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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
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