Evening star., 1897-01-02

Russell. the charming Sue" of Bret
Hartes play. Few young girls who leave
the theater after a matinee with red noses
and moist handkerchiefs and say to them
selves: 1 will be an actressv ever receive
the plaudits of crowded houses.
1T never entered my head, as girl"
continued Miss Russell, that should ever
be the stage. From a little child my
ambition was to be an authoress. My first
and only attempt in the realms of htera-
ture, in which at the time 1 was convinced
1 should almost Immediately shine, was
received in terms of unstinted praise by the
few friends and neighbors that were per-
mitted to read the story in manuscript.
After a great deal of thought to which
of the weekly papers should be allowed to
launch a new star on the literary firma-
ment, sent my story to weil-known per
lCdlCai, accompanied, more as matter OF
form, than anything else, by stamps for its
return. After two weeks of anxious wait
ing, one morning the village postmistress
handed me a suspicio 1sly thick package
bearing in the corner the name of the pa
per to which / had sent my story. l did
not open Ii in the post Office, but hurried
home and up stairs to my own little bed
room ina ginning all kinds of causes for re-
ceiving such lengthy reply. Perhaps they
wanted me to write another and longer
story, and had sent me rough outline OF
the plot, together with further Instructions.
IS, li4II HluSl DS II, L lliOCSHt, dS DTOhS
the seal. opened the folded sheets, and was
confronted by my own story, together with
a printed slip informing me that my manu-
script was returned, not necessarily be-
cause of lack of literary merit but because
it was not exactly suited to their pages 1t
was death blow to my literary ambitions!
/ laid the story away n a bureau drawer
and i never was guilty of a second offense
That i should ever become an actress
had at that time never entered my head. If
/ had given vent to such a though 1t 1
should at once have received mild rebuke
from my mother, who at that time shared
the almost universal prejudice Of country
people of her generation. / am sure she
would have tainted If any one had told her
that not only her two daughters. prim little
country girls, but also baby Tommie, who
afterward was celebrated as Little Lord
Fauntleroy. but was then just beginning to
lisp his first words, would in after years
be stage folk
As before said. my adopting the stage
as profession was pure chance. To oblige
some young people in the church of which
my father and mother were members, /
consented to take part In one of those
dramas for which church fairs are noted.
In this instance sickness had at the last
minute prevented the leading woman from
appearing, and | was pressed irto service
not because 1 was thought TO be particu-
larly suited TO the part, but because / was
celebrated among my school mates for the
rapidity with which l could comni. to
memory.
Il took the part in the morning and 1
played it that night. No one was more sur
prised than myself when l found / was the
hit of the piece. From that time l was the
leading lady of all the village theatricals.
i played for church fairs, u. \. II. festivals
High School receptions and benefits. When
We moved to the city, which We did soon
afterward, j drifted into the same sort of
thing. and from a well-hnown dramatic
club 1t was such an easy and natural step
to the professional stage that I was an
+i--~
fessional appearance. by the by taking
place in that celebrated catapult of stage
talent, H. NJ 5. Pinafore.''
About three years ago Chas Hovt visited
Boston. and gave a dinner to a party of
friends, among them being Eugene Tomp-
klns, proprietor of the Boston Theater
and the Academy of Music. New York:
John McNally of the Boston Herald Julian
Mitchell general stage manager for Hoyt:
Harry Mcclellan, manager for Eugene
Tompkins, and others. During the course
of the dinner Hoyt incidentally told in
his quaint and humorous way, a story
which was so thoroughly funny and the
complicated situations of the characters
so absurd that he set his hearers IN con-
vulsions of mirth. After the laughter had
In measure subsidized some one asked
Hoyt if he had a name for the story. He
replied that ne thought he should christen
it The Story of Milk White Flag"
Why don't you make a play of that?'
asked Tompkins.
1T would make a capital play replied
HOyt. But it would require so many peo-
pie. SO much scenery and no end of me
chanical effects, so that it would be i'm
practicable
Nonsense" said Mitchell TIL bet can,
with the assistance of Larry Mccarthy
Tompkins stage manager, stage that into
practicable form, and il you will write the
piece III also bet you a years salary it
will prove one of your greatest successes"
"An right" said Hoyt. I'm write play
around the story, call it A Milk White
Flag, and wager a set of diamond shirt
studs that it will be utterly impracticable.'
Agreed said Mitchell. And the play
was written and produced. and it has
proven the greatest financial and artistic
success of this popular piaywrigh;'s many
efforts.
John Philip Sousa has undertaken the
most ambitious tour of his career Chas
w. Strine, his business manager, in speak
ing on the subject, said that the tenth tour
OF Sousa and his unriyaled organization
was such a courageous undertaking that it
was worthy of mention. 1t will con-
tlnued he, cover a period of 169 coasecu-
tive days. during which 1886 cities and
towns will be visited, 2s0 concerts given
ana the vast country CT the United States
uaNersed from ocean TO ocean and from
the gun 10 the St Lawrence, including in
Its itinerary all the Sousa strongholds in
Canada and the maritime provinces. In
point OF time occupied, concerts given, ex-
tent of territory covered and distance over
come. IL far surpasses any project ever at
tempted in the name of music. The near
est approach TO it was the splendid record
achieved by Sousa and his men in 1885,
when they Travelled 1900 miles IN five
months, and established new standard
of musical triumph.
Sousa is almost at the zenith OF his am
biion, brimming with new musical Ideas
1resh from European triumphs never
Eoucnsafed an American composer or con-
dLctor, winning new laureis as the writer
or the most brilliantly successful comic
opera OF American birth. Sousa is as much
master of the art of program making as
ne is OF march composition. He Is so deep
~ intrenched in the affections of m.,sic
lovers from one end OF the country 10 the
cther that his recognition abroad as the
representative composer of America is a
personal compliment TO every Sousa ad-
mlrer In the land. one Of Sousa's most sig
hiic2nt triumphs was in severe and classic
Germany-even in Berlin, the very citadel
or German musical tradition and power.
nile there he was accorded the Unusual
distinction of an invitation from the Der-
I'm Phllharmonic-Blas Orchestra to con-
duct one OF their concerts. Sousa naturally
ana willingly accepted. The result was an
ovation from great audience, gathered
70 90 him honor, and from the PLAYERS
themselves. over which his native support-
ers would have waXed eloquent The Ber-
IN press. without exception awarded
the magnetic conductor hiph ria., 4, -