The Indianapolis journal., 1898-12-21
ACTRESSES IN SOCIETY.
Elsie De Wolf and Emma Enmes the
Only Two in the 400" Set.

! w. z. Curtis, in Chicago Record
The other night a New York man who
knows everything and everybody of social
| Importance was discussing the approaching
marriage of a naval lieutenant to the actress
who was excluded from ball at Charleston
| last winter because of her profession, and
declared that, although the officer was a
| great favorite in the upper crust and the
| lady was irreproachable, it would be diff
flcult after marriage before for him to
take her into the circles where he moved.
THE only stage women in this country
who have what we call a social position" he
said-"that is admission to the houses and
the entertainments of the -Four Hundred
are Elsie De Wolf and Emma EameS, and
they are received by right of inheritance.
just as they would have been if one had
never appeared before the footfghts and
the other had never warbled a note. Elsie
DE Wolf maintains the position and the So
cial distinction into which she was born.
Her family, which belongs to the old aris-
tocracy of Manhattan island, lost their
money at their fathers death, and she took
to the stage to support them. She has not
forfeited any respect by earning her own
living, and she has demonstrated that an
actress can be a lady although she is not as
popular with the profession as she would be
If she were less scrupulous in her associa-
tions and less careful in her conduct She
looks upon the drama business, she
goes to the stage door in cab attended by
a forbidding duenna, and while she is al
ways amiable and agreeable to her asso-
ciates in the cast she never visits them.
She never invites them to visit her, she
never becomes intimate even friendly
with the rest of the company. and when
travelling always stops at a different hotel
or at the house of a friend. Her manager
likes this exclusiveness and regards her as
a bowling swell.
Mrs. Julian Story. the daughter-in-law of
the famous sculptor also inherited a social
position both on her own side and that OF
her husband, and dimes and exchanges calls
with the best people in New York.
Annie Russell has the entree to culti-
waited and conservative set. where she is a
foVOrifQ huf she does
the swes. There are two or three other
actresses who are highly respected and have
Southern girls--but they are not in the Four
Hundred; they We're not Invited 70 the Brad-
ley-Martin ball nor to Mrs. Astor's house
warming and their names are not on the
list for the Patriarch assembly. As have
said, Elsie De Wolf and Emma Eames are
the only actresses who command this dis
tinction Mary Anderson was kindly re-
ceived. but was handicapped by an odtouS
stepfather. Mrs Brown-Potter forfeited an
enviable position in society and was forsaken
by hosts Of friends when she went on the
stage 1t might have been different If she
had behaved herself if there had been
any necessity for her to earn living, but
woman who abandons her husband and her
child and her home to gratity her vanity
and love of excitement is not thought mucn
of. even by silly people.
"Of course there are lots of lion hunters
who chase after actresses and opera SINGERS
and pelt them with invitations to dinners
and balls, but that isn't society. A certain
class of women make it a business to enter
tam famous stage peOple anu SpShu aA
enormous amount of money gratifying their
aspirations in that direction. They even go
so far as to pay actresses for coming to
their homes to lunch or to dinner or to
evening receptions. Rejane never went out
except for pay, and she played her popu-
larity for large amount of money. I un-
derstand she received $500 for lunch or
tea and 81, 900 every time she accepted an
evening invitation. Olga Nethersole was
very different She is the best-natured crea-
ture in the world and used to accept invita-
tions as often as her professional engage
ments would permit. Duse is exceedingly
exclusive, although she accepted several in
vitations while here Bernhardt utilized So
ciety for advertising purposes, and 1t IS
suspected that she made good deal or
money.
''Calve is genial and accommodating, and
receives the alteration of a large circle OF
the highest-placed people in New York. but
seldom goes out except for luncheon: Melba
is not so compliant. When Sembrich came
here she brought letters of introduction to
hgh-toned German people, who paid her
great deal of attention. The German singers
are much more given to social enjoyment
than the Italians and the French, but their
;ntimacies are all with their own race.
AZ presume that Nordica might command
a social position If she chose to do so. but
she is exclusive, she works hard and de-
clines invitations on the ground that 1t In
terferes with her professional training.