Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-07-24
Grace Hawthorne, the Actress, Who
Is "0nly an American Girl"

How did you become an actressi"
this is well-worn question, submit
ted to artistes by curious people who
seem to think it strange, more excep-
tlonal, and peculiar for a young per
son to adopt a career upon the dra-
matte stage, than to enter the legal,
medical or other professions. In
reality-tbe motives and impetus are
not unlike-the qualifications and the
necessary elements for success, are
more pronounced and hazardous for
the actor than for the physician, law
yer or politician. All professions are
crowded, even insultsd by a swarm of
would be actors who have neither
capabilities nor character for their
much wished for calling. Where
there is just amount of hard work
to be done before medium success is
reached, the fanciful, inefficient aspi-
rants are not so numerous.
The stage, from its flavor of mystery
and Ideally, has been a general VIC
tim grand for most people whose curl
osity and love of excitement exceeded
their brains than any other profession
in the world. Ne other profession re-
quires such absolute wear and tear of
the physical and mental, and yet ap
pears to the public such an easy labor.
To 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 none on
the modern stage in this country,
whose child life and ogirlhood are
more attractive to the readers, stage
romances and lovers of stage art than
that of Grace Hawthorne.
Born in Bangor, Me-, of the 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 mirrored truth
fully forth in her face every time she
laughs-tnat she was romp, an ex-
pert in mischief is proverbial from her
home circle to her school days; she
was full OF comedy-bent on "as good
time as any other girf during her
short-dress days She was as good
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 picnic
impression that is destructive to ali
formality. As child she was a credit
to the schools she attended. She
stored away knowledge where others
skipped the hard words, and when
taste began to develop she was as
artistic as if she had been brought up
in some artists 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 and importance. When about
s years old Miss Grace gave recita>
ton upon d certain occasion IN school
Her selection was out of the general
groove of schoolgirl recitatiops,
mainly composed of poems and dIa-
loeues. She had her own ideas of q
recitation, and quite astonished her
peers by giving Irving's prose sketch, |
1.-THE Indian as He Was and Is.
As she grew, both In years and in
dividuality, her dramatic taste grew
also. She read and Lied everything
she could command relating to the |
drama She did not have the benefit !
OF attending theaters; her instincts |
and tastes were not guided or fashion |
ioned by favorable opportunities to 1
witness theatrical performances Her /
parents would have as soon thought |
OF putting their child into beer eel
lar as q waitress as to encourage her