The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-14
ghs ad1itx 1als Eagle: grdau IOrnina gnlu T. 1893

so sincere, that / felt to see II my hand
kerchief was in the right place. in case I
might need It But now" said. shat
| you have made such a name for yourself
in IAndon, youcan afford to snap your
fingers at US ALL"
Miss May smiled. 'sYou are wrong" she
declared. 81 don't believe 1 am suffering
from what you call sweil-head. You see,
I have really done nothing but Belle Of
New York Between ourselves am long
ing for an opportunity in something new.
1t Is nice to be with such a big success.
but feel am getting mechanical. and
that Is rather dreadful, don't you think?
They talk of following The Belle with
An American Beauty'-rewritten, and
quite another American Beauty than that
which Lillian Russell adorned. OF course
| l can't sing like Lillian Russell, but am
anxious to try my hand at new part"
That struck me as being a very favor
| able symptom. Miss May was not resting
lazily upon her laureis. Please note that
fact.
zone Of these days hope to come back
to New York." she went on. "I have not
forgotten 1t, although as 1 was not so very
successful there can't help being satis-
fed with London, can I? London has been
lovely to me, and I adore living here. 1t
is quiet, and so charming. can't help
thinking London audiences are much din
der than those Of New York. II they like
you they are enthusiastic; II they don't
like you they try to make you feel that It
Is their fault, and not yours. Londoners
can't do enough to make you happy. And
society here Is open handed. In New York
the swells look upon you as pardonable
bblots. They go to see you, but they are.
very sorry for you. They wouldn't dream
of asking you to their houses. Ask a mere
actress to the fi-e-side-nevcr! Here they
appear to regard you as a superior being.
They want you at the theatre. and they
want you at home. When you sing at
their houses they trea. you as though you
were a cherished guest. In a word, they
are delightful. Imagine poor little Edna
May shining for royalty! And yet on Sun
day night am to sing before the Duke
and Duchess Of York! 1 am going to
sing a Russian song, translated for me by
Laurence Irving. 1t has never been sung
before"
Miss May babbled on effervescently. In
vain did 1 look for signs of cerebral in
fiation. There were none. She might have
been llssome dairy maid, talking of
COWS.
"Of course never minded all that talk
about my rise from the chorus" she said,
presently; 'tbut now that I have risen
might as we'll set things right. AS mat
ter OF fact, 1 have never been in the cho-
rus in my life. I had small part in Ham
merstein's Santa Maria and 1 was pro-
grained as Edna May Petite When I
met Mr.. LederT he said he would give me
a part in The Belle Isaid to him, no
chorus If you please But 1 sat among
the chorus girls, and he told me that 1
should understudy my present part, as the
lady who was engaged to sing 1t wouldn't
appear at rehearsels. I never knew that
he meant me to sing 1t until the last mo-
ment. had sung The Lost Chord for
him, and he liked my voice. 1t was a
great surprise to me; also a great chance.
But 1t is not true that Mr.. Lederer taught
me every movement and GESTURE, as he has
said that he did, in New York and Lon
don. 1t is absolutely not true
one way or the other. But she wisely said
nothing until shehad madeher success, and
allowed all sorts of rumors to circulate. 1t
Is however, just as we'll to correct proof
before history is made.
81 have had dozens of offers in London"
she went on. 'fbut Of course didn't listen
to them, as I am under contract to Led
erer. Sir Arthur Sullivan twice sent his
man to me about comic opera that l had
apparently suggested to him. And George
Edwardes- heard from George Ed
wardes a week after l had been in Lon
don. Yes, 1 rally think Amrican girs have
better voices than English women. And
AFRICANS have more style about them, and
that Is why they are so popular. There
are not very many here. OF course Marie
is always lovely, but 1 don't be-
lieve she will stay upon the stage much
longer. She Is married, and she married
we'll"
would you leave the stage under those
?'-my only impertinence.
Edna May laughed. ''No 1 don't believe |
that I could live without it." she replied. |
"Jt Is all so new and delightful to me. I |
suppose am spoiled, because you know it |
Is really a picnic staying so long in one !
place. living there. and simply driving TO |
the theatre when 1t Is time to go on. No: !
l have taken no lessons in singing. I /
have no time to devote to 1t. They tell |
me that my voice has improved and has /
increased In volume. That mey be. You |
see, in New York, after long rehearsels |
and hard work, was a little bit tagged /
out. Now 1 am at my best. and hope |
that fact shows. On she said. jubilantly, |
'Londoners are dear things. just thing !
Of the ovation that Lydia Thompson got! !
Most of them had forgotten all about her /
It was years since she had appeared. But /
at her benefit the artists gave their ser
vices and thepublic their money. and Mss /
Thompson must have felt that life was
worth living"
The yong comic opera girl rejecting up |
On the finale Of the comic opera girl ap-
pealed to me rather dramatically. What
1 picture ofthebegining and the end-EdnA
May. young. pretty and enthusiastic. high
y salaried; Lydia Thompson. old once
pretty. disillueioned and publicly "bene-
ittedT' These are the contrasts that ole
meets everywhere in life. but particularly
IN the stage.
Those stories that you read about me
n thedailies," Edna resumed. ARE lot
,akes. You are 4 suspicious person.
Know. But it is quite true that a youHz
Salvation rmy girl came 20 see me the
'ther day. She had been saved herself.
The said, and she wanted 20 save me- II
5 also true that little boy N the gal
cry threw me a handful Of coppeTs the
,tfler night and ernlarrarsed me so dread-