The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-08-05
rTne Fnte Of Actresses,

Married ladies, who are in the profession along
with their families, are generally great drudges,
having not only 20 play the mother and the mis-
tress at home, but 60 perform their part on the
stage as well-haying To attend the rehearsal and
the broth pot at the same time. was exceed
ingly sorry for one poor lady, who, along with
son and TWO daughters, was member OF the
company at Shippham. Maternal ambition
prompted her to aid In forwarding her children
in the profession, and she sacrificed her own de-
sires 10 their interest, and frequently got well
abused by the manager Tor her pans. She mas
since died, poor woman, and so has one of her
daughters in question but her son, observe, IL
getting on well, and is now in good position In
one OF the tirst-class provincial theatres in Eng
land.
Seeing what this poor lady had to endure, L
have often wondered, when have read hne crltl-
cisms in the newspapers cutting up Mrs, So-and-
So for her poor conceptions and bad acting, how
il was possible for that lady to act at all. She
had three young children 10 nurse and attend 10,
and the united salaries of herself and husband
were exactly 37s. a wrek-a little daughter being
thrown in as a sort oi make-weight. She could
have no soul for ar;-she could have nothing Out
anxiety, poor woman what with lodgings to pay
for, stage properties 10 provide, and money TO lay
away for the next journey, which might, for
auR6t She knew, be from Dundee to Dudley, she
could have but poor time OF II. The very cir
| cumstance of the child thrown in 10 make W
| the salary was an annoyance, because she mus
have clean shirts, and would have occasionally Il
Why stay in n profession where there is st
! much misery / think / hear my readers say
/ "But what can the SO-and-So's do She wa
| born in the profession, so 10 speak; and he, wha
! could he do hut strut ON the stageW True, hi
| ambition is some day % start q tavern; that is
| apparently, all his art loes for him-makes hin
! long 20 change Shakcs care and the stage for thu
, baI--the bar OF public house. / have some
| where read Of u great actor who made up mos
lugubrious catalogue of the ills he had fallen het
! to, even alter he han worked his way TO the to-
| OF his profession, ana had become famous Lon
| don actor; and one or his grievances remembe
! was thai, there IN the green-roOm only on
| glass ont Of which he had 10 drink In commo
| with All the members Of the theatre. Poor fel
, low Had he never ,ndered over the countr
: with his mprutpct tnes peeping out OF pair o
stage boots, ana WITH lis "prOperty" vest adin
TO shield him r. IA ne cold, and glad 10 beg
drink Of beer OF mil, 70 keep up the steam as
JOuTneyed along
WeEuppOee nu;, "r Ia the luxurious en1oyme1
OF his fifty pounds week, he had perhaps TO-
gotten those days; nat am much mistaken |
like the most Of lnr members of the theatre
Shippham, he haf ut passed years of his III
without having the pr'vilege of drinking ont Of
glass of any kind Few of the small countr
theatres have u gfCru.room, and Shippham wi
no exception. AS kRye already mentioned, "
assembled In a corner behind the scenes, all huI
died together over a small spark OF fire and
never saw glass there at all, except when fe
of us might Join for a bottle of ale, and borro
such a vessel 10 drink 1t out OF, which we all d
in common. very shrewdly suspect the gre
actor in question had many a time TO do the san
| thing.--GEnpSeS of Real Life.