New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-12
LONDON SOCIETY.
VIII.
ACTRESSES IN THEIR RELATIONS To bloh-
OPS AND TO SOCIETY IN GENERAL

Since writing what did about thc "V''""'
reserve which Ncw-YorlS society maintains 'oW"ru
the stage have been reminded that TINS opuu'"cS
has Of late been relaxed and notably to some eN-
font in the case of Miss Ellen Terry. That ac-
oomplishel actress was received it is salo' Dy
American ladies who had never opened their doors
10 any other actress heard something OF 'he
sort at the time but know too little OF inc Iac's
70 be sure whether the doors open TO her cioSeu
again upon her colleagues, and have remained |
closed. or not But / drew the distinction DE-
tvecn London and New York so sharply that am
bound to take note of any exception.
Some Of the London papers have puoilshed inc
list of guests at dinner given some ten days since
Mt well-known house in London Among 'heni
were Miss Ellen Terry and Miss Ada Rehah' 10
meet when the American Minister and Mrs Phelps
the Countess of Pembroke. Lord and Lady Kan
dolpl Churchill and other persons of position were
thought none too good Whether newborn hoSt
csses have shown themselves far emanclpated
from early preiudiccs as that it is for you to say
The name of this London hostess was published as
well as the names OF those whom she mvteu
will leave you to guess it without my help buV
must confess that for one reason or announcer ''s
particular dinner gave rise to some criucsns' anu
these criticisms came, in part from american
sources; from Americans living in London VINO
have not vet shaken off their New-iork not;ons'
Il would have been impossible IN New-forK, they
ALLEGED: for reasons which must be lett 10 con-
lecture.
Another case might be quoted which, even
though no names be mentioned, may strike you as
equally remarkable A number of persons of dis
tinction found themselves last Saturday at the
same dinner table One was lady likely to be
seen, as the London phrase goes, wherever can
die is lighted There were two Cabinet Ministers;
one with his wife, the other with his daughter.
There were two Bishops: one OF them an Arch-
bishop Opposite the Bishops sat an actress
keep 10 the anonymous in this case, but she was
an actress whose name have not yet mentioned
The Bishops did not seem to object to the actress
nor the actress to the Bishops; nor the CABINET
Ministers 10 either One of the Cabinet Ministers
sought an introduction to the actress IN the draw
ing-room after dinner and obtained II. AS lor
Lady X. she has been known to say that she did
not care whom she met-were it even MI Olad-
stone. Now the true test, or one true test. is
whether an incident Of this kind occasions re-
mark am bound to say that this like the other
did: not because anybody dsliked the actress IN
nuestion or could utter O word of reproach against
her but simply because she and the two BISHOPS
were asked to the same dinner. Yet could any
body suppose tcat a Bishops morals would be the
worse for breathing during two or three hours
the same atmosphere with pleasant young lazy
whose profession it is to hold the mirror up TO
Nature? Were that so, Of what frall stun must
episcopal morals and archepiscopal morals at that
be made. But it is not 50. 1t is Mrs Grumpy
and her sisters. her cousins and her aunts who
are Wle critics Away with them
Why should anybody care? 1t ought not To
be necessary TO ask such question or to answer
il. and perhaps the best answer may be found
in the proposition laid down earlier in these
letters; viz that there is a large section OF the
best London society, from which actresses are
not excluded, because they are actresses; 70
which they are not invited because they are
actresses There are some who are desirable
acouaintances; there ore others who are not, anc
there is no grade set Of women III society o.
whom precisely the same thing may not be said
It might be difficult in these days to explain with
accuracy what it is that will or will not exclude
any woman from society in London. Perhaps
IL may be said that woman who is an actress
has 10 make her title clear to mansions in May
fair but so have many other women not borr
into that celestial atmosphere. Often, no doubt
there is presumption against her because sh
is an actress sometimes there is "a presumption il
her favor because she is an actress; so that w
come back pretty nearly TO where we started
The Puritan idea that the theatre is nurser,
of immoralities is not eradcated from nina
which have little sympathy with Puritanism il
other FORMS No wise friend of the theatre vii
care 10 DENY that temptations bcset the actress
! If she holds her own in spite OF them ana ii j
spite of the suspicion which connects llsei
with the foothgh she attains to position o
social equality with those who never sec tn
footlights except from the front so much the NOR
credit to her. All that is very cheap moranZn
and very commonplace reflection An alIusion I
This side of the subject cannot be omitted, Du
it shall be an allusion only If you like TO stud
41,o lirlf nf
rooms where the actual living figures VINO yo
have seen on the stage pass and repasS DeIoi
YOU YOU must come here and do 1t for yourself
Once there, these actresses would seem to YOU
will venture TO predict, very much Ike ouh'
women III all essential points. Their dress the
dcmeanor their conversation, are modeheu
the dress, the demeanor, the conversation VINO
prevail in society generally. 1t is their Dusihe
70 s,udv such things; their success III their pr
fcssion sometimes depends on this study ihuc
more often in France than in England, Tor
ENGLISH audience sometimes accepts without pr
test the most eXtravagant traVestics on the stds
~ what masses in real life. Let US keep to u
host only: the number Of them may be couht'
on the fingers of-wcl, OF both hands mat WI
perhaps reassurc those who think II anybody uo
think that society welcomes the walking ladl
of the Surrey Theatre. or the ballet girls OF u
Albambra The half-dOzen or dozen actresses WI
have a more less secure social loollhe "ro ]"
easily distinguished from the rest OF the compah
Some of them have perhaps larger manner
if the auditorium OF theatre spread out peiO
thcm Sometimes the manner IS slightly apoi
cetic sometimes ambitious or assertive, which con
"a the same thing: sometimes slightly restless
uncertain None of these adjectives would
apDljcd save 10 those whose entrance INTO socie
is recent or whose position IS for one reason
another, precarious. The slender list oil 'ne DC
would have TO he enlarged, much enlarged
were TO include opera singers. There has oceh
long time II disposition in favor OF opC
singers, why, l know not, but WIN then ~
present discourse has no concern.
The most brilliant instance that may pc quo'
Ii 10 IN a