The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-08-28
Among the Ladies
Of the Circus Tents.

Busy bees are what the women per-
formers OF circus appear i'm the tent
allotted TO them as a dressing room.
The active life Of the ring does not af-
feet their industrious habits. Indeed il
may only intensity them, for when they
leave the gaze of the admirlng and APP
plauding public some of them not only
have to rush TO make a new toilet for a
new act, but they darn their stockings.
mend their bespangled gowns and wash
their pink tights like the most common
place of housewives.
One afternoon recently some 80 or GO
Of these fair entertainers were gathered
in a tent in Chicago. With their chat
tering tongues and flying needles they
resembled a lot OF church women at a
sewing circle. only they didn't say any
thing unkind OF any one. Week after
week during the long, warm summer
months these women, young and old,
fair and ugly. live together sometimes
in pretty cramped quarters, too, but
they always are kind and good TO each
other They speak many tongues, and
some OF them were born in faroff coun-
tries. but each tries TO make the few
weeks they are together happier for her
having been there. The nationalities
are many, for besides the American and
English one little girl rattles off Rus
sian to her mother as she dresses for her
act. In another corner the handsome.
black eyed Italian sisters chatter to-
gether German is frequently heard.
In fact, 1t is in this language that the
daughters from sunny Italy make their
wants known. Now and then an ex-
clamation is heard in French, while one
fnlI lIy ctn ~ no pfx
neighbor a loving tap betrays that her
birth took place on the Emerald Isle
But, no matter how short time they
have i'm which TO don the gorgeous raj
ment in which they are to please the
hundreds of boys and girls. there is al
ways plenty of time 60 lend a helping
hand To hutton Up a fFeek which fastens
in the back or 10 help tie some long
string which keeps on one OF the many
dainty white petticoats Of the bareback
rider. Each one helps her neighbor
and they have them on each side. for
each woman's place is In front of her
big circus trunk. The two or three feet
i'm front Of il is home. At least 1t is
for the most Of her summer life for
these professional women so dearly love
their life that they do not often care
to wander far away from the tent.
why | can't even bear to so down
town shopping" said q pretty girl, with
a laugh, as she touched pouting lips
with a bit mere red. THAT is funny
for a woman, isn't il? But our whole
life is here. We come 20 the tent early
in the morning. and here we do our
sewing, our fancy work or anything that
we care for. But the truth is that il
takes the greater part Of our time TO
prepare for the acts in which we are
on"
The women all about here were quite
evidently getting ready. Each one sat
in a little canvas chair before her big
trunks. These contained everything
dear TO the feminine heart. Dainty
frills Of lace on white linen, gay ribbons
and flowers, jewels and bespangled
tights. with boxes of pink and white
make up. We're there, yet everything was
in the most perfect order. Many a So
ciety belle would wonder how these wo-
men could make the elaborate toilets
they do, all in together. Then their acts