Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-09-21
A SHY BALLET GIRL.
She is Compared by n Metropolitan
Observer with Her Tough Sister.


From the Cincinnati Enquirer.l
1 ssv in the initial performance of q
farce one extreme novelty. 1t was q shy
ballet girl. She came on with Eve com
panions, all In scsnt rAinent. They en-
tered through a door at the back of the
stage, and tripped lightly to their places,
In line near the footlights.
A song with dancing was begun. As the
sixth girl, tall and handsome lass, sp-
peared in the opening through which her
mates had skipped 1T was her uplifted foot
that was first seen, and it was elevated to
the height which the others had made the
standard, but with the next step she was
until her nearest comrede warned ber to
step forward with the rest. In q moment
more the song started, but at The first
word the calcium light was turred upon the
SINCERE, snd our frightened maid had no
music left in her spnl She threw a re-
proachful glance At the lime light, and then
her gaze turned upon a spot just in front
of her feet Toward The close of the stanzs
her lips moved q little as she strive to sing,
and her hands and arms went half way
through the appropriate gestures. With the
FIRST simple steps of the iuterlude of dane
ing there came q little confidence, for there
were now two rows, and she was in the
least conspicuous place, at the rear. But at
the first note for some moderate high kick
ing her courage again failed, and try as abe
woodland she lifted her knee to the pro-
per height-her foot would not Mss far
from the floor.
She looked out over the foOtlight Did
they observe her swk w&rdness2 Evident
ly she thought they did, for her gaze again
turned in fright foorward. At the start
of the second verse her neighbor turned
hst-lifting gesture into a sharp nudge and
the words of the Washers ballad into what
seemed by the mo ion of her lips very
much like Look upl" From then on she
held up her head and sang weskly. but her
lips were stiff and her foot was hesvy.
Later In the performance the same lot of
girls clad in modish, long-skirted dresses,
were again seen and heard. With her an
kles concealed the novice was entirely at
ease. She sang IN tones thst were easily
distinguished above the Others. danced,
skipped, and kicked with complete aban-
don, and gracefully did her full share of the
work.
The girls face, with its I-wish-no-one-
could-see me look upon it, was lowering
before the writer as he boarded an ele-
waited trsin after the show. and he was
wondering if this neophyte was charged
with genuine ambition to become great
artist-if her fancy Fped delightedly by
oncoming years to ths time WHEN she
should have reached high pinnacle of
fame. He was pitying her, as be thought
that possibly this WAS the first and only
opening that had offered, sna that it hRd
been accepted with the mistaken idea that
it was a beginning on & patti Of rapid pro-
motion, when the hustle of incoming pas
sengers died sway, and this plsinly audible
conversation started:
'T tell you, Ssde, you looked great. and
the songs csught on; every body liked I'm.
A mug wot set behind me couldn't hardly
make row enough when it was over. BE
yelled for fair.
The rejoinder was in feminine tones:
'fOh. golly, but l was scart6l There's no
use in stufin' you, wss d-sdleAry. / felt
all numb, and must have looked Ike An
ME Gately did the day sh. went 10 Coney
leland and filed up so that Eddie had to
take her home In a hsck"
At this point the guard cried "Fo'teenth
street, !" and the speaker exclaimed: Say,
Billy, take me into the garden There's
half an hour Jet, and I'm chokin'-"
mix, me bssIiy," calmly replied Billy.
"You just keep that lovely thirst o yourn
till We get to Houston street, and then weIl
rush pint"
"Me beauty" demurred q bit, but regaled
herself with peanuts and went OF: Kate
Kelly kicked me black and hlue and kept
| telling me to hold me mug mp just wait
| till I've been in 1t as long she has and
| I'll give her cards AID spades, eh, BiliyE"
'tSure," asserted her escort, you've got
nerve enough for two"
As they left the train the dancer said:'T
hope the old lady is sober, or she won't let
us have q can. You 60 to Brien's, now;
his pints are larger"