The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-16
IN THE DRESSING-RoOM.
Miss Ellen Terry as Seeu Aside from the
Glare of the FoOtlights.
No, Vorl- Nnrauo.rcsal Advor+;sar

MISS Ellen Terry as Seeu ASIDE rom inc
Glare of the FoOtlights.
New York Commercial Advertiser.
Miss Ellen Terry, charming and youthful
looking as ever, went to the Victoria Hotel yes
terday, when she arrived in this city, and was
shown to the same rooms that she occupied
while in New York last year. Rumor, which
usually wends its way about the corridors of a
hotel, said that when Miss Terry noticed q few
changes in the decorations Of her apartments,
she clapped her hands and said. 'Oh, N.Y. One
of her admirers fayors US with the following
memoranda:
Miss Terry is not always the impassioned
tragedlenne that the posters say she is. There
is a great deal of juvenescence about her, and,
relieved Of her collected and reserved English
manner in the presence of strangers, she be
comes, among her friends, as redOlent of all that
is natural as a sixteen-year-old apple picking,
Massachusetts, damsel. She also has the faculty
of winning the affections of her servants, quite
as easily as she does the applause of her audi
ence. The bell boys and the maids are all anX-
ious to do her bidding, When she left the Vic
torla, last season, to return to England she dis
tributed substantial gifts among them.
Miss Terry always breakfasts in her rooms,
and, in fact, seldom takes either dinner of sup
per in any other place. She is a late riser. 1t
is rare that she leaves her sleeping room before
noon. After breakfast she reads her mail,
which is large, and glanees through the news
paper. She then receives one or two friends.
After her minor social duties are attended to,
she goes out for a drive. About $50 she enjoys
a simple dinner in company with two or three
friends, and at Z O'Clock, or possibly a few min
utes afterwards, she leaves the hotel for the
theater, where she disappears almost Immediate
Iy into the dressing,room.
miss Terry has acquired the reputation of
being one Of the most rapid dressers on the
English stage. Unless it is necessary for her
to appear in n most elaborate costume she can.
with the assistance of her maid, complete her
costume within twenty minutes. She can dress
for Portia in the first scene with Bassanio in
that time, and for Beatrice within a half hour.
How successful she is in making herself beauti-
full is evident to any person who has had the
pie asure of seeing her in either character.
Miss Terry is not, strictly speaking, beautiful
off the stage. She has, what is so rare, a face
expressive of culture and sweetness of disposi-
ton. Her features are peculiarly adapted to
the deep shadows which the foot-lights throw.
and are capable of indicating the slightest change
in temper. When she arrived at the hotel yes
terday it was observed that she seemed some
what worn with her experiences in Boston last
week, where she was compelled to play to audi
ences that gave her only d half hearted welcome
on account of the bitterness of the political strug-
gle which was taking place at the time.
THE actress does not affect conspicuous cos
tunes either within doors or in the street She
has, it seems, an instructive dread of being re-
marked in a crowd, as the observed of all OBJ
servors. Her mOdesty in this respect is some
what remarkable when one remembers the fol
bles of some American actresses. Her costumes
are almost invariably of English make. and
have the English popularity of dark colors. 1t
is said that Miss Terry never wore a French
made dress, but some of her rivals do not be-
lieve this, and hint that the reason why their
artistic adversary wears English full-dress cos
tune, is because its bad taste makes it even more
conSpicuOuS."