The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
ACTRESSES IN SOCIETY.
AsTRU0GLB FOR RECOGNITION THAT
REQUIRES 0REAT TAOE

REQUIRES GREAT TAUE
Peculiar Amiiation Between the Navy ana the
stage as Reported by an Observer with .
Discursiven SGT OF illustrations In Preoe
Have you Observed" asked the man who
liked to find reasons for things, 'tho af1liation
botwoen the navy and tho stage in this countryt
II exists, I am sure. Why IL exists I do not
know. Several men in the navy within the lasn
few years have married actresses. One play.
ing In New York now is the wife OF n Lieuton-
ant. On the vesselp at the navy yard from time
TO timo there are receptions given to actresses
which would not be possible anywhere else.
Entire companies Of them from burlesQues aud
music halls are entertained thero. or course
tho officers do not ask other woman to mast
them. But the presence of tho actresses tham.
selves is curious enough to attract attention IN
tho East. That Charleston episode in which
tho actress figured as q guest at an oxoluH'vO
cotillon was entirely the result of this unoH-
planned afhliation which exists between the
navy and the stage. That young man had
probably heard OF his fellow officers having on
tertalned young women of the stage in other
places. But the whole power Of tho navy could
not mako 1t seem tho same TO give an sdtrass
luncheon on board ono Of tho vessels and 10
take her to a dance. There was trouble enough
over that incident in the South. "".''' ''""'r
A that same time ono company was giving
that same play In New York. just what would
have happened in New York IL the Same thing
had occurred would have been ovon more
lively. The South. with all its prido of fnmfly
and blood, Is very much moro liberal IN such
matters than the North. Actresses arc 70
ceived there when in other cities thoy arc not
welcomed at all In what would DO called 'society.'
Ono reason for this 10 probably to DO found in
the fact that a great many Southern girls Of
position have gone on the stage. They have
not, Of course, lost their positions by that. All
smaller towns. in spite Of their supposedly mas.
rover point Of view. are moro willing to have
the women of tho stage with them in society.
In Boston. Chicago. Philadelphia. or New
York the women OF the stage must either b
eminent or have a place in society as woll ns on
the stage to make them welcome ngures In the
drawing rooms of the best people in society.
There are some Of those In Now York. An.
ME Russell is the guest during the rummcR
months as we'll as in tho winter Of some Of the
best known people in New York, sho has only
within recent years begun to make a place for
herself and was not known In society boforo she
had won a place for herself as an actrcss. But
abe Is very gladly received now by many per.
about her until 1t became known that sho was
asked to certain. wcll-known. houses. THAI
enough. she is chieay aoauninted with the very
conservative. cultivated rather than conspicps
gu" Elsie Isl m De- s0e Wolfe had been in society before
she vent on the stage and stayed thore after
iady oe %So w ss actress aS actress D0n mndS b en0 y iiisis
more popular than she ever was before. 10
% asSs hot bot r S1wss; D, ntSppsn that %i,S E t hSst e1s.o sso
OF an actress who is well known and a society
woman at the same time.
and that may b either because hostcsrcs aro
do not care to acoept Invitations. Dure Was
asked to two or three houeGs, In which rcoop-
1sp@ . Te1G gave e1ee a toa h For pe MSsn T t%o Soa n
ago. everybody was astonished. But 1t is said
. .hen al Olga tn0H Set He1 dS' ha asv tWieo been sse entsr.
tained By the same woman. who is quito con.
I sPpicu oO'. t IN the en-, moT p6 'adva ases set Of society:
she received $1,000 for acting in a comodf.
eta at the house Of q wealthy man.
by women asking them to come to their houses,
talents. is a detail which does not come Into
e ens 9%usss aa sevo msfy .,% aTs sS' Ssn The n he aS g q q
luncheons at which she. was the. deity wnrs
sR,RRsd ii Sz NV : se york. Of s tss T e ss. s 81 Bay i Rlssss
who refuse most Invitations, but nearly all OF
s NorGie are a. k9 ipsti busy syai doing a w ts%a; 'f lnst E Sfisssn
named; that means the reward e two EesTs z
New York crowd that Calves excited French
u W pOseeoS. uLu uuuS uHIc tto III
popularity. Melba is also one of tho singers
who do not puzzle society with tho French
that It hears SO infreaucntly thst very colloquial
conversation is out Of the question. OF al
these singers Eaines is the one who is really
yited- to the Bradley Martin ball; just as Elsie
do Wolfe was the only actress. Eamesa accepts
very few Of the Invitations. however. which she
receives. Her husbands. position makes her
quito a different figure from her. professional
associates in society. She ia invited not as o
prima donna. but as Mrs. Julian Story. and she
would probably have had that good fortune IL
she had never sung n note.
Patti is O woman who. in spite OF her
great reputation as a singer. was never
known in society Mt all. She had always a large
circle OF acquaintance. but none of thcm rcp-
resented the set in which tho prima dOnnaB are
go anxious to be known today that tho few In
v~itations they accept are selected so carefully
as to allow no persons to receive the honor ofo
visit unless there lie tho necessary glamour.
When Sembrich came here on her first visit she
~brougng number Of letters to well. known poo.
pie, and they were as anxious to entertain her
again on her last visit. II you think that there
Is no connection between the navy and this part
Of tho story you nre mistaken. Eames has
brother who Is an officer In tho service"