, 1885-07-11
GRACE
who is Not a Countess, but Only an
American Girl.

How did YOU become an actress
This is a well worn question, submitted Il
a~rtistes by curious people who seem L
think it stranger, more exceptional, ant
peculiar for a young person to adopt
career upon the dramatic stage, than tC
enter the legal, medical or other pro
f~essions. In reality-the motives and
impetus are not unlike-the qualification
and the necessary elements for success ART
more pronounced and hazardous for the
actor than for the physician, lawyer OF
politician. All professions are crowded,
even insulted by a swarm of would. be
actors who have neither capabilities nor
character for their much wished-io
calling. Where there is a just amount Of
hard work to be done before medium
success is reached, the f%aneiful, inefficient
aspirants are not so numerous,
The stage, from its flavor of mystery
and Ideally, has been a general victim
grand for more people whose curiosity and
love OF excitement exceed their brains
than any other profession in The world.
No other profession requires such abso.
lutte wear and tear of the physical and
mental, and yet appears to the public
such an easy labor. 70 young semi.
stage struck people, ambitious amateurs
and regiments of society Hamlets, Juliets
and Othellos the experience of young
actors is a fascinating subject There Is
no one on the modern stage in this
country whose child life and girlhood are
more attractive to the readers of stage
romance and lovers of stage art than that
of Grace Hawthorne.
Born in Bangor, Me of true blue
American %parentage, one of an unusually
gifted trio of girls, all of whom possess
some rare talent to an exceptional degree.
That she was a bright, merry girl, is mir
rored ~truthfully forth in her face every
time she laughs-that she was a romp, an
expert in mischief is proyerbial from her
home circle to her school days; she was
full Of comedy-bent on as good a time
as any other girl during her short-dress
days. She was as good a bareback rider
OF any horse that was good enough to
keep on his feet as the intrepid riders Of
the ring-in fact, the little girl Grace was
a hoyden of the best school. To hear and
see her laugh now suggests a sort of pic
mic impression that is destructive TO all
formality. As child scholar she was a
credit to the schools she attended. She
stored away knowledge where others
skipped the hard words, and when
taste began to develope she was as artistic
as II she had beer brought up IN some
artist 5 cabinet den OF casts and models
Some CLEANS of what is possible in ones
nature finds outlet in childish tastes and
incidents OF little value or Importance.
hen about $ years OF age Miss Grace
gave a recitation upon a certain occasion
in school. Her selection WAS out of the
general groove of school girl recitations,
mainly composed of poems and dialogues.
She had her own ideas OF a recitation
and quite astonished her peers by giving
lryings prose sketch, The Indian as
lie Was and Is.
As she grew both IN years and indlyid-
uality, her dramati taste grew also. She
read and studied everything she could
command relating to the drama She did
not have the benefit OF Attending theatres
her Instincts and tastes were not guided or
fashioned by favorable opportunities TO
witness theatrical performances. Her
parents would have as soon thought of
putting Their child into a beer cellar as a
waitress as to encourage her attendance
at any theatre. Straight laced after
the old Puritan fashion, all theatres m
their estimation were but so many rapid
transit highways to eternal misery and dis
grace.
To the date when Miss Grace herself
began her stage life she had not witnessed
a dozen plays; she had seen but lew artists
and they were Lotta, Maggie Mitchell
and a few Others at the prime OF their
best days. Still, she studied and pursued
her latent inspiration IN reading and
searching after knowledge. She was n
happy spirit in these studies, and at II
yean OF age Grace had high and mag
nifcent castles Of her " future. In
her imaginary palace she was a great
writer, a political woman's right advocate,
a power among men and women. She
reveled IN her mind-pictures as the hero
inc OF every great reform and public
measure that commanded the worlds at
t%ention.
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