The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-10
AMUSE1fENTS.


IA iutina stop. Don't be frightened"
| must have looked little scared She doubt
less road my thoughts for she said as she
tugecd at her glove;
Your suspicious are correct. want to act.
I'm nr phenomenon, am ?"
No. SAID. Seeing that you are n woman
you'd be- Il phenomenon II you didn't"
She threw her glove upon my table. unbridcd
her head. and sank into n ch,rr. making luxu-
, riant sound rs she did so very much as IL she
had been swallowed w in the vortex of her own
| clothes. and had left only few smiles and bub-
! hlcs of amiabily to mark the spot where she
! had gone down.
" Art is So dcbascd" She murmurcd rs she
drummcd with her bc-damondcd finger on the
| black walnut llistrionism is SO sadly IN need
OF Intelligence and high. noble purpose. that "A
person coming. as do. from the retirement Of
an exclusive circle. must hesitate IA long while
before entering upon the troubled sea OF public
lifc"
All" said. with sense. of relief you
purpose to hesitate a long while before acting.
feel that can sympathizc with you
| You mistake me slightly. | have hcsitatcd.
/ but the time for ation-ur actng-hus arrived.
When all other human resources fail. a
woman 49,"
There remains the stage see. Proceed"
&C. want YOU to be- frank with me-" Here she
turned her his brown eyes full on me. Played
II little laughing rouadc of sincerity with her
tongue on a splendid keyboard of teeth till the
deep burnt sienna fris ON her forehead
danced again.
Not a day over twenty" was saying TO my
self with equal sincerity
You give some attention to the stage " she
went on So do |. You may be called u pro-
icssiona observer. AZ for me am an amateur
hoker-on. Let us lay aside the nonsense that
in,crposes between our sexes. and talk like two
good fellows. What want is honest advice"
felt the first movements OF the struggle in
myself between an abhorrcnt manly honesty
and the delicious periidy which such women
excite.
Honesty trlumphs. Madame" | said. Il
will be frank with you. You have quarrelled
with your husband"
She started little. drew up her head Some
thing that was meant for outraged dignity but
was only womanly spite. looked out OF her eyes
on she exclaimed. hes been here before
me. Your mind has been poisoned In ad-
vance"
The neither lids OF her eyes irembled a little
The brown iris glistened. Pathos aud nuanccs
OF desoation lurked in the expression OF her
fine face.
Down went my honesty. | assure you. has
lily rejoined that no husband had been TO see
me. detest husbands. They are hdcnemies
OF art the curse Of artists. They stand round
the front II the house when the wives arc act
ing. and make foolish remarks; they lounge in
the managers Office all day. and abuse the
newspapers. have long been Of the opinion
that the stage which ought TO he refuge from
husbands is fast becoming an asylum for them
She shuddered a little in her frills.
~. .t,t. \ gsf
sudden concentration Of sweetness
rs yos are a woman answered. you
would b. a phenomenon If you couldn't lit
were not for your sex there would be no stage"
DO you really think 2"
Think sol Why. never questioned it. The
drama is the world Of illusion. and men are the
only disagrceabls facts in II. You ask me 10 be
frank. will. Onc-half Of the human race de-
sires to contemplate the other half. One-hai
OF the human race desires 10 be contemplated.
To accommodate both the theatre is provided.
Tn" managers and the husbands walk up and
down in the lobbi,s and shou' high art to
Keep NJ appearancet.'
She put her finger on her forehead. reflect
lively. " Yes that's cynicism. l believe"
Very we'll Let us return TO business When
ever you have quarrel with your husband your
good angel prompts you to become an actress.
instinct of your sex that converts the private
blessing into a public luxury. Tho footlights
alone affranchise woman Excuse my en-
,husiasm but my soul expands as l picture
to myself the whole country overrun by wives
cut loose from the slavery Of marriage and bask-
ing in the idolatry OF art"
But there Is shadow to the bright pic
ture-"
True-it Is caused by the reflection that the
whole country may be overrun by husbands
who think they have a lien on their wives. and
who cannot be made TO understand that the
drama dissolyes all selfish individual ties"
Well. didn't mean that exactly meant
that great many OF the wives are not meant by
nature for such Il profession"
never saw one. woman is born an actress
She lisps her asidcs before she gets out Of her
cradle. Without her prot"an presence the drama
al life would be a pantomime. She converts it
into French comedy or n Greek tragedy. Her
conscience is a call boy. Her lover is a manager.
whose engagements it is her duty to break. Her
real husband is the public and the sooner she
marries her lord and master the sooner she full
fills her destiny"
My visitor listened to this lunacy with Miner
Wan calmness.
You are not in the habit of talking with
women"
No. said. " only addresses"
Excuse mo. You are making mistake.
An actress may be, and often is a woman. But
all women are not actresses"
The only exception ever saw was Miss Fair
banks. Ii there is anything in the world nober
than acting think she was intended for it,"
And you call this iranknessf'
Yes. think there is more truth than rheto-
rio in it,"
1t sounds TO me like the vacuous bitterness
of II blighted old bachelor. who thinks he dis
cusses truths whenever lac exhibits his own
bruises
The idea of appearing like bighted old
bachelor in the eyes Of this Venus rather stag
g"red me-.
She followed it up with a left handler.
The trouble with all men il thus. said she.
that not beng able TO act. they continually in
sist upon max ing the attempt when there is no
necessity / didn't come here to see you per-
FORM
No. YOU came to have me see a perform
ance.'
-. ~ l.