The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-06

vice was adopted by the Philharmonic
society. You see, for about two years the
Philharmonic public rehearsals, which
were matineeS, were a young lady'S fad.
"They came from all quarters with
their music rolls and scores under their
arms long before the doors were open and
assembled in a delicious mob in front of
the old academy. There were no re
serve seats at these matinees and the
first that got in when the doors were
opened were apt to get the best places.
So they all crowded up against the closed
entrance and pounded on the barricade
with their music roles and said bitter
things about each other and declared it
was perfectly disgraceful and showed
and pushed and even scratched and
stuck pins In each other until the doors
We're flung wide and then they exploded
into the house like lot of precious Com
anches and ran wild and slammed seats
and changed places and laughed and gig
gled and used their scores for cushions 50
they could look over each others hats.
This got to be so pronounced that the
management, at the suggestion, ! think,
of George Bristow, tried the experiment
of engaging brace Of Lay Duffs.
"There was a magnificent young clerk
over at Mitchell Vance 4 Co. S, a six foot
two salesman, who might have been in the
Queens body guard. They made a con-
tract with him and another young man to
get themselves up and stand in the crowd,
with solemn and pathetic wonder and to
sit in box afterward with field glasses
and watch the women.
st operated like charm. 1t was really
like oil on the troubled waters. Most Of
the madcapS remembered their demure-
ness and began to look helpless And if
they wanted to disturb the music they
gave an involuntary look up at the box as
if to say, May r.
THE next appearance Of the Lay Duff
was at the Patti matinees at the Metro
politan. l suppose you know that the
women at those matinees We're absolutely
outrageous. They came to hear Patti or
die, and as they came without any refer
ence to the seating capacity of the house
they converted the vestibule into an ele-
waited railway platform at o'clock AS
usual they al cried out against the dis
grace Of it while they were pushing and
showing. The foyer on Saturday after
moons was like cauldron and the debris
of belts, hairpins, carriers, button hooks,
smelling bottles, tounces ana flowers
looked like battle field.
"Well, Harry E. Abbey hired a whole
brigade of Lay Dutfs. l think he had
twenty-five. They were from Colum Oia
College and several of the large dry goods
stores. They simply mingled with the
crowd and preserved a dignifed air of re
proach 1t worked like magic. 1t was
very much as if the shrewd manager had
constructed a new conscience for these
girls and put it on wheels. They would
suppress themselves, look sideways and
say: Heavens, Lou behave yourself, that
man is looking at youl'
The suppressive influence of a few
well-dressed fellows who had a sad sin
certify around their jowls was then
adopted by several of the managers. The
expense account of Lay Duffs at the Sar-
asate and Paderewski matinees would
amaze you, and 1 am told that the Pro
tective Benevolent Order of Ticket Takers
will not let its members hire out for matt
nees unless the house furnishes continA
gent of Lay Duffs
lone of the funniest features of the
business was furnished by the SorOsis
Club. They used to meet in the large
dance room at Delmonico's, and there is a
little iron balcony up on the wall whore
the musicians sit when there is a dance
Well, sir, ! am told that the Sorosis hired
a Lay Duff to lie there out of sight and
exert an unseen influence on some of the
younger members Of the club, who were