The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-11-06

40 II lad never 0eeu before,
III. healing leaves, the living stream,
Where snrrow cases evermore,
And night IL banished, day suprme-
A glimpse tlrou ~ heavens Wlde-open door.
H. H. Neshal. in The CsrrMt.
THE FIGURAATES.
She stood in the hallway of q Union
Square dramatic agency with the sun
light playing about her bleached
trcsscs and scanned tho street with the
eager, cxpcctant glance of coy Young
novel reader looking into the future
for IL bonanza husband. She was fair
to look upon. she was pretty healthy,
too. and passionately fond of flesh
promoting provender.
Something familiar about her ap.
pearance woocd u reporters gaze from
male constellation in plaid suits who
were busy repairing some of last years
"gass.'
Where had he seen that face before ?
Or was it the figure that struck him
with tho reminiscent flavor of min.
slrel joke? Why did she recall
"Adouis." tho "Atlamlcss Eden" anu
the "Black Crook" Why did she
seem simultaneously u Roman matron,
an Italian peasant, avillage maiden
aud u silvcr-plated Amazon? Had hc
not seen that saiue face under Span
isll mantilla aud nuns veil and a
fairy carnival and pasteboard he'll
met? Had not that form once been
s!raped in u classic tuuic and u page 8
doubiet and alady-in.waiting's robcr
and in paper muslin armor? This
patent reversible being was becoming
!. mystery that bothered him.
|. All of u sudden She advanced one
foot. and the reporter half expected TO
see her march down the stoop to an
orchestral accompaniment. She
stretched out her hand, and she was
an Italian operate peasant saving the
air. She lounged against the door,
ami she became syren scrutinizing
an audience for = "mash.' She
yawncd. and. shade of Titania! she
was u stage fairy. with her knuckles
pointing at tho zenith. A moment
more and she swung around her para
sol. Surely now she was agypsy girl
passing the hat. There never was
anything SO bewildering as the light
ming changes Of that young woman
summing her buff ringlets in front of
the dramatic agency.
just then the dramatic agent him.
self appeared. and while s6o poured
several gallons of liquid melody into
his Car the reporter stood aside aud
saw III her reflected about two dozen
historical and mythical personages
with whom he had Teen familiar in the
drama. At last she skipped off merrily
after Aceting horse car, and the re-
porter caught the dramatic agent and
asked:
Who may that young person bc?"
"She may be n prima donna or a
leading lady," said that unsentimcntal
man, and then he added, zone of
these days. just now she's fieur-
ante"
The reporter gave sigh of relief.
His head was all right still. 1t
was oil the stage lie had seen her
in ali the characters she recalled.
Ills she waiting for an engage
ment?"
"Yes. It's a way the sex have
got" SAID tho dramatic agent, face
tiously.
"Are there many in the business?"
''Blcss your soul, that is the second
stage Of tagc-struckness. Nearly ev-
cry girl has the first. You want the
symptomsP Well, it's u notion that
she's q genius-a Sarah Bernhardt
blush ny unseen-that all she needs is
chance to appear in order to EN-
chant the public. AS soon as a young
woman feels that she has to call to
play Juliet and Lady Macbatl, it's all
up for while with the home circle.
She won't touch a pot or pan. She
won't sew and she won't knit. She'll
just sneak oil to her boudoir and pose
to the mirror until the glass cracks,
and she'll kick until she's tired in the
avenues to fame being trodden by so
many less worthy than herself. You
can't fancy how much sterling merit
the everyday girls of the coun-
try are carrying around-ln their
minds"
But they oil don't go on the
stage!''
'.No. heaven be praised, they don't.
That's the second stage. The old man
generally administers dose of copper
bottomcd arguments, with an occa-
sional belt ON the ear. that cures them
before that. But some have it bad.
They are bound to have to go at the
footlights or perish in the attempt.
They become figurantes.,
.'Thcn figurantes arc stage struck
fallures?"
mot so fast. All of them aren't.
Some of them are born to the stage,
some acquire the stage, and some nave
the stage thrust upon them. There
are lots of dramatic people who eau
90 something, and they lug on the
boards sisters and cousins and aunts
who can't. There are some girls who
arc conscious Of being shapcly, and
they want to let tho world know it.
Don't find fault with them too quick
ly. It's all they have instead of tai
emit, and they're not going to hide it
under bushel. nor in u muslin dress
either. any more than the greatest
artistic will have her talent hidden.
There is more of this than you think
in the world. I've known women
married women. to0-who were crazy
to monkey around in tights; not for
pay. not tor the sake of being on the
stage; but just because they knew they
had good figures. and were dying to
show them off. Then ,hore are the
womcn-and God help them, there are
great many of them-who want ia
get among the auxiliaries for the sala-
ry it brings. aud which often is needed
bad enough. don't mention the
class who want to get on so as to be
thought actresses. The city is full Of
them"
"What qualifications does iigur.
ante necdp''
"a good face and graceful figure.
A pretty face is always catching. al.
though in spectacles and the like,
shapeliness is as much consulted.
Then ease and self-possession are
needed by both men and women"
what training have they?'
1.-The stage managers, or the ballet
masters, US the case may be. II
they're at all intelligent they can. gel
~ n q