The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-06-04
SHE NO LONGER CHARMS
Nym Crinkle Tells What He Thinks
About Lillian Russell.
The Matter With the Once Famous
Comic Opera Queen.

with Lillian Russell:
Just one week ago the public learned
that Abbey, Schoefel q Grau--tbe great
est theatrical managers OF the world-had
failed.
And with equal astonishment the public
read that Lillian Russell's profitless tours
had been their greatest burden-a net loss
to them Of nearly 5000, 600 in two Seasons.
To the ordinary onlooker this IL mex
pl.cable, for Lillian Russell was the most
popular pet OF Mr.. Abbey's many attrac-
tions-a singularly beautiful woman, and
in all personal. .ch harms of exhibition bet
ter known and more admired than any
woman at the time under bis manage
ment.
There is, however, another and more
sagacious view Of the matter, which will
probably be taken by. the few people,
who regard these theatrical ventures with
vision that IS unclouded by popular
estimate. The fact is that beautiful
woman Is the most uncertain OF all fac
tors In the world OF speculation. The
popular sovereignty OF comeiy pet is as
mysterious as variable, and as unpredic-
able as a tropical atmosphere. No one
ever successfully accounted for her popu-
lafity. No one ever knows at what point
her charms begin to wane. The history
of the admiration she excites is the his
tory OF enthusiasm rising to madness
perceptibe gradations. She Is worshiped
one day and avoided the next. She never
understands 1t herself.
Few women have received this kind OF
popular worship In the same degree as
Lillian Russell. 1t can hardly be said
that she erected an ivory throne OF her
own and occupied it. She found 1t erected
at her professional birth, and discovered
with placid surprise that she was seated
on it. "Stay there and permit us to look
at you" was what the mob shouted TO her.
1t is not difficult for woman to obey
this request. Perhaps 1t may be said that
she obeys 1t too literally and stays too
long.
recall Lillian Russell sitting up In the
cradle OF her art some years ago and ac-
cepting the homage of mankind. She
was a fragile baby in professional pima
torres. But it was a warm bath to look at
her. She grew into sylph, warbling
ed. We kissed our hands TO her amt
cried, "Stay and DO what you please" F"
She did. When ever she was fatigued
and forgot to be eccentric and imperious,
or neglected her divine capriciousness we
waited and wondered. and knew that at
some time she would resume her author
ity.
NO MYSTERY AFTER ALL.
II you think there is any mystery
about this you have observed the rela-
tions of the two most important factors
OF life to no purpose 1t is the common
est experience Of human existence In the
individual and when we come to look at
aggregates of men in the playhouse we
| snail find that they are doing exactly the
same thing in:the parquet that they did
on the front. gate and under the trellised
window, when they asked the silver moon
| to roll On - which, by the way, she
always aid. ] believe our grandmothers
ID l.<xr,
and tried to suppress it with contempt,
| and sometimes with a shingle.
1t Is, however, ineradicable In the mas
culine heart, .and when.it was suppresse sed
| In the meeting house and the wet grass II
broke out with collective force in the par
| special reference to II, and lorgenettes
put in front OF every seat to help it batten
on itself.
Lillian in her early career was as clearly
ideal as the stage manager and Nature
could make her. To the average eye she
was unadulterated loveliness. 1t was not
the ox-eyed lovelipess of the voluptuous
Theo. Nor the irratant piquancy of a
young Patti. 1t was the abeyant grimes
the blossomy promise Oi a summer of
w omanhoo She didn't do anything.
She just was, with filing prophecy OF
function.
After that we wore her chains on our
interfere with them. We travelled like
pilgrims from shrine to shrine, as the
managers showed her from opera to opera.
We ever upbraided her for marrying as
she went along. In our great magnanim-
ity we regarded husbands as trivial Incl :
dents. We watched her grow from a cres-
cent Diana to full orbed figurante, and
never wanted TO see the other and unlit
side. SO do we all carry mistresses in our
imagination. But the queens never un-
derstand that we must have relays--that
as they pass from sylphs to matrons, the
edge wears off our fervor. The crowd st
the theater never enter into bonds OF
fealty to one woman.
The trouble with the popular queens Is
that they believe firmly In eternal fawn-
hood, and the public do not. can call
over for you q double score OF names of
women for whom the average man was
willing to commit suicide at the slightest
provocation for just three years, and for
whom men did commit suicide on the
broad self-sacrfcing theory that they were
not fit to live in the world that con-
tanned so much aggravating loveliness.
But these women even then were passing.
All the men had to do was to,stand still
long enough and atop buying boquets
and the charmers would go by to obliv-
ion. The procreant background was full
OF them.
Lillian Russell was charmer. 1t is a
great pity that a charmer must be evanes-
cent. 1 suppose II we had our idiotic
masculine way we'd make the heeting
odor of jasemine as permanent as a pyra-
mid IL we took a fancy to 1t, and Danish
all prospective sunrises In favor of the
particular one that pleased US. Lillian
Russell simply obeyed the divine law of
rythm and MIR. Helfry Abbey caught her
o, the down beat-to use an expression Of
Jacobowski's.
The venture known as "The Queen OF
Brilliants" seems to have been the turn
ing point in the SIRENS career. l remem-
ber that / remarked at the time, after
casually glancing at ii, that II wore too
much clothes and ornaments. Ii was
dowagered up with diamonds. IL was 50
corsetted that II paced instead OF flowing.
II reminded me OF grand dame who, in
order TO prove that she Ia still a sylph,
gets out ali her heirlooms and ancestral
gems ana hides herself behind them.
Jakobowski, who was a musical haber-
dasher, really believed that Lillian Rus
sell owed her charm to tho rise OF the
pawn brokers' shop In which she presiced.
Certainly Lillian Russell never glittefed