Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-05-14
crowded houses in Jersey City that very
week, but she shouldn't cara To mama

crowded houses in Jersey City that yer
week, but she shouldn't care to nam
sames withou, permission, as actresse
frequently objected 20 having It know
who had been their Instructor. 1.-THE
like to say they are self tsught, trsined /
"a stock company, hsrd stuoents Wit
original conceptions and all that sort q
thing, you know"
Up to this time there had been no in
curry for my name and no proposition t,
put my talents to the test. It was VIA
suggested that should recite somethip,
to madame. had some little trsiuip,
from qualified elocutionist once upon ,
time, and was made by him thorough,
aware that ii was passable in the lighte
forms Of address I wss by-word and ,
mocksry in tragedy. As q matter O
course, then, chose Lady Macbeth TO,
my heroine and wrung my hands anc
made rem.iks about spots that would no,
come out in impassioned style.
Madame must be, dc her the Justice
to confess, herself an actress Of soue
ability, for she commended nv per.
formsnce without any visible strain upop
the nerves or conscience. She gave ne
then and there the title 1 have since 40.
prjpriated, . second Richei, and lef,
her with the renewed assurance that In
Twelve lessons (st 81 lessor) she could
Go wonders with me.
The second teacher of stsge-struck
girls whom visited gave her lessons in
her own house, well uptown. She was q
snail, thin, nervous locking woman,
whose views OF life did not appear to be
ssngaine, but who held out rose .colored
hopes to me. She had been on the stage.
she told me, as 8 girl, and had given up
great career to marry. Now size was
supporting family by teaching other
girls to pluck the golden fruit which she
had voluntarily relinquished.
l told her that had heard it was nee
essary for young woman to- have q good
backing OF money and friends behind her
before she could hope to succeed.
"Infuence is fne thing" wss the re-
ply, anywhere in the world, but girl
can co very easily without 1t on the stage.
Managers are always on the lockout for
talent, and bright girl can always sue
ceed."
1 heard second edition Of the euloey
on the dramatic art ss the only profession
which Offers women an equal chance with
men. l hazsrded few tentative sugges-
tions about the admiration of the other
sex, and was encouraged by The assur-
ance that an engagement was never lack
ing to woman with an attractive
figure" like mine to draw the men. Nv
second teacher WAS more explicit rs to
cash returns to be expected than the
first. She told me that If 1 studied three
months with her could easily get place
woere could earn 800 a week to start
with, and that If said my lines well
should be in receipt OF $40, $50 or $50
before the first year was out, with
chance of fabulous sums II 1 ntookn In
the golden future
have made some inquiries since these
visits and have some reason to believe
that both women have actually graduated
pupils who have found bona fide engage.
ments on the stage. Two or three
""alking ladies'" some of the constituent
OF peasant picnics, wedding
PROFESSIONS, court pegeauts and such like
l Important spactacles have been furnished,
a1d one pupil has advanced to busting of
the table, making aeyes at the butler and
saying, "Yes, ma'sn,n with q COURTESY
when her mistress enters from the
right wing. Conspicuous successes
among women of genius and women Of
gowns have made the stage mania worse
than usual during winter, and 1t is the
result to have been expected that some
body should stand ready to make money
oy fostering the creZa. A regular bust
ness seems to be springing up of teach
Ing dramatic srt" to stage-struck girls
snd feeclng their extravagant hopes BY
aangllng almost within reach the glitter
Ing prize.
IL may be that am about to come into
The silver mines Of Langtry or the jswels
of Davenport, but my third teacher did
not tell me SO. After my earlier expert
nent l related my experience to a
whom knew to be doing honest
Rork as teacher of elocution and read
ng. She told me that she thought nearly
III the teachers In the city were conscien-
ious and Woodworking. and that few OF
nem ohared false hopes to their pupils.
Most OF the girls, she said, who come |
o the better teachers, are studying |
ne art OF expression as an accomplish.
nent, with no idea Of going on the stage.
they decide that they wish to act other
nan IN amateur thestricals, they are
ometimes advised to 20 to the Lyceum
'caool OF Acting, the promising outlook
.efore some OF whose enthusiastically
General Banks' daughter and Vida Croly,
laughter OF "Jennie June"-indicates the
esults that may come from serious ap-
iication. There is no question that the
tage does offer ususual opportunities as
money-msking occupation to woman,
ut 1t takes some brains to succeed al.
lost anywhere
ELIZA PUTNAM HEAToN,