Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-25

New York, Feb. lO.--Of the giving of
many benefits there seems to be no end
People who do and people who don't de
serve them get them, and tired actors and
actresses have to pretend to be Jolly, and
don't dare to refuse to appear at them, be-
cause they will be written up rs hard
hearted if they do. OF course, there are
benefits given for good causes, but, on my
honor, fail to see how, when men have
squandered the good things of this life;
when, having danced. the paying time
comes: y should be expected that the
theatrical profession should immedi-
atcly step forward and contribute
their work-thtir hard work--to help
the one. perhaps who never helped them,
and who doesn't deserve it. 1t is good in
them, it is kind in. them, but it has been
done to the ground; Everybody who, has
seems to think, when he gets little down
in the world, that it is all right for him to
have benefit.
BEGGING ACTORS.
The actors clubs do not hesitate to take
charity in that form, and think il is no
more than they ought to have When the
business man Fails, all the people who deal
in stockings and linen don't have special
sale for his benefit; II were to grow
lazy, and take to drink tomorrow, the
newspapers wouldn't sell special addition
to keep me in good brandy in my old age,
and il you were to fail in tho milk bust
ness, or II Your racehorses declined to be
first at the post, neither the milkmen nor
the bookmakers would have special days
dedicated to you. There is too much Of
this benefit business entirely. The actor,
while he is in his prime, makes money; II
he doesn't save any, that's his lookout; if he
chooses to squander it on clothes, beautiful
belongings and general Publications, he
has no right to hope that when he is old
and broken to bits his brothers in art are
goipgto earn it for him. The actor, more
than any other worker, is, when he
amounts to anything, very well paid, and
more than any other he ought to be able
to save money. When he doesn't, have
very little sympathy for him.
1t is rather funny that you don't hear of
benefits being given to the women on the
stage. Is it because they are naturally
more economical, or because they look
into the future and realize that the day
may come when they will no longer be
beautiful and attractive, and yet when
bread and butter must be theirs? picked
upa Boston paper the other day, and read
of benefit TO be given TO fat, mediocre
actor. whose chief claim on the public
seems to be that he has mixed himself up
in q good many scandals. Now, why
should he have benefit? He has lately
married, has pretty wife, and one who /
think is quite able TO support him, but he
is to be given benefit. oh, 1t is nom
sense! II they would give a benefit for
the cleaning of the streets of New York, il
would be to some purpose. For my own
part, am just bit Disguised with the
benefit business all around.
LOVELY DRAMATIC RETAILERS.
Somebody wrote me letter and asked
me who would sell various things at the
actors fund fair. | don't know; but
imagine that Louis Harrison will retail
chestnuts; that Agnes Booth will sell pink
lemonade; that Sadie Martinez will preside
over the roses; that Lewis will self horns
full of candies; that John Drew will dish
out ice cream that Marie Tempest will
rule the French dolls; that Georgia Cayvan
will vend pocket handkerchiefs that
Kelley will have a mems furnishing store
that Estelle Clayton will sell slippers
those of Cinderella: they'd fit her, but
they. would never fit YOU; that Lolita will
large contingent will retail white and
gold edition of How to be Happy Though
Married.; that Dixey will sell stuffed
heiffers. and give lessons in grace; that
Bob billiard will stand as tailor's
dummy; that Barrymore will sell sticks Of
mint candy for the dear girls; that
Maggie Cline will whoop the business up
and that Denman Thompson will lecture
every half hour on "What Know About
Cards" OF course this may not be true
but these are things that have been told
me- 1t is also said that a number of we'll
known managers will sell taffy and that
the prettiest woman on the stage will have
charge of the glove counter. Her name is
not given.
THE GREAT NAPOLEON.
Every now and then | hear of some
great person who adores Napoleon Bona
parte; who collects locks of his hair, and
pieces of his clothes, and who tries to stand
and look like him. Bonaparte was never
hero of mine, but he did say one good
thing in his life time 1t is this mo man
dealing with the pressure of business can
be expected to write legible hand; all he
can do is to set down dots and leave it to
others to decipher them" There is an i'm
mense amount of truth in this; of course,
il is little hard on the people who have
TO decipher the dots My grandmother
wrote clear, fine Italian hand on letter
sized paper, and thought nothing of send
ing eight pages of advice and information
70 her daughter at school. If she were lv-
ing to-day, she would think that this gem
Grafton had never learned to write. But
that is just where the trouble comes in;
they have. They began all right, but they
were nippcd in the bud. AT very early
age. each one of us carefully and primly,
with fine pen and black ink, immortal
lied that truth perseverance, is the secret
of success" Later in the book il was an
nounccd in the same way that Honesty is
the best policy" And these great truths
were in round letters with beautiful shad-
ings; the Is were tall the rs were short,
the Is were properly dotted, and the VS.
did not have tails like Qs. All life seemed
fair and the copy-book especially so. A
success had just been made when 1t was
announced that we would have to begin all
over again; that Che angular English hand
was in vogue. and we had to sit down,
make our Us sharp uncross our Is, forget
the shading, and bring out in most vindic-
tive fashion and the sharpcst English
writing, IF at first you don't succeed, try,
try again" And the consequence was
well, the consequence of this hy brid teach
ing is the handwriting of the American
woman of to-day. Ii is not ineligible and
il lacks character. II is not handwriting
that you can love.
DISTINGUISHED PEN TRACKS.
Funny how we do get to care for hand
writings, and how much they seem to tell
us. have one letter written in mag
nificent, plain, clear hand, that brings be
fore me one vision-a dignified man in his
cardinals robes, putting out his hand In
blessing. 1t is letter from Cardinal Glib
bons, and every word in it,every letter seems
TO say, BLESSED are the pure in heart
There is another in the same package with
it; the writing is cramped, small, and you
need to get u cue--one word-to start you
in it before the mystery is solved. It's tho
writing of Henry Irving. Then there is II
firm, clear, plain writing, that tells you
that a large, firm hand held the pen. II
did. 1t was Mrs. l.angtry who wrote that
Then there is Ellen Terry's--it's plain
with the blacklist of ink, and the combina
tion is not a happy one. made up my
mind that she was not my ideal Mar
guerite after saw this letter. There is q