Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-10
The RAGE FOR ACTRESS WIVES.

considered by his friends fit to be an inmate
of an asylum for the feeble minded. So
ciety. which tolerated morganatic unions
between its members and the stage, held
up It's hands in indignant horror when Marie
Taqlioni espoused Count Gilbert des Vol
sins. Carlotta Grisi took the title of Count
ess Gerald de Melay, and the lovely Ade-
lima accompanied to the hymeneal altar
the Marquis de Caux. Things have changed
since then within the last twelvemonth
the anxiety to become the husband of an
actress" has attained the proportions of an
epidemic. The late conjugal mishaps of
the Eicomte de p. did not prevent the
Count de Bionne from giving his hand
and heart to Hortense Schneider, alias the
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein nor will
this prevent Alice Pegnault, the cobbler's
widow, from wearing the coronet of real
Duke. Alice Howard, the most beautiful
of Partisan Ladies of the Lake, has
only to say the word to her particu-
lar Barkis, Mexican millionaire j;
and even Mile. B., otherwise known as
" Patapon," brilliant ornament CT the
world of gilded girdles, has announced
that she, too, proposes to forswesr the
flesh and the devil forevermore, and crown
her raven hair with wreath OF orange
blossoms. Mile. B. s career has been ad-
venturous, but what does that matter!
We are in an age where old fogy preju.
dicss are secuted, and she need only throw
her handkerchief out of the window OF her
Injurious entresol to have a hundred noble
scrambIers for the honor of exchanging
their name and parchElents for her dowry.
Helene. you see, has just inherited 800, COO
francs from an aunt who was in the same
trade and this sum added to her own
economies-she was coryphee at the
Opera, with a salary of 2, 400 francs per
annum-makes up very nearly 1000, 600,
which, with sumptuous hotel built Tor her
by well-known financier near the Park
Moncau, are fair equivalent for the tar
nished escutcheon of defendant of the
Crusaders. | do not venture to blame
those bold men who undertake this peril
GUS adventure their merit has nothing in
common with Christopher Columbus they
do not set out on voyage OF discovery, and
ought to know what dangers they may
expect to meet. l only note the fact and
abstain from criticism. There was already
a fairly long list, OF which behold few
of the most distinguished personalities,
in addition to the quartet above men,
toned: La Sontag, afterward Countess di
Rosa, Auber's type of the heroine in
"L'Ambassadrice ;" la Ristori, now Con.
tessa Capranica Celeste Mogador, once
cancan dancer at Mabille of much cele-
brity, and widow of the Count de Chabril.
Ian; Countess Stankowics, whom thirty
years ago New Workers applauded as Anna
de Lagrange; Sophie Cruvelli, at present
the Vicomtesse Vigier Alike Bressant, a
daughter of the great actor of the Coincide
Franchise, who married Prince Kotehon-
hey; Alboni, who now bears tie name
of Nine. Zeiger, after wearing the
coronet of the most noble and Illus
trious Count Pepoli Marie He'll
bronn is Vicomtesse de la Panonze !;
Virginia Loisset, the circus-rider, is the
Baroness de Reuss, whose brother-in-law,
allied to the sovereign houses of Austria
and Germany, was long ambassador of the
Empire at Constantinople the ballerina
Busca is Countess de Torot la Walter,
Countess Sollivan Pauline Lucca, Baro-
ness Walhofen pretty little Mile. CODY,
of the Vaudeville, became Countess de
Louvieres last month and not fortnight
has passed since Mile. Minnie Hauk, the
holy bonds of matrimony with NJ. Hesse
de Wartegg.
1t is an exception when any of these
social anomalies turn out happily but in
the olden time they were the results of
blind passion, not of calculation, at least
on the part of the man. When King Co.
phetua welded with the beggar-maiden
her beauty was the attraction; when
Mile. Theresa EIssler took for better or
worse Prince Adelbert, the King of Prus-
s;a's cousiE.german, it was generally sup
posed that it was all for love on his side,
although the bride might have not been
entirely insensible to the name and title of
Countess de Barmin, which the King con-
ferred upon her. No one imagined
twenty years, nor even ten years ago,
that, with the progress of the thea
ter, and the never-ceasing increase OF
salaries, the day would come fo-
gentlemen of birth and social position, but
impecunious, to crave for alliances with
artists simply for the sake of their strong
box. People laughed at Theophiie eau
tiers prediction in 1884, and yet the author
of the "Captaine' Fracasse was not far
from the truth in writing that, "The thea.
ter will before long exist only as a sort of
boarding school to which mothers will send
their girls to make good marriages.
Theophile did not approve of the plan,
esteeming that, "The only fit husband for
an actress is the public, on whom the name
of legal husband produces the effect of
caterpillar On rose. The public will
tolerate lover who is something more
vague, less brutal, something which leaves
l, IN ~, hr1f n ahap
husband is in the way" / agree with
Theophile but, from what have seen,
think that the party most be pitied is not
the public, but the husband. ola gloire
dune spouse est un peasant fardeau, sings
the poet but, if the wife's glory" be a
heavy burden to bear in ordinary cases, the
burden of an artist wife's glory is of a
weight which few husbands have strength
to support. he has no right to be jealous
the impertinences of his wife's suitors must
pass unnoticed pearls and diamonds, bou-
quets ard billet-doux, must be permitted
with at least the appearance of resignation
and Indifference He must grin and bear il
all, for has not all been stipulated in the
marriage contract? 1t is horrible situation
for one of fine feelings and constituencies ;
but, luckily, fine feelings and sensitive
ness are rare among the class of actresses
husbands the type of the martyr husband
is growing to be as rare as the dodo bird
Generally, marriages in the artist world
are like those in the great world, mar
riages ratherof reason" thanlove.matches.
beg leave to explain: Everybody
knows that there exists category of ac-
tresses, with more beauty than talent. who
have managed to save up 200 600 or 300 600
francs income. This class may be termed
the finaneiers of dramatic art they have
made fortunes as promoters and founders
of joint stock love companies, and finally
find themselves in possession of capital
which is quite respectable, although its
origin has no right to be respected. For
them there is no difficulty in getting a
husband. They have amassed their dow
ry, and the gentlemen who agree to sell
their names cherish no illusions; their union
is not community it is an application of
the principles of collectivism; the respon-
sible editor fulflls mission which NJ.
Emile Villemot has christened "the Alton
sopostolat." Strange to say, social con-
ventions admit this like other insanities
which have come into fashion If young
man, in imitation of the Duke de Ricke.
H., ,oo-axy fn. Sro,-,