Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-09

to five or six companies, bu they are all &C.
quainted with each other-or appear to be.
enc. and no Introductory grip Is necessary.
After the Show.
Then they are all OF for the theater to
make up for the evening performance.
When they begin to return, around IL
o'clock. they have just about begun their
day. The cobwebs are all erased. and they
stand clear and ready for amusement.
There are about two dozen pianos in this
theatrical hotel, scattered among the larg-
er rooms, and they are all worked up to the
limit every night-or morning. Also. all Of
the push buttons in the hotel are worked
enough to Keep them from growing rusty In
their sockets, and the bell boys only begin
to earn their wages after midnight. Beer
Is not alone Germany's national beverage.
1t Is Americas national beverage. And it
has been adopted by the great order of
American Thespians. Wherefore the bell
boys earn their pay, and mellowness be-
gins to settle over the theatrical hotel just
about the time it is high noon In China.
Doors are left open by general consent, so
that the running back and forth by all
hands may not be impeded. The men find
themselves pretty comfortable in their
shirt sleeves. the women In blouses. 1t is
unconventional tri1e, all of this, but 1t is
a couple of hours before has been smoking
dainty cigarette with the affected grace
OF a hidalgo has now brought forth a
short black pipe. In the large rooms
those occupied by the more important mem
bers Of companies, perhaps ten Of these
guests get together for am hour or so of
talk and music and content. In very
truth, these people seem as children. They
harp only upon the one subject, and for
all their experience all over the country,
many of them in other countries, they have
certain tndeScribable guileless quality OF
mind that seems incompatible enough with
md fhnjy
slang of many cities.
Two Hours After Midnight.
The ingenue has got the blues. She sits
off in corner moping. All hands try to
console her. She is inconsolable. What's
the matter? Nothing. But there must be
something. No answer After they have
all tried and failed the very low comedian
steps into the breach. He "jollies" the
girl for three minutes, and her peals of
laughter ring out like very musical chimes
indeed. Such is the depth of heartache in
this theatrical hotel The leading woman
with the deep contralto voice recites an ex-
tremely tender. one might almost say
maudlin. bit of verse, j dangerous thing
to do in any company where malt is visi-
BILE. All hands dissolve in tears, and it is
very touching indeed. Again the low COM
edfan breaks the spell with sung bit of
dcgserel from THE Whirl of the Town.
Listen to the ambulance a-coming down
the street.
When we cut their legs off, don't we do
it neat
and the sniffies pass away like snowfakes
Some of the women must have food or
die. The hotel buffet is closed. What is
to be done? No volunteers?
Eddie" says the young woman who
started ont as Juliet and Is now in the
comic opera chorus, eff you don't go out
instantly and get some sandwiches-cheese
sandwiches, Swiss cheese sandwiches, with
holes in the cheese-I'H tell 'em what your
wife wrote me about the way you prop
''Sh-shshsh!" says Eddie" the most fe-
rocious-looking villain in the business.
and out he goes to save himself from ridi-
Guile. The 'stringing" Is incessant, but
rever bitter.
After awhile-say. about. o'clock in the
morning-there begins a gradual diminution
In the volume of the music. the laughter
dies out. the talk sinks to a murmur, the
doors begin to close. the lights to go out
and the day under the roof of the theatri-
cal hotel is about over.
And yet the world is filled with young
persons who fancy there is fun In all this!