The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-15

Rachel, and left her with the renewed as
surance that in twelve lessons lat "a a les
SOM she could do wonders with me.
The second teacher of stage struck girls
whom l visited gave her lessons III her own
house, well up town. She was small
thin nervous looking woman, whose views
OF life did not appear to be sanguine, but
who held out rose-colored hopes to me.
She had been on the stage, she told me, as
girl, and had given up a great career 10
marry. Now she was supporting family
by teaching other girls to pluck the
golden fruit which she had voluntarily re-
linquished
told her that had heard it was neces-
sary for young woman to have good
backing of money and friends behind her
before she could hope to succeed.
Influence is fine thing was the
reply, anywhere in the world, but
girl can do very easily without it on the
| stage. Managers are always on the lookout
for talent, and bright girl can always sue
coed"
heard a second edition of the eulogy on
the dramatic art as the only profession
which uffers women an equal chance with
men. l hszarded few tentative sugges-
tions about the admiration Of
the other sex, and was eDcour-
aged by the assurance that an engagement
was never lacking TO woman with an at
tractive figuren like mine to draw the men.
My second teacher was more explicit as 10
cash returns to be expected than the nfst.
She told me that if studied three months
with her | could easily get place where |
could earn so week to start with, AMI
that if | said my lines well should be IN
receipt of So, $50 or $50 before the first
year was out, with a chance of fabulous
sums if | took in the golden future.
| have made some inquiries since these
visits and have some reason 10 believe that
both women have actually gradual ID pupils
who have found bona fide engagements on
the stage. Two or three 'walking ladies',
some of the constituent elements peasant
plcnlcs, wedding professions, court pageantS
and such like important spectac.es have
been furnished, and one pupil has advanced
to busting off the table, making eyes at the
butler and saying: Yes, ma'am.' with
courtesy when her mistress enters from the
right wing. Conspicuous successes among
women of genius and woman of gowns
gowns have made the stage mania
worse than usual this winter, and it is a
result to have been expected that some
body should stand ready to make money by
fostering the craze. A regular business
seems TO be spriEging I'D of teaching "dra-
matte art" to stage struck girls and feeding
their cxtravagant hopes by dangling almost
within reach the glittering prize.
1t may be that l am about to come into
the silver mines of Langtry or the jewels
of Davenport but my third teacher did not
tell me so. After my earlier experiments
| related my experience to a woman whom
| knew to be doing honest work as a teacher
of elocution and reading. She told me that
she thought nearly all the teachers in the
city were conscientious and Woodworking
and that few of them offered false hopes 10
their pupils. Most of the girls, she said,
who come to the better teachers are study
ing the art Of expression as an accomplish
m ent with no idea Of going on the stage.
II they decide that they wish to act, other
than in amateur thestricals. they are some
times advised to go to the Lyceum School of
Acting, the promising outlook before
some of whose enthusiastically Gen.
Banks daughter and Vida Croly, daughter
of Jenny June"-indcates the results that
may come from serious application. There
is no question that the stage does offer I'M
u ,ual opportunities asa money-making &C.
cupation TO woman, but it takes some
brains to succeed almost anywhere.
ELIZA PUTNAM HEAToN.