The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-12
Fl A CROOK.
interesting Features of the Lives
of the Girls Of the Ballet.
Domesticity Among the Stage
Fairiee-CharacrerisGics Of the
Dancers-To,l and Insult
Incident to Their
Existence.

Kirafy's "Black Crook" is the schot
Of young women who make up til
ballet of that company. These girl
collectively and Individually are
study. Their number includes youn,
girls, ripe girls, old girls and Cir
whose ages are beyond human reck
oning: fat girls aud lean girls; plum
girls, bony girls, and scrawnv girls
tall girls and short girls; beautiful
girls, handsome girls, pretty girls
plain girls, and homely girls; girl.
with good teeth, bad teeth, and NJ
teeth; girls who smile, laugh, anC
sing; and gi'ls who sulk, whine, and
cry; gid"y girls, silly girls, serjou.
girls, and sensible girls; pious girls
and profahe girls; busy girls ana idle
girls; active girls and passive girls;
| girls independent, fearless. bold. and
brave; girls mode st. timid, and shy:
girls afraid to act or even think for
themselves, and girls who, absolutely
superior to Influence or circumstance,
not only push their way through the
crowd, but stand up like little war
rlOrs between want and privatiOn and
whole families of relatives.
NOT BOLD NOR BAD.
The nature of their profession is
such that u very short apprenticeship
will suffice to off prudishness or
extreme sensitiveness, but let a body
attempt the least familiarity or pre-
sumo t" Overstep the chalk line of
propriety and the YES Of the injured
girl will snap. the flush OF anger rise
above the crimson rouge on her face,
her defiant lips will culver with in
digr alton, and she wi | resent the in
dignity as quickly and eff-ctually as
though she was the 1eigning belle of
an upper-ten hall room.
Eyes. of course you may come in,
but If l were less agreeable I would
repel you, for reporters are such.
treacherOus creatures. Here we are
dressed almost markedly, and 1 would
not be the least bit surprised TO get
up IN the morning and find all our
photographs in the Police Gazette"
and the "ha! hal" that came out of
five snowy threats, simultaneously,
was almost deatening. There were
five in the group; all were in tights
with colored trunks, Iow-necked
bodice, bare arms, shoulders, and
neck, and fantastic turbans pinned
On their little heads, nobody knows
how. They had inst come off the
stage thoroughly exhausted from the
last dance. which bad been done so
we'll as to call for a repetition.
RETwEEN Acrc
They were flushed with heat, big
drops of perspiration covered their
and Threats. and the attitudes |
assumed were those of perfect adams
Ion. One girl, more anxious than
,ired. had changed her costume. and
stood with one fO1t on a chair-to
keep her skirts from falling off-and
lalf concealed, half revealed, ty a
'quare post, was Juggling away at a
'air of dilapidated corsets which
eemed to have no intention of get
ing hooked. One blonde, with very
zig, round tlue eyes and a dimpled
ace, had nothing whatever to saw,
nd sat in a dark cnrner on q low
tool with her knees Rugged TO her
'OsOm. She had q far away look in
Ter eyes, but was less absent-minde
han she appeared. for she laughed
'eariily when any humorous remark
Tas made.
She said she came from Philadel-
hia, and liked the stage we'll enough
ut wished she was not too old to he
ONE a premiere. At the door stood
girl. in her teens, knitting a blue
undershirt.
"Can you knife" asked the repor-
IF.
Don't you see that I can?" was
ne pert answer. {
What's your name, and what are !
on making, and where do you live?'
"My name is Gussie, and | belong !!
Chicago, and | am making myself
shirt. How did 1 learn? Oh, Liz
e taught NE how. She's the best I
ri in the company. Everybody =
kes her."
eyes, indeed we do" sang out the
st of he girls in a chorus, and a
tile, plump, woman blusned very
a, and. saying something about i;
arney, began an unmerciful attack !
pom the luckless chum who had e
her into notice. Y
"Gus is the worst sleepy head you n
yer saw; all she wants to do is to :
lore and eat. She can eat ANYTHING. '
give her corned beef and pretzels f
I'd she is in her glory" 9
In answer to the writer's inquiries t
le said: II was born il; Berlin, p
udied In the dancing school four
'ars. and have been with this COM
my nearly two years. We make 3
o a week, have our travelling ex- v
'nses paid, and We manage to save n
HE money, and have a pretty good !.
lie. Our costumes are furnished q
7 the manager, but we ave to find G
If own shoes. No, We don't get Fl
Oh very fast, as our board costs us T
a week. besides the expense of
ashiug.
"What do we do with ourselves II
lring the day? Why, We are Just a
<e other girls, silly and sensible at a
mes. The public have some yery E,
IriOus ideas about stage o n T :.
but it you saw us UP at 7 in II
e morning, and saw the sewing, "
I'd mending, and patching, and k
and reading, and snrrowing y
ID rejoicing at disappointment and ,
respected pleasures. l am sure ven p
Duld believe we are all flesh and fl
ood and human, just as you are.
hat ain l knitting? Some silk socks
my father. H. lives in Brooklyn a.
d Is IS years old, and ( am going 81