Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-02


dainty sentimentality Of the other. The an.
| dience was distinctly fashionable assemblage,
nearly all feminine and their gentle but heart
less guying Of the performers was curious ex.
hibition OF friendly ridicule. Two professional
actors had been engaged to play with the anna
Tours One Of these was Courtnay Thorpe, who
wears false hand in place Of the lost member,
and the other was Eugene Ormond, whose role
required him to keep presumably wounded
arm in sling.
well, said a man who sat near me, ''here
IL evidence that our best society can't act
alongside professionals"
what do you mean?" responded his fem
mine companion, evidently partisan Of the
Why, each of the professional actors win.
with one hand tied behind him.
LOWERING THE STAGE.
Don't let as make fun of those players who
sincerely desire to elevate the stage" Alas
there are 30 many who are lowering it. Words
such as we're uttered by little chorus singer
OF an opera company as she sat at q late cham
payne supper in q Broadway restaurant are
not encouraging to the true philanthropist of
moral bent.
Il like life now" said she; ut never was 80
thoroughly fascinating to me before. was O
long time coming to this business and tried for
years to get along in ways that the world calls
respectable. My experience was not pleasant.
First learned typewriting. 1t took me year
before was competent to fill position, and
then got 81 week. / was confined all day
and was so tired at night that could not help
being cross and blue when l got home.
haven't a model character, but give me just a
little brightness and leisure and don't make
people about me uncomfortable. never got
any brightness and leisure when I was type
writing and was perfectly aware that was
growing sour and melancholy. After two years
OF tyPewr,rng l was getting $40 week: had
nothing else in life but those ten dollars. 1
knew only few girls and men as poor as my
self and was never in mood for enjoyment
did not continue at typewriting, because got
chance to go into milliners shop on 5th
avenue as sales woman. This was refined
WORK a,. enough but it gave me no
any Of the attractive part of life. However,
while was at the 5th avenue shop l thrived
80 well that my figure improved and l suppose
my face frightened up a bit. l used to sell
hats to Miss R Of the theater, you know, and
she would chat with me when she came in.
One day she asked me why didn't 20 ON the
stage. 1t had never occarred to me that 1
could, but she said might very easily get a
chance In the chorus and told me to 20 to her
manager and have my voice tried. that she
would speak to him about me. Well, had my
voice tried, and here l am Now | want to
know II haven't the right to be better satisfied
with my present position than when l was
typewriting or in the milliner's shop. All nv
friends and my family think it such a friehtful
thing that am on the stage. Why should they,
when l am happier, when l can be better
natured all the time and when am not buried
away from everything that makes life worth
lVing! really cannot see why should not
be congratulated"
SHE WILL NOT ALWAYS THINK so.
And the young woman raised her wine glass
to her lips. Her pretty hand was covered with
gems and the eyes of nearly all the men in the
restaurant were turned upon her face. She
made a picture Of great beauty and content
ment and by no possibility could she under
stand that at that moment her life was prob
ably far more unfortunate than it had been
during the gloomy days of her previous dull
labors. She was a dangerous and deplorable
inquire OF complacent sensuality. She had
thrown of the yoke that she might have borne
into tranquil old age and was blooming like
Hover. whose triumph is invariably short and
whose beauty is continually dying. The res
tauraEts OF upper Broadway are filled at night
with many just such girls. They nearly
all left some dreary, uncongenial vocation
and are now exultant at having plunged
All at once into a life of passion and luxury
ihey do not provide a fruitful study to the
humble and patient workers of their SEX but
as one product of the shallow and i.l-regulated
character common to a large portion of the
lCwly born females of capital like New York
they are interesting The particular girl who
has been herewith introduced will disappear
from the chorus and upper broadway within a
very few years. five years at the most. Where
she has faded to no one will know, but one fact
any philosopher might be confident Of and that
would be that she no longer regards champagne
suppers and the stare of men as the treasures
that make life an endless Joy