The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-13

and amLse themselves rs some people Inn
agine. We. most OF us. lead quiet
lifc-go home after the theatre ana 'ahe
a sober little bite and go to bed every
single night There is much more reason
for a society woman looking old ana
worn than an actress. During nc season
a society woman does not get TO pea
until O'Clock, and then ten chances 10
one she has an engagement Tor "a Dredn-
fast at Il the next day, ana OF COURSE
must drive IN the afternoon moreover
her anxiety about her appearance II
equally great as If she were an actress.
The difference is this. We appear al
stated times, while she runs the gauntlet
of criticism continually on all occasions.
An actress keeps young because she for
gets herself in her mimic life. she is
bound 10 study and analyzc human na>
ture if she means ever 10 succeed, ana
she has no time for nursing embryo all
ments or indulging in envy. malice, ana
all uncharitableness. That. / think, Is
the true reason of ner looking young and
fresh"
THE constant massage. unconsciously
given to the face In getting ria OF inc
makeup, accounts for actresses looking
young said ELIZA Proctor Otis, when
asked for her opinion, massage ana the
bright jolly lives they lead. / think ac-
tresses are happier as class than any
other order OF women. Possibly some
school themselves 10 ignore disagrceable
things and others are by nature bright
and sunny tempered. / belong TO the last
class | take things just as they come
and make the best Of life" And in the
marvellous costume which she wears IN
'"The City of Pleasure" Miss Otis disap-
-. of roll al the DrOmnftT.
ut is a woman's heart that Keeps her
young" said Mrs. Cora Urquhart Potter
Environment has something TO do with
H. of course because happiness Is some
what dependent on environment. but
contend that women can make their sur
roUndings what they will If they so
choose. | hear 1t argued that II Is be-
cause We take more care OF ourselves,
pampcr our bodies more, study the laws
of hygiepe and health, that we look wei
and keepsyoung. | don't believe word
OF it, 1t Is because we are happy, utter
ly and entirely happy; because we are
40 er crossed I'm our work and interested
in large affairs that we have no time Tor
the petty little cares and annoydnccs
that perpetually bother other people.
Look at the life CT ? society woman. l
don't like fashionable people. They don't
interest me. They are all modelled on
one pattern and | know the sample
They all say the same things and do the
same things under the same circumstan-
ces A woman in fashionable life is ca
bined. cribbed. confined TO an extent That
is pitiable. She never has free moment,
an untrammellod idea-that is. an idea
unaffected by her conventional breeding
and surroundings, or an hour OF unalloy-
ed comfort and enjoyment You may
ask her IL question on any subject ana
can tell you beforehand the exact text
Of her answer l believe that the large
majority of the women IN domestic lie,
I'm society, in many conditions OF life, are
unhappy. They are cast down, detected,
and IL Is because they are slaves, slaves
10 that dragon, Mrs. Grundy, of whom
they are terribly afraid. ! ask what does
Mrs. Grundy's approval profit them. and
in what does II harm them if they fan
under her ban? With the genuine i'm
portant things of life Mrs. Grundy has
nothing 10 do.
what women need more than any
thing else in this world IS courage.
Women are towards. Many have the
ability to think for themselves, TO form
their own convictions. but no courage
ID carry them out. Conviction and cour-
age are the greatest things in the world
"To go back to my first proposition,
say that a womans heart is her strong
hold. Love is a necessity to her; If she
gives her affections free play and their
choice is a worthy one. she is happy,
and everything she touches, either in the
way OF work or play, gives her threefoid
pleasure; but # her heart is a desert
waste and filed with unutterable bitter
ness. no amount of outside influence or
forced interest will make her happy.
Happiness comes from within, not from
without, and a woman's good looks and
good health depend in large measure
on her mind. on her mental condition.
There is no one more fitted to speak
on this subject than | am went on the
actress. Il have sounded the depths or
conyentionality and fashionable society
and | found only shadows of weariness
and utter boredom. II was great day
for me when | joined the army of work
ers IL opened a whole vista Of undream-
ed Of delights TO me. The vocation of an
actress / consider the most elevating
that a woman can engage in. My work
has made me understand humanity as
never would have done had kept on in
the old life. Ny sympathies are enlarg-
ed. my interest stimulated, my Views Of
classes and grades of people. 1 compre-
bend the gallery boy. the man VINO
moves my trunk fas an interest Tor me-:
everything and everybody in the whole
world has an interest for me- Some one
asked me yesterday. what country of
all you have seen do YOU like the best,
Mrs. Potter and l answered that they
all appealed TO my interest and that l
liked them all, an answer that would
sound ineXplicable unless one understood
my nature | think that every woman
ought to be free. 1t is such a glorious
thing TO feel as free as bird and TO be
able 10 do exactly as one pleases. NO
one need suppose that an American OF
whatever social standing is regarded as
other than Just an ordinary American
citizen after he is Ave miles beyond Sandy
Hook The few Amer!C ans who are cell
ebrated for their money. OF course. are
known, but when | play TO an Indian au-
dience or an Australian audience l know
that | am simply an actress TO them,
simply woman who Is trying to inter-
pref her best ideals. There are no preJu-
dices 10 overcome. | stand exactly on
nv own merits. II is there. perhaps.
that 1 do my best work. and | feel that
succeed. | am Bohemian in my nature
anu idNt lpot ith'iiS oi'''Hb fNNf'' WIN
whom | have affinity. whether they are of
one nation or another.
"Of course / have my ambitions and
am not averse TO winning deserved
position here IN America among my own
people feel that the kind Of recogni-
ton l shall try hard TO merit Will come
TO me some day. America has not so
many native-born actresses that she can
AFFORD TO slight her own. She now has
10 resort 10 those who are foreign-horn.