My uncle, Augustus Babbit, who led a seafaring life and was lost at
sea, took great interest in me; he offered me prizes for proficiency
in my studies, especially music and writing. He first took me to the
theatre on one of his return voyages, which was always a holiday time
for me. My first play was "Coriolanus," with Macready, and my second
"The Gamester," with Cooper and Mrs. Powell as Mr. and Mrs. Beverley.
All the English actors and actresses of that time were of the Siddons
and Kemble school, and I cannot but think these early impressions must
have been powerful toward the formation of a style of acting afterward
slowly eliminated through the various stages of my artistic career.
My uncle had great taste and love for the dramatic profession, and
became acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. William Pelby, for whom the
original Tremont Theatre was built. My uncle being one of the
stockholders, through him my mother became acquainted with these
people, and thus we had many opportunities of seeing and knowing
something of the fraternity.
About this time I became noted in school as a reader, where before I
had only been remarkable for my arithmetic, the medal for which could
never be taken from me. I remember on one occasion reading a scene
from Howard Payne's tragedy of "Brutus," in which Brutus speaks, and
the immediate result was my elevation to the head of the class to the
evident disgust of my competitors, who grumbled out, "No wonder she
can read, she goes to the theatre!" I had been before this very shy
and reserved, not to say stupid, about reading in school, afraid of
the sound of my own voice, and very unwilling to trust it; but the
greater familiarity with the theatre seemed suddenly to unloose my
tongue, and give birth as it were to a faculty which has been the
ruling passion ever since.