The herald., 1898-02-26
MISS NORTHAM'S AIM
IN SEEKING A CAREER ON THE
STAGE
INTERVIEWED BY ALAN DALE
Was Tired of Pink Teas and Yellow
Luncheons-Modjeska's Kind
ness and Drew's Affront

ing fame. The young Californian who
aspires to a career on the stage has beer
interviewed by Alan Dale to the extent OF
a full page in the New York Journal. The
page is headed "Millionairess goes to work
as twenty-dollar a week soubrette," and
is embellished by no less than six pictures
OF MISS Northam In costumes and tights
Says Alan Dale, among other things:
Little Miss Maud Northam of California
and Nine. Modjeska's company has youth
prettiness, vivacity, enthusiasm and a
millionaire pepper. The four initial quail
| tiles are not unusual-a good many
actresses start with and grow out of them
| Ihe millionaire pepper, however Is some
thing of an innovation in this age of black
alpaca mommers. Miss Northam has left
| lt-l mean him-on the Pacific slope in all
| its-I mean his-mercenary and tinkling
| glory. She has taken to the stage, just for
'the fun of the thing, and that fact has
| singled her out for notice.
The multi-millionaire pepper is r. T.
Northam. who owns more miles of Cali
| fornia ranches than there are streets in
New York.
shouldn't have ventured near her if she
hau become an actress in order to lift
| mortgage from an impecunious but noble
parents estate. l should have puprposely
| lodged her IL she had contemplated maxi
| ing moral derrick of herself, and pulley
| ing up the degraded boards. One gets so
much of that sort of thing, don't you
know. The millionaire pepper of California
appealed to me most poetically, with all
| MS angelic possibilities, and as |
| pioughed my way through mud to the
Sturtevant house to see the young lady.I
said to myself: "Chappie, you must be
very nice to Maud, and then one of these
days, II you ever write a play, perhaps
Pepper Northam will be the good angel to
float on your sea of trouble"
The little lady had just returned from her
dressmaker's, and she was very amiable.
She purred pleasantly, took a Sturteyant
chair gracefully and submitted to my sat
urnine presence without a moue of annoy-
ance.
Il m dreadfully sorry that this society
business has leaked out" she said smiling
because it is such an old gag. / wanted
to get along without that odious chestnut
but the gods were unkind. I'm found out
brought to bay, as it were"
Miss Northam said gag" and "chest-
nut quite prettily Slang, 1 believe, is
something of a society achievement. so
nobody need be shocked
1t is quite true she said, that have
vegetated in society. and equally true that
l got such sckening of it that nv soul
rebelled. There l was, simply living for
Pihh teas, anu yellOW IuncneOnS. and
crushed strawberry dinners and-and all
the rest of it. My one thought was viii
my dress look nicer than anybody else's?'
"a most demoralizing thought-and- nv
one rear was, Suppose that by some evil
chain of circumstances l should have to
sit out of the dance and be wallflowerv
But'-this very naively-"I never was
wallflower."
l murmured something sympatheticaIl,
cOmDlimQntarV Wn1dtot,faI
nave composed waltzes for more lissome
hgure than that owned by Miss Northam
These gayeties were all very well in
their way" she said. but they left the
mind so dreadfully inactive. had nothing
on earth to think about except clothes and
partners had clothes and partners for
breakfast, and luncheon and dinner. 1t
seemed so aimless to me-such a waste of
valuable time. And then-and then-even
when l was tiny girl 1 used to think of
the stage, and long to be an actress That
was the life 1 wanted. 1t seemed to me
the very acme of joyful existence"
Pepper was always dead against the
stage" said Miss Northam. "He hated II.
Mommer is such dear thing that she is
like clay in my hands Well, we all hap
pened to be very friendly with Modjeska.
Her ranch is quite close to ours--at least
about hVe miles away-and the Northams
liked her. She is a charming woman. No
body could help liking her. SO l got into |
ModJeska's good graces. l explained to
her my aspirations, and she agreed to give
me a chance in her company 1t was a |
great crisis in my life. l went home and
like dutiful daughter, broke the news to |
pepper. He was furious, and" |
Miss Northam paused for second then
went on, He cried out, Maud. don't he
an IDIOT l suppose he said 1t in a nice
fatherly way, but 1 didn't think SO at the |
time. He was most indignant. He would |
never consent to my leading the life of an |
actress-l, who had been brought up on |
pink teas and yellow luncheons But nv
mind was made up I wanted good time
in my own way. had no designs upon
the stage, no society husband to agera-
vate, no idea that l was the greatest on
earth-nothing Of that sort Madame
promised to take care of me and chaperon
meas though I needed it. Ha! ha! hal
and away 1 went. Mommer-my dear
mommer--said: Well, If the child is bent
on 1t, she couldn't be in better hands, and
pepper growled and fumed And now that |
I've begun to be an actress am not in the
least disenchanted. and-as for the temp
tations that beset stage girl, I've never
felt SO safe in my life. Ha! ha! ha! Temp
tations! Ha! ha! ha! Think of them.
Il did bold thing before 1 Joined Mod
Jeska l must tell you about it, / called
on John Drew. 1. told madame that I
tnought his style. of play would suit me |
down to the ground. SO got madame to
give me letter of Introduction to him and
then bearded him in his den He seemed /
10 nave grievance against me. although 1 I