Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-02-22
sock AND BUSKlN.
LYDIA THOMPSON DISOOuRSES ENTERTAIN
INGLY ON TIGHTS.
Sac Denies that They ara Dangerous TO Health but
Says 1t IS Barred Bosoms tina! Cause Colds
Bsrnhardt's Great Snake Set in Cleo
paira-The Gossip Of the Theatsrs.

D ldNNulN az QAil0N i@tAAANA AN"--N''f SO
which the defendant testified that she
couldn't wear tights of thickness sutfi-
cient TO prevent her from catching cold.
A reporter called on Lydia Ttomp-
son at the Westminster hotel, and found
that lady angry on account of certain
views that had been falsely attributed
to la. She chatted obligingly. Il
kAANhl about tights" she said, lat
/ le - Z ought TO, for | donned my first
pdk Just twenty-Seven years ago,
and have worn them in nearly every
play in which | have since appeared.
\ published article-it wasn't in the
sun. and it isn't So-said | had worn
them for fifty years. do not see why
woman'S age should be continually
made the subject of comment, and
years tackled Oh at pleasure. ! have
been on the stage for long time, but !
began long before the average girl is
out of pinafores, and had Il reputation
established before | was 10. | am
Younger than scores OF women now be-
fore the public, some of them grand
mothers. whose age is never mentioned.
| wish TO be judged by my looks and
work-nothing more: they are open TO
criticism, and do not shrink from 1t.
But see you wish me TO say more about
tights and less about myself. Well, l
do not consider that tights are injurious
to any woman, and, as 10 catching ton
silts it would be just as sensible to
imagine a person contracting corn on
big toe through going without hat.
More women are injured by tight lacing
and low neck dresses than by wearing
tights. Ii any of the ladies mentioned
contracted tOnsilitis they probably
did so by wearing low dresses and com
| ing from hot dressing rooms out into
draught. All this hue and cry about
the limbs being unprotected is all Ron-
sense. Why | know one girl who was
quoted as having to part.with her tonsils
on account of tights. She was In my
company a short time ago, and / know
that her figure rendered it necessary for
her 10 use pads half an inch thick.
Now. don't you believe there is Just a
little affectation in her statement? !
do. All the tights now worn are made
OF silk. and many physicians are claim
ing that silk underwear Is preferable TO
flannel. In fact, tour of the dry goods
stores will convince any one that, among
those vino can afford it, silk tights have
almost Supplanted wooden underwear.
How can it be any more injurious TO
wear them on the stage than on the
street? As | said before, have worn
tights for twenty-Seven years, yet have
nv tonsilS, and never had an attack Of
rheumatism, have never caught cold
from so doing, and the theatres abroad
are much colder than those here. In
London have often seen the water fro
zen in the fire buckets while the per-
Torrance was going on. notice great
many complaints about the expense OF
wearing tights. That is simply because |
people do not know how TO put them on.
The methods have seen described are
absurd. l never uSo strap, and 1t Is
not necessary for any woman to do so
unless nature has been very unkiud in |
the matter Of hips. | use an ordinary |
tape run in at the top, with string each |
side crossing at the back of the waist |
and tied in front; and believe my worst |
enemy would not accuse me OF |
ever having wrinkle in my tights. |
When feel cold, while waiting in the |
wings. | get shawl and cover my |
chest. not my legs; and it is all nonsense |
to say that tights are unhealthy. They |
originally came from Italy. and were |
very expensive until Of late years, Now
they are cheap, the pure silk ones !
wra-. e. : ing only SO pair, and the |
spnn silk $3.50 for the French and $3.50 |
for the German manufacture; and a |
pair of the former will last long time |
if they are worn As do mine instead OF |
the abominable habit of using pins,
which most girls think necessary.
Il have seen some funny SpectacleS |
in tights. but the funniest was an unior-
tuuate girl i'm Cleveland. She was one |
of Robin Hoods " merry men in the
burlesque. She was beautiful, but had
the thinneSt legs ever saw. and Willie
Edouin. who was always up TO some
prank or other. advised her to stuff
them with Sawdust. This worked well
as long a she remained quiet, but pref
tv soon IL became necessary for her to
do some gyrating. ! heard a litter be-
hind me aud saw the audience convuis-
ed. Upon turning around what sight
met nv eyes. There was the unfortu-
nate girl. with her thin legs set off by
sawdust. which had all run down TO her
ankles. She walked of amid shrieks OF
laughter. Well. you will have to eX-
cuse me now. as its time for me TO 20
ND TO the Standard and catch rheuma-
tism and tonsilitis. and the graceful ac-
tre,s laughed merrily a. she babe the
reporter good-by.
sarah Bernhardt's Cleopatra snake Is
real. 1t does not wriggle very much,
but inst enough TO convince It's iascln-
ated spectators that there is life IN TO-,
and H. appears 10 be very well regulated
REPTILE and most dutiful nursing. 1t
has amazed some of BernhardtS warm
est admirers. who sadly look upon the
little inoifensive thing a. an unneces-
sarv and cheap concession by the great
actress to the inSatiate demand for
realism: but if Bernhardt shall make no
prsqter concession thau this before she
leaves the stage. her genius Will not
have severe reproach. The snake was
DELAYED I'm his duty until five minutes OF
o'clock on Monday night. but his tlme I
comes on between ! and j. o.cloch' |
the variation depending on the length |
of the intermisSiOnS, which are SUN
prolonged 20 an unenduraole |
uoint. provoking cltcails from the upper !
tierand milder disapproyal from the oc-
cupants OF the - seats. The snake, en- |
closed in a bag, is brought upon the !
stage when the last act opens, and rest.
i'm lis receptacle on table az the lefi OF
the scene. until d. is time for Cleopatra !
to die II IS then handed 10 her mis-
tress by Cbarmion, who shudters timely
as she takes the bag And then, while
nm the women in the theatre look on
with ill-feigned horror. Bernhardt
plunges her hand into the bag and with
draws il. clutching the snake. Now ac-
cnrs her first bi, Of business for she
holds the reptile aloft in her fingers
mill il gives distinct and satisfying
..--s...l a,d +he sDectatOrS are thus