The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-01-13
IN THE ORESSING-ROOM.
Mildred Irving Has a Chat With Mrs.
BoucicauIt al Keith's.
The Charming Actress Talks Brightly While
Attending 10 Her Make Up.

through more conservative and colder
glasses"
So spoke the city editor; and hied
me to the theatre where found the lady
I'm the star dressing room in the midst
of preparations for the stage. / was
determined TO meet all the requirements
OF conservatism and TO write my inn
presions on "A block of ice, If necessary;
but when Mrs. BoucicaGlt advanced To
meet me as 1 was shown into her room,
/ waYered for moment between duty
and personal inclination. Woman
though | was, she had captured me at
the first advance. So | realized for "A
moment; but i braced up, mentally
chilled my feelings. steeled my nerves
and proceeded to the business Of doing
up one of my own sex with that delight
full frankness and that quick and deep
perception of their weak points OF
which we are capable.
I'm really delighted TO see YOU" she
said, as she extended a white hand
that an artist would rave over, though
of course | did not permit myself 10
yield TO the spell OF it's magnetic and
kindly grasp. Really. youll have To
forgive me If ! keep right on with my
makeup while i listen 10 you; and, do
YOU know, / think IL was awfully good
OF you. dear, to take the trouble 10 hunt
me up"
Think of what havoc that word
dear" would have wrought with the
male interviewer But with Newell,
| guess not not H. Perhaps she wouldD
have used IL 10 a him" however.
She turned her back to me, as she
spoke. and began at once to busy her
self with the mysteries or that greatest
OF all mysteries TO us ordinary mortals,
"make-up;" but in the mirror i saw
smile on her face and rougish look IN
her blue eyes that said TO me. PROOF
though / was against "woman's wiles,
that little word beware"
| put all my natural dignity into my
voice as said: But. Mrs. Boucicault.
/ came to listen to you. / want you To
tell me something about yourself and =
The dullest subject in the world for
one woman to hear another talk about,
she interrupted. as she half turned
round and smiled And then knew at
least one thing that had helped To
make that first impression on me. She
smiled just as much with her eyes as
with her face: and such eyes! So bright
and clear, so penetrating and yet so
soft. so full OF expression and possess
ing some peculiar power to hold your
own steadily fixed or hers until you
blush at the realization that you are
rudely staring at her. If the inter
viewer had been a man! But I--not
bit: was steeled for the fray.
Not i'm this case, / am sure. re-
Piled slightly relaxing my dignity. FOR
there must be much that would be in
teresting to the public-even II not TO
me-" I added, by way of fortifying my
self and emphasizing my womanly
character.
And then she laughed outright-just
the merriest kind Of a laugh: not loud.
but soft and musical and yet hearty,
the kind of a laugh that makes the us
tener forget every unpleasant thing
that ever occurred. the kind that keeps
ringing sweetly i'm your ears for hours
afterward and the kind that you would
rather like to have ring there for good
ness knows how long. My, If the inter-
viewer had been man.
We'll" she said and noted that her
voice was as sweet and soft as her
laugh and marvelously elastic. II may
so call IT, in it's capabilities for giving
the most delicate gradations of express
sion TO everything she said. II went
into vaudeville about a year ago. though
I have only played a Proper Impropri-
ety. which I am doing here at Keith's
this week, about a month. like vaude-
vile ever so much, and ii liz treat in
deed 10 play in such a magnificent
house as this, which is quite the equal
of any in the circuit; but IL does come
rather hard TO play twice day. SIX
days in the week especially II one feels
quite under the weather. as l do this
week. / really don't know whether l
shall remain i'm vaudeville permanently
or not OF course. il pays well; but
there is the difficulty OF filling all your
time consedutively, and lay-off of a
week OF course takes off the profits, you
know. / am pleased with the very i'm
telligent and refined audiences one
finds in all Mr. Keith's houses; and, of
course, it's very gratifying to win their
approval"
All this time the makeup process
was going on: but 1 wondered at its
simplicity. | expected to see-for L
kept my eyes as wide open as my ears
"a liberal employment OF rouge and
other similar accessories of the toilet
and presto! the stage beauty! But, in
stead. there was only the most dainty
touch of a delicate rose tint. little
powder. Indeed, / might describe the
process as just a breath of complexion
blown on the fair cheeks, and all was
over; and 1 realized that such a COM
pIexion as that nature had provided
needed no artificial touch TO supple
ment its beauty. Then the least little
bit of Ginning" for the long eyelashes
and the gracefully arched brows. only
n moments attention To the wealth Of
fluffy golden hair the donning of that
magnificent beaded lace skirt over one
of black silk and then Of the loose
waist. precisely as III attring for an
evening at home; and the star was
ready to "go on" Then did ! realize
az never before. that i'm truth beauty
unadorned is adorned the most"
There. my dear" said She I'm sure
I've given you quite a nice little inter
view: and | know you can write up
something ever so much prettier than
ANYTHING I could possibly say. That's
what the interviewers always do isn't
il ?" and she gave me such am innocent
little smile that ! couldn't tell whether
It was real or whether she was only
acting"
Not always" 7 answered. "at least.
not I'm my case I'm sure | could never
do Justice 60 you.'
Horrors! 7 realized when too late
what I had done. No man interviewer
could have yielded more weakly. But
he'd said II and IL was too late TO re-
call g.: and while she picked up a few
things and arranged her dressing
room with as much dainty precision as
II she were not coming back i'm halt
hour TO turn Il upside down again.
bogttix. thouvht what had Caused my