Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-12
Two Girls
y. Y. lines


or philosopher, has an inyincible repus
nance to buying cheap seats at the thea
! ire. Economy in other things Is no
considered disgraceful. Indeed. in many
parts OF New England the less a mar
spends the more highly is he respected
when, however, it is question OF 20
ing 10 the theatre, ali thoughts OF econo
nv are put aside. We feel that We
should be indelibly disgraced were We
10 sit anywhere except in reserved seats
in the higher-priced parts OF the house
III we paw a dollar, or dollar and hall
for a seat, we feel that we have done
our duty, and for those shameless peo'
pie who paw twenty-five cents to SIT IN
the gallery We have nothing but pity
and contempt.
In the meantime We grudge the money
which We pay for high-prlced seats
There are few things which the average
man longs for more than for free admls'
sion 10 a theatre. The man who feels
that he cannot afford TO pay three dol
lars for two seats will often have his
spirits so raised 10y the gift OF free tick
cts that he will cheerfully spend ten
UOllATN lOT u dut oNCSNINN"s
supper. Half OF the people who SIT IN
the orchestra chairs secretly rail at fat,
which has made IT impossible for them
10 save their money by sitting in the
gallery. Could any one devise a plan
by which the American citizen could sit
i'm the gallery and preserve his self-re-
spect and the respect of the public, the
inventor would have far better claim
to the gratitude of the American people
than has the inventor OF the steam boat
or the inventor of the telegraph.
Two bold and original Buffalo girls
lineallv connected, no doubt, with the
Buffalo girls whom the poet OF the last
generation exhOrted to "come out to.
night recently attempted to combine
self respect with seats in the gallery.
Mile. Bernhardt was to play in Buffalo
on certain evening, and the two girls
were determined To see her. The price
of tickets was so exceptionally high that
three days before the night OF the play
nearly every young man in Buffalo w:s
attacked with diphtheria, and compell-
ell, much against his will, 10 abstain
from inviting his particular young lady
10 accompany him TO the theatre. In
the absence of young men the two bold
Buffalo girls appealed 10 their father,
but he peremptorily refused to squan-
der his substance in theatre tickets at a
riotous price. The two girls themselves
had but one dollar and ten cents in their
Joint possession, and with this they re-
solved TO see Bernhardt.
The price of admission 10 the gallery
was fifty cents, and it was thus within
the means OF the two girls. BIT how
could they, the daughters OF a respect
able citizen, sit in the gallery, and how
could they possibly go to the theatre
alone. They pOndered these questions
long and thoughtiully, and at last one
OF them despairingly remarked: "lf we
were only colored girls We could 90, and
nobody would think anything OF it. |
declare 1 wish | could be colored girl
for this night only"
The other saw in this careless remark
the germ OF grand idea. "Let us be
COlOred girls for once" she exclaimed.
III we black our faces and put on our
old clothes We can go right into the gal
lery and nobody will know it," The
suggestion was enthusiastically receiv-
Ell, and the two fearless Buffalo girls re-
solved to come out ON the Bernhardt
night in the blacklist OF cork and the
dowdiest OF garments.
When the evening arrived a severe
headache attacked both girls, and they
were compelled to bid their father good
night at ! o'clock and to Withdraw 70
their bedrooms. Ii did not take them
long to thoroughly black their faces
with burat cork and to array themselves
in the style OF the most ilagrant and
fashionable colorCd coquettes. Then,
slipping quietly out Of the back door,
they walked TO the theatre, bought ten
cents worth OF peanuts, and, securing
tickets for the gallery, boldly made their
way To that plebeian resort.
The play happened to beoue in which
Mile. Bernhardt does not appear until
the second act. Not understanding the
French language, the two girls found
the first act decidedly uninteresting, in
which opinion the rest OF the house APP
peared TO share. II thus happened that
the audience chiefly occupied itself IN
staring around the house, and quickly
noticed the two alleged colOred girls,
who were nPTyOusly consuming pea
nuts. Now, whatever may be our pref
udices in regard 10 color, We as people
insist that every one should be fully
persuaded i'm his own mind as to what
his color is, and we do not like to see q
parli-colored person who apparently
has never been able TO decide whether
4 l,.ta fl.hA tn.n OIL ola hQ nj
accidentally rubbed the black of their
maiden noses, ana the audience indulS-
ed loud and scuTrilous remarks as to
"them white-uOsed niggers.' Before
long fuller indignation began 10 express
itself in paper balls and other missiles,
ard the end Of il was that the police re-
moved the two girls to the station house
and locked them up on \ charge OF dis
orderly behavior and violation OF the
ordinance against appearing in public in
disguise.
Though the two Buffalo girls really
failed TO see Rernhardt, and were sub
jected to the humiliation OF night IN
the station house, there was real merit
in their plan. They have shown how
il may be possible, with care, for re-
spectacle people TO sit in the gallery.
We have only 10 black ourselves with
some preparation which will not he liza
BILE to come oil when touched with a
handkerchief, and we can sit undisturb-
Ell i'm ,he gallery. and su1cr loss neither
Of the respect OF our neighbors nor of
our self,respect. Let us sympathize
with the misiOrtuncs OF the two Buffalo
girls, and at the same time honor the
holiness and merit Of their method OF
graphing with the problem of cheap
seats If the theatre.
A New Spring Dress
y. Y. Post.
The trotteuse is French dress which
=, ,,.,,,,,l,,. Kl,t, 3 10 la