St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-24
sTAGE-sTRUCK MAIDENs.
The Venerable Otis l.. Colburn
Relates Some Observations


Relates Some Observations.
Stage-struck young women have a
few represe natives. Some nurse their
hope as they go to school $50 did Mary
Anderson }: others dream their dreams
while they do their Homework $50 did
Minnie Maddern); a few are moaning,
screeching, signing, bowling, laughing
and posing before teachers of elocution
(like Margaret Mather). A small num-
Der with eyes aSkance and bated breath
slip into the Peoples or the Pence.
Once out Of sight of the madding crowd,
they assume somewhat impressive air
and make bold to call upon the man
ager. 1t is of these few callers | shall
write.
One day in last November a modest
knock sounded upon the door of the
managers office of the Pence. The
door was opened, and with a stride,
in lady, tall, blonde. good-looking,
dres sed in black. She had pleas
ant, Intelligent face, a little painted
and little tell-tale. She said She had
daughter who was handsome. AS a
child her daughter was precocious: the
child grew into girl who could mimic
and sing: the girl became a maiden who
could mimic, sing and fiirt, and the
maid became young woman who could
sing, flirt and act. The young woman
left her home suddenly, and at the time
fs0f her mothers call upon the Pence
3Manager was sailing far out Oh the sea
toward fame and fortune as Yum Yum
with fourth-rate opera company. The
mother pleaded that she wished to have
{ her daughter at home, and the hayward
Egchild had promised to come home if
anybody could get her into dramatic
situation. The names of mother and
daughter were written on a book of
wait, and there they have rested, undis-
turbed, side by side with the address
and mothers hope.
: Another face, behind which was a
soul that yearned to fit about upon the
stage and sweetly bow acknowledge
up before my minds eye. She hap
pened up town. she said, and thought
she would drop in just to leave her
name. She probably had been screw
ing her courage to the sticking point
for month and had taken days va
cation for the ''drop." There was
noticeable drOop in her attire and her
mien. Though she called upon win
ter day. her hat was made of straw. A
poor old ribbon nestled about the low
crown, and weak sad feather tottered
question. that she could play leading
parts She hoped for chance some
day when the leading lady was i'll OIL in
some other way disabled. AS the poor
woman wrote her name and address
upon the cruel book | looked into her
sad face. There were traces of old
years of longing and some suggestions
of smothered fire. 1t had been pretty
face one day! She showed me her adj
dress-No. = Twenty-ninth avenue
northeast-and said: Il live there alone
with my children. My husband is
dead"
Two pretty girls came in with the
spring sunshine and presented them
selves gaily at a theater ticket Office
window. They sweetly announced.
with swapping eyes and giggle or two,
that they wanted to see the man who
:. tended to hiring actors and actresses"
The two lively faces were soon in the
managers Office, and under the mana
gerial eye. The girls wriggled about,
interrupted each other and the good
natured manager with "O's," sYes's,"
''Of courses, +" but we's," and finally
plunged into general discussion of
the merits of rival theater. After a
while, they all at once smiled layishly
upon the manager, and announced the
object of their visit. They said they
knew they were very, very giddy girls,
and that was the reason they had come,
They were SO giddy they didn't know
what to do with themselves, and
thought they might '.go on' (the STAGE
and work up-Deginning as ''supes."
The manager commended their super
cilious treatment of false pride, and
placed their name in the mysterious
book. As | wandered down Nic0llet a
girls" looking intently at some red
Crystal Slipper" Autographs.
OTTS COIRURN