Daily Republican., 1883-10-30
r HE STATE.
1onsv Life Or Actors sWd Actresses
A GLANCE BehSud the 10 enes,

lonsv Life or Actors sWd Aedresss
a Glsaeo Behsnd the 10 eenss,
The stage is = world In itself, an
those who are never admitted to its pre-
cincts are apt to look upon those VIII
d well therein as mOrtals favOrc.l beyOn
the common herd. The audiences VIII
sit In front of the foot lights and vie,
the actors and actresses A. they appea
on the stage with their mxgnidcieu
costumes, and hear the round afte
round of applause with which they sr
sometimes greeted, are apt to be carries
away by the tinsel and show, and thiul
that such a life is nothing but con
stant succession Of joy and pleasure
They never see the inner life, and con
ssquently know nothing about it. Tn
outward life of these people the public
are conversant with, but tne home lifi
Is hidden by curtain more impene
trable than that which drops upol
the acts.
The generality Of theatre goerS think
that actors and actresses have little to
do besides poising before admiring andi
encss, stopping at first class hotels, and
drawing large salaries. The majority o.
girls picture an actress as being ol
beauty, who sleeps until noon, break
fasts an dimes on the best that can be
had, drives out In the afternoon magni.
icently dressed, and is an object Of
alteration in the evening, p ,tted by all.
Unfortunately such is not the fact
and the greatest actors and actresses
have their miseries, their troubles q d
trials the same ~ other people, but
with this additional disadv van age. they
seldom have a home, and no matter
what their sufferings or heart trials they
must veil them from the public, to
whom they are always expected to wear
a smiling face.
These people have sufferings that the
world do not even dream of. Clara Nor.
ris, brilliant and taller tod, is constant
sufferer, and no doub, would willingly
exchange her fame for the health pos
sessed by so,ae of her auditors who are
tempted to envy her Patti, with her
A, 900 a night, carries broken heart,
and Nilsson, " ith her phenomenal sue
cess, grG,nssand tosses in her sleep, and
is troubled four.tifths Of her waking
hours
Edwin Booth, who can command a
salary OF 81, 900 night, is one Of the
most unhappy men on the face of the
earth He has lost two wives, sunk a
fortune, and ia today without settled
home. lfsuch is the fate of the starr,
what must that O. the great army OF
minor people be, those ~ho go from
place TO place, playing what is known
as one night stands" These people
have ne home, stopping part Of the
night after the play in one town, and
then travelling half of the next day to
fill an engagement In another.
They work hard, receive small sala-
ries, seldom get to play the parts they
prefer, and frequently have to pay a
large part Of their salaries for costumes,
are often without engagements, and in
ninety cases out of hundred die SO
poor that they are buried by those who
associated with them in life. After the
stage struck youth or maiden has even
been on the stage tor season, unless
he or she should be POSSESSED of extra.
ordinary talent, they find it very diff :
cult to obtain a position, and even when
it il obtained, how few its advantages?
They have to travel In all kinds Of
weather, regardless of their health or
comfort frequently dress for the per
foFAiance IN unsuitable places hat are
are either wet, damp and chilly, or
q cworheated.
They are often at the mercy Of specu
lative managers, and when they ind
that there is very little sympathy for
them, either before or behind the foot
lights, often yield to the temptations
with which they are surrounded, or
wrap themselves in a mental indifier-
elIce to appearances which is not un-
derstOod by the outside world. During
the nine or ten months of the season,
actresses can have no comfort
with their children, no intercourse with
them, can take no care Of them, and
frequently come on the stage with ach-
ing hea is from the knowledge shat a
dear one is lying sick many miles away
who they are even unable to 20 and see.
Agnes Booth played in Philadelphia a
short time ago, while her husband was
dying in another city.
A young girl played light part, filled
with fun, in the Opera House in this
city within the past two years, and not
one in the large audience suspected tor
one u" omenI that her heart was crushed
and almost breaking for shortly before
the performance commenced she had
received a telegram that much loved
sister was dying Ia a distant State. And
what is the end of it all But few, very
few even among the stars ever secure IL
competence.
Edwin Forrest died wealthy, but he
was one among ten Thousand. John
Owens who was once reputed to be
very wealthy is now playing in a stock
James O'Neill has no hing
but his salary, ard is now bound to
his man ger for forty weeks at a spe-
in heighboring city spending his old
age in poverty, is II man who was
once brilliant light III tine historic
world in the home founded by Edwin
Forrest tor worn ont actors, there are
at least one dozen persons spending
their declining days, who were At one
time the pets of the public. Such
seems to w the end of the greater part
of those who have their day upon the
stage, and surely their fate should br ii
warning to tho thousands Of stage
struck youths and naidens throughout
the land
"It has more than realized my ex
pec'a ions" says Professor Duncan
uampb.l!, M. ID. LII. d., President
Royal College hysicians and Surgeons;
McmM General Council University OF
Ehnb ,rs, etc, of the Liebig Co.'S Coca
Beef Tonic. Invaluable for debility,
weak lungs, bIllousness, dyspepsia,
female suffering, asthma, malarla, liver
complaint, sick headache. Beware OF
ChrlsGmas Edition.
Our canvasser for the Weekly RE-,
PUBLICAN will call npon merchants of
Wilmington, for the purpose Of soliciting
their cards to appear about the first OF
December, so that they will get the
benefit of the holiday trade. An edi-
tiOn of 5000 copies will he printed.