began humbly, pleased, improved, and has never taken one step backward. Her particular line is the very gracious one of sympathetic young Tomen. To depict the ways and to mirror the emotiona of these she has many natural advantages- a mellow yoice, an expressive face, and muoh intelligence. She is a hard student and has a pretty keen idea of what the public wants. She has been careful never to play an unsympathetic part, never to antagonize any one or anything, but having carefully and sagaciously outlined her professional course, to hold to it unswervingly, leaving her business in the hands of her manager aud her reward entirely with the public. The result has deen that in a very short space of time she has advanced to a front rank of stars, and thjs in a perfectly legitimate way - not over the wreek of a fortune, or the notoriety of a character, or the publicity of litigation. In many cities of the country Bertha Welby has made herself a prime and wel-established favorite. The play in which she has to star is called "One Woman's Life." Elliot Barnes is the author, and he thinks he has made an improvement on " Only a Farmer's Daughter," a piece in which Miss Welby has been playing "Justine" all last season, and which possesses every element of popular interest. Miss Welby ia a lady of superior education, anJ is personnlly vcry popular. Bhe has but to continue in the way she has already pursued to attain and hold securely the high place in public estiraation for which she ha been ambitioualy gtriving, and for which she bas brouffht to bear cvery possible element in the suoc(58s of an actres-s.