The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-06-01
Stories Of
The Stage,

win is on the road a great deal and
usually lives at hotel when In New
York, her mother keeps an establinh-
ment which occupies at least part OF the
actress time when there. "Our cook
depressed air. "She said she could not
live in a house where an outsider cams
in and bossed things. l suppose she
meant me. ! had TO cook the breakfast
that morning myself That was bad
enough, but the same afternoon. AS
direct result of the cooks unhappy de-
parture. / was placed In most cm-
barrassing position.
II started for the intelligence office
with the firm intention OF getting a good
cook. so that neither mother nor myself
should ever have any further bother
with il. When I got there. several al
legged cooks were paraded in review be-
fore me. but none of them suited.
while ! was questioning one AZ to
her references a good looking, modestly
dressed woman entered the place. Some-
thing about her appearance impressed
me favoraby. / said TO myself. There's
the cook want and I started for her.
81 recall now that the proprietress
made an attempt to attract my atten-
tion but took no notice of her. My
state OF mind was such that II never
occurred to me that anybody else could
want to procure servants. touched the
new arrival on the arm and said:
"'You are the very woman want for
q cook. What are your terms?'
Mercy She turned slowly, put up
a pair of those long handled glasses--I
forget what you call 'em-and calmly
looked me over.
..I want a strong washerwoman.
said she. You're large and look az
though you were strong enough to do
our work. What are your termsY
'I vanished quicker than lightning.
and my mother is still looking for I
cook"
The famous little Prince Of Wales
theater in London. now doomed to dem.
olition, has passed through q series Of
vicissitudes uncommon even In the his-
tory of a theater Probably no play
house in London ever had so many
Names. Originally 1t was Signor Pas
Quali's concert room, and its musical
associations were continued when Il
passed into the possession Of the directs
ors Of the concerts OF ancient music.
After being occupied for awhile by the
amateurs who called themselves the
Picnics and were satirized by Gilray Il
was converted into a circus.
In the first decade of the present cen-
tury IL became an ordinary theater, and
between that date and 1865. when Miss
Marie wilton's reign began. II was In
turn called the Regency. a name which
suggests the approximate date; the
West London, the Queens. In compli-
ment to Queen Adelaide; the Fitxroy.
the Queens again and finally settled
down as the Prince of Wales, title
which now belongs to another theater.
AS may be Imagined from all these
changes the reputation or the house
had never been distinguished before
1866. 1t was situated in neighborhood
which was rapidly becoming more ana
more unsuitable to theatrical enter
prise. 1t had always been mean ana
dirty-according to Mr.. Pianche, 1t was
about as dark and dingy den AZ ever
sheltered the children of Thespis"-
and before il was lifted into half gem
Grafton of splendor by Tom Robcrtsons 3
genius and Miss wilton's vivacity Il
was Familiarity called the "Dusthole."
Yet even In the early days OF the centu-
ry the Prince OF Wales under one name
or another had acquired a history. There &
Frederic Lemaitre made his debut in
England, and Brunton, Thomas Dibdin,
the Mayhews and Mrs. Nisbett had been
among its managers.
Nine. Sembrich's real name Is Stengels
as that is her husbands name. Her own
name before marriage was something
quite unlike Sembrich. which was her
mothers maiden name. Nine. Nordica
Is now, in fact, Nine. Doehme. II that
be her husbands real name. and had
been Norton and Cover before that.
Nine. Melba Is Mrs. Armstrong and was
at one time Mitchell. Emma Calve 10
herself and has never changed that
name by matrimony.
Mignonette is the name under which
an American girl Is winning wealth ana
fame in London. An English writer
says OF her:
''Mignonette Is a very clever dancer.
I learn that she is a native of Chester.
Pa. where she was born In 1880. Yet
despite her age, she made her first ap
pearance on the stage some Is years aga
at the Academy of Music In Philadel'
phia. where she came out Of an egg IN
n transformation scene. For nearly
three years she was q most popular Iit'
tie pantomime sprite. but when her
mother took her OF the stage TO send
her to school and two years later took
her abroad In order that she might
study dancing under the best masters
In Paris. Vienna and Moscow. On her
return TO America she again went 20
school for some years. and then she
studied dancing In New York under
signor Rossi. one Of the best teachers
on that side Of the Atlantic. Afignonetto n
Is q hard worker and very original
and OF all styles OF dancing she admires
the Hungarian the most highly. oud.
though q past mistress In all sorts ~
ballet dancing. she thinks Il 10 too sti4
for solo work. Nor does she incline oo-
ward step. clog or sand dances. but n
devoted TO purely original and graceful Il
gyrations. for which she II ~ much o.
pendent upon her sccompnntmmc @ e
any SINGER" 80 s,>|..o h,