The sun., 1895-05-26

Miss Margaret Fraser, whose dancing Is o
leading feature Of the entertainment, and whose
wonderful back kick has mado her famous. de-
cided. with her sister Helen, to go on the stage
Just eighteen months ago. No sooner said than
done, but their mother never allowed Ihem to
go to performance without her. They were
playing in the Prince of Wales's Theatre, Lon
don, and when the management finally decided
to send the company on q tour. Mrs. Fraser said,
"where my girls 20. 60 too" and 60 she did.
paying all of her own expenses. at last came
the move to America. and the mother decided
that as she could never get her own consent to
let her girls out of sight, she would go on in the
chorus.
.Think of It'll" she said tho other day. tho
very idea of my going on the stage at my time
OF life. 1t seems almost ridiculous especially
when think Of my two grown sons. both older
than the girls. In London. They would be aston
ished to know that was on in the chorus, and
sha'n't tell them until get homo. But the girls
! wouldn't travel without me, and wouldn't
allow them to do SO. So one can readily see how
much better 1t is for me to be making my ex-
penses in this way"
Miss MARITIME, who takes tho part of the French
maid, and Miss Scott, one of the chorus girls,
also came over from England under the
chaperonage of Mrs. Fraser, and the five women
occupy the third floor of a private house. They
take their meals at quiet hotel. and are in bed
every night half hour after the curtain drops
on the last act of the performance.
The other two Gaiety Girls. Miss Gomersal
and Miss Craddock, are Mrs. Manning ana Mrs.
Marshall in private life. Their husbands are in
the company. The manager Of the company,
In speaking of the four girls with Mrs. Fraser
said: "They are the most quiet lot ever saw
and lead almost sober lives. Every one of tn en-
is milk hend and as for getting one OF them 10
touch glass OF beer or wine or anything Of the
accept an invitation from nybody to supper
after the performances, and Mrs. Eraser tells me
prepares prep M m for them lem at night. and always declare
that they can't understand why people want to
eat at that unearthly hour.
Her girls take life very seriously, continued
the manager, land If the public only knew how
hard | worked to get Margaret to give that
more than ever. She would advance to the
footlights, bend down to the floor, and come up
excellently,' would say TO her, but when you
rise up don't look SO sober, but smile Smile
shs ,h would ;a repeat n mechanical way What
Ths - audienee, Ss e. explained, 1T catches
sns shs pMoSs to TO- shSn
BODY, Finally. after much persuasion. / sue
ceeded IN getting her to smile, but not one man,
tering unction to himself that she is smiling at
When asked what had been his observation
as manager OF comic opera companies con-
csrning the caro- taken Of chorus girls. he re-
p''cu' ~ WONlu Dc lulpOsSlDlc LOT every plTl 10
chorus girls we'll behaved on the whole. or
se
iormance are glad enough to go home and get
tSb 70 bed rye never MANAGED chorus yet where
hhe majority Of the women were not married.
Their husbands are often in the same company,
ana they live just as most other married people
no.. The single girls live two, three. or four TO-
gether in one room in some boarding house, and
on sf whRis OLE they are pretty good l9t ,r
"pltr, mas been managing comic opera COM
panes for twenty-eight years, and has had
In oil her phases. He says that most people
would be astonished TO learn how well educated
m W f Thsx are ssn Who ars
iorced to earn their living. and do 1t in this way
know how wona be h;asr hs went
S.rk 20 kei IN the chorusss because they hare
HaNShter; or young sisters there. OF course we
bttSr Is fresh young girls but several times I've
pa sI I, mIH'nsrs IN the ballet who are there Just to
sSnaI ssaTShter ter; but her son. He was The leading
so sl,rl she joined the company, where she could
SrNcah SMnSs have him under her iniiuence, aud hs
marr naNlgg Iong run here the majority of tho un
iitrFffsa ior ibsi, @ girls have some ono 70 come
and yat patenty % n liz corrdors or or
GuIs,ue nsn nSht after night until the performance
toohsrr', There arc two sisters in Little Chris
pnv', whose brother used TO come for them
every every night. He fell Ill ard died. and now their
otner, VAIL, u-iooking figure In deep mourning
,,, ns ior them every evening and as soon as
sa,i snsir part Is finished the threc go home to-
svehher; ssehe " course when a company goes on the
s sau this Is different but I've found that
Snc s""h az rehsarsas begin preparatory to start
tnss.,f OUT INC girls will begin to chum
10 20 n couples or quartets and room together at
rnt bhU,eis. hnt Sometimes they quarrel and sepa-
,1Tt, out rarely flock alone IL would be impos-
omt oTie s L9r their mothers any chaperon 70 go
have the n9 we r sairaa aaa
go oi r1al mat they DO IN the city, The girls who
h"nut hrit 10 late suppers are exceptions"
,he me manager of the Lillian Russell opera
SIhIpTny thinks. on the whole. that ilftJ chorus
ssnm55' ~ comic opera are about as well behaved,
aG, NM iGr the most part, as we'll taken care OF as
otbSsrs sras ENGAGED ia making their bread in any
t1antsr tntr way would Ge. lie says he finds that at
wonn nehts spring up between the men and tho
Sr. onien IN the companies, and the result is a
saesI senI many marriages in every company each
p,rnh 1,nIIn. he largest company he ever managed
IN ~ ", rea M seysn hundfed; they played "Amer-
tror,11s ~ ~" worlds Fair Even then ho had no
sjnmnOie wi.h them, as most OF tho women in tho
SFus were nairic3. and their husbands were