The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-05

that the managers have not beer unmindful of
the disposition of theatrical folks to bestow care
on their compilations and toilets. This mirror, l
was not surprised to learn. is much used Most
of the girls take a squirt at it the first thing
upon entering, and they usually patronize it for
a few moments when about to leave. Two fair
creatures were standing before it, giving finish
ing touch to their beauty of face, as L looked
in one afternoon last week. Twenty or thirty
more were in the refreshment rooms slipping tea
and engaged i'll animated chat on theatrical mat
tiers. They always, am told, talk ''shop," and
doubtless, an outsider who could be in their
midst without being visible would soon pick up
all the current theatrical slang, and would soon
be well informed as to the merits and dement's
OF all the London plays and players The com
pany saw were better looking than actresses
are proverbialy supposed to be off the stage, and
certainly they were, in appearance, intelligent
and as happy set of girls as one could wish to
be among. The appointments of the place are
not elegant, but they are comfortable, and every
thing is done to make those who come feel at
home.
EFFECT OF THE WORK.
A young lady who is a constant visitor writes
to the management as follows: 'Too much can
not be said of the great boon your rooms are
morally, and but for them the hours spent there
must of necessity be passed in many cases in
lettering about streets and public houses and I
can safely assert that during the pantomime time
they We're the means of saving many from ruin.
One thing, think speaks very loudly in favor
of the quiet influence they have; for the very
girls who at the theater cannot say six words
without some vile oath will sit talking for hours
at the Mission without a profane word passing
their lips
Mr.. Todd, the secretary, is q young man of
delicate frame, whose appearance indicates that
he is doing hard work, and that it is telling on
his constitution. Happily, he finds an able
Lieutenant in his wife, who spends much of her
time at the rooms. The gentleman was very
kind and communicative. | learned from him
that those who avail themselves of this place of
shelter belong almost exclusively to the lower
grade of actresses, such as ballet and chorus
girls. -Four thousand of these visit the place in
the course of year. In provincial towns the
travelling companies are reached at their lodg
mgs. No direct effort is made to get those who
put themselves under the influence Of the Mis-
sion to give up the stage, but if the result of
what they learn, they voluntarily choose to fol
low some other occupation, assistance is given
to enable them to do so. Some seventy or eighty
girls, Mr.. Todd informs me, have already taken
this course AS to the morals of the girls that
come under his notice, the Mission, he said,
might be appropriately called a mission to the
fallen. He did not know that this would be true
of ballet girls universally, but it was certainly
true of those following this calling in London.
Some were virtuous, but they were exceptions,
and many were not even honest. All, however,
were remarkable for their Intelligence, and this,
more than beauty of either face form, was
what made them in demand, for the two latter
requisites could be produced by artificial means.
Mr.. Todd explained that the managers of the
Mission like himself, did not attend theatrical
performances, but he had no doubt that many of
the ladies, who had volunteered to correspond
with actresses were less scrupulOns in this mat
ter. In his opinion the London stage, notwith-
standing the extensive patronage it was now re
ceiving from the clergy, and in spite of the grow
ng tendency of the best society to take popular
performers to its bosom, was deteriorating.
Sunday rehearsals were now quite common, and
that, he feared, would lead shortly to Sunday
performances. In speaking of America Mr..
Todd informed me that large numbers of young
English girls are trained in London and shipped
annually to sustain the ballet end chorus parts
in the theaters of the United States, and he
added that most of these came back ruined.
He did not know that there was any theatrical
mission in New York city, but he hoped if there
was not there soon would be- The intention
here, he assured me, is to branch out on every
new line that promises good results, and he ex-
pected that before long they would be able to
open regular theatrical boarding house. H. T.