The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-31
THE MOTHER TRIUMPHED.
But the "Gay Matinee Girl" Suffered
in Consequence.

A wee bit OF humanity nestled in a
crib in far off New York city is the in
nocent cause of a serious injury to The
Gay Matinee Grip company which was
afternoon and evening.
The tot is the four months old daugh-
ter of Louise Durham, up to a few days
ago soprano of the company. MISS
Durham in private life is Mrs. George
Green, and she is a young lady with a
pretty face and almost a phenomenal
soprano voice. Matte Vickers says so,
and Matte VickerS is a woman ana an
actress, and when one actress says
something nice about another actress
it must be so.
But Louise Durham and her pretty
face and phenomenal voice is gone from
The Gay Matinee Grip company ana
the company feels, and the audiences
appreciate, her loss. And the sman
mite of femininity, cuddled away III
the big metropolis, is responsible for 1t
all.
When Miss Durham was offered a
position with the company she at once
asked that she be allowed to take her
infant daughter with her on the tour.
Manager Hilton refused the request be-
cause the company travels IN a specla1
car and he appreciated the fact that a
car crowded with theatrical people was
not the place for rearing babies For
several days the pretty soprano demur-
red over the refusal, neither accepting
nor declining the position, but at last
decided to leave the baby in charge OF a
competent nurse in New York and sign
with the company.
The tour was started and for a time
the letters received by Miss Durham
from the nurse in New York were high
ly satisfactory. She is growing by
Jumps" the nurse wrote, land her face
is so fat that when she laughs she
shows the cuteSt dimpleS-." The So
prano was the brightest member of the
company, and every night she went on
to do her part and every night she was
applauded for her splendid voice.
But there came time when the tone
of the nurses letters changed. At first
she remarked that the baby's dimples
were not quite so noticeable because
she failed to laugh as much. And then
in a letter she said that the baby'S
dinples were disappearing because her
face was growing so thin that 1t no
longer showed them. One day she wrote
wearing herself out crying night and
day.
The soprano continued to go on and
take her part every night but she fail
ed to receive as much applause. Her
phenomenal voice was failing her.
Last week she received letter
saying that her baby was sick. She
hurrledly packed her trunk and inform
ed Manager Hilton that she was going
back to New York. He protested
against such a sudden departure, but
the protest was useless. That afternoon
she started for the metropolis, and that
night an understudy took her part in
the piece.
The Topeka audiences felt the loss
of the soprano. The young lady who
was assigned to her part is not fitted
for it by either voice or dramatic abili-
ty. However, Manager Hilton announces
that he will have this defect remedied
in a few days.
1.-THE Gay Matinee Grip has been
changed and improved since it was seen
here last year. Matte VicAers is a de-
cided Improvement in the title role, and
4Trc rlFN
entertaining. The last act of the piece
has been entirely rewritten. and a pref
ty setting provided for it. The patriotic
finale at the conclusion of the perform
ance is a clever idea. The piece through
out took we'll with the audience at both
the matinee and evening performance.