Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-02-19
DIANA BLAKE's GOOD FORTUNE.
A Pretty philadelphia shopsirI Who
Became n Pceress.
=

Became n Pceress.
From the Philadelphia Times
Forty years ago Eighth street, from
Market to Arch, was bordered with two
story houses, most of them contemporary
with 1920 and given over to small notion
stores, the proprietors living in the second
floors. The business done was very limi
ted, old Mrs. Harbach making more money
in her little candy store than any merchant
Oh the street Miss Rachel Lang kept a
dry goods and trimming store in the neigh
borhood of Eighth and Filbert. She was
kindly old Scotch lady, who would as
soon have had a man behind her counter
as German band before the door. So all
her assistants were girls. Gloves were the
only mems wear sold in this shop, and
Miss Lang noted with satisfaction that her
sales in this line We're rapidly increasing;
but it mover occurred to her that this was
due to any other cause than the excellence
of her goods, although in fact her gentle
men customers cared very little for the
| price and quality of what they bought, so
| long as they were waited on by Diana
Blake, who was generally admitted to be
| the loveliest girl within the city limits.
Long-nosed, sallow-faced ladies with
undeniable social records and pockets full
of money often visited the store and won
dered by what caprice of fortune a com
mon Irish shopgirl should have had such a
| dover of beauty which in the fitness of
things ought to be the inheritance of wo-
men having Quaker ancestors and big bank
accounts, and one of them went SO far as
to suggest to Miss Lang that Miss Blake's
| good looks were too apparent for her sta
| tinr, in life hnt want D1nnh offended
when the little Scotch lady remarked "that
if every one minded their own business we
would all get along better"
Diana was born in Galway, Ireland, but
| had come to America when an infant.
She was a type of that Irish beauty as
scarce in these days, according to John
Brougham, as hens teeth. Dark blue eyes
like wells of living water, shaded by long,
dark lashes, blue black hair, and a com
plexi5n that was simply marvellous, were
added to a sweet voice, graceful form and
manners at once piquant and modest
Her father was day laborer, and the fam
lily lived in Chester street above Race.
Although Diana fully appreciated the
exigencies of her position, there was one
temptation she could not foIego, and that
was dancing. When only six years old
she had taken lessons from Signor Julian
who had a school at Tenth and Vine
streets The fact that he was an Irishmar
named McCaskey did not make him less
efficient as teacher, and when his pupi
was twelve years old he secured her EN-
ployment at the Walnut street theater il
one of those elaborate ballets that SO de
lighted our unsophisticated grandfathers
Her talent soon won recognition, and tht
dollar she received for each performance
did much for the family income. Nc
whisper Of this had reached her employer
and it was not until she was eighteen thai
Manager Wood made her an offer of eight
cen dollars week, and it became necessa
ry for her to quit Miss Lang. That lady
was a good Presbyterian and looked OF
the stage as the broad road to destruction
but Diana justified herself through thu
family necessities, and she now went OF
the stage as danseuse premiere and tool
the name of Sophia Lee.
Her success was pronounced from tn
first, and the jeunesse doree, representet
in those days by gawky young gentlemen
in gorgeous vests and clashes SO tight tina
they looked as if skewered on to the wear
! er, paid the pretty dancer many squeak