The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-01

other occupations for Women?"
In looking over these letters from the
gentle Unknown I find that ques-
ton No. 8 is asked by a Mrs. Someone
more often than by the more impulsive
and less thoughtful girl writer-and 1t
is put with frequency and earnestness.
Of course there is nothing authorita-
tive in these answers of mine-nothing
absolute. They are simply the opinions
of one woman, founded upon personal
experience and observation. We must,
of course, to begin with. eliminate the
glamour of the stage-that strange,
false lustre, as powerful as it is intan-
gible, and consider acting as a practi-
cal occupation, like any other. And
then find that in trying to answer the
questions asked, I am compelled after
all to turn to a memory.
I had been on the stage two years,
when one day met a schoolmate. Her
father had died and she too was work.
ing, but she was surely envious of my
occupation. / earnestly explained the
demands stage wardrobe made upon
the extra pay / drew-that in actual
fact she had more money for herself
than I had. Again, l explained that
rehearsals, study and preparation OF
costumes required time almost equal to
her working hours, with the night work
beside-but she would not be convinced.
"Oh, don't you see, she cried; Il am
at service-that means m dependent
7 labor for another. You Serve-yes,
hut YOU labor for yourself" and 10! she
had placed her stubby little finger upon
the sore spot in the workingwoman'
very heart when she had devined that
in the independence of an actress lay
her great advantage over other work.
ers.
OF course this independence is not
absolute-but then how many men
there are already silver haired at desk
or bench or counter. who are still I'M
der the authority of an employer. Like
these men, the actress independence is
comparative, but measured by the
bondage of other workingwomen, 1t is
very great. We both have duties to
perform for which we receive given
wage-yet there is difference. The
working girl is expected to be supser-
yient-she is too often regarded as
menial-she is ordered. An actress
even of small characters-is considered
a necessary part of the whole. She as
sists-she attends-she obliges. Truly
a difference. Again: Women shrink
with passionate 'repugnance from re-
ceiving orders from another woman
witness the rarity of the American 90
nestle A pity? Yes, but what else
can you expect. The Americans are
dominant race. Free education has
made all classes too nearly equal for
one woman to bend her neck willingly
and accept the yoke of servitude offer
ed by another woman.
And even this is spared to the &C
tress, since her directions are more Of
ten received from stage manager or
manager, than from a woman star.
True, her life is hard, she has no home
comforts-but then she has no heavy
duties to perform-no house work, bed
making, sweeping, dish washing or
clothes washing, and when her work is
done, she is her own mistress. She
goes and comes at her own will-sne
has time for self Improvement, but
best of all she has something to look
forward to. There is great adVan-
tage over girls of other occupations
who have such a small chance OF ad-
vancement.
Some impetuous young reader who
speaks first and thinks afterward, may
cry out that / am not doing justice to
the profession of acting-even that L
discredit it, in thus comparing 1t with
humble and somewhat mechanical
avocations; so before I go further, lit
tie enthusiasts, let me remind you OF
the wording of this present question
1t does not ask what advantage has
acting over other professions, over
arts, but What advantage has it over
other. occupations for women"
very sweeping inquiry, you see;
hence this necessary comparison with
shop, factory and Office work. AS to the
other professions, taking, for In
stance, law or medicine, prepar-
atoms for practice must be very
costly. y girl puts her family
to a great strain to pay her college
expenses, G.. If some family friend adj
vances funds, when she finally passes
all the dreaded examinations and has
the legal right to hang out her shin
gle" she starts in the race of life hand
icapped with crushing debts.
The theater is, think, the only place
where a salary is paid to students, dur
ing all the time they are learning their
rofessicn-surely great, wonderful
advantage over other professions, to De
self-sustaining from the start.
Then the arts-but, ahl life is short
and art-dear Lordl Art is long. al
most unto Eternity And she who
serves it needs help-much help, ana
then must wait, long and YEARLY, for
the worlds responses and recognition
that even If they come, are apt TO De
somewhat uncertain, unless they can be
cut on a marble tomb-then they are
quite positive and hearty. But in the
art of acting the responses and recog-
milton come swift as lghtning-sweet
as nectar, while you are young enough
to enjoy and make still greater efforts
to improve and advance. So, 1t seems
to me, the great advantage of acting
over work, is ones independence-one.s
opportunity to improve oneself. Its ad-
vantage over the professions is. that
II is self sustaining from the start lts
advantage over the arts, is its swift
reward for earnest endeavor.
1t must be very hard to endure the
contempt so often bestowed upon the
woman who simply serves. had 1T
tie taste of it once myself, and though
II was given me by accident. and apollo
gies and laughter followed remember
quite we'll that even that tiny taste
was distinctly unpleasant. yes, ana
bitter. l was abroad with some very
intimate friends, and Mrs. P. Can In
VALID, owing to a mishap was for some
days without a maid. We arrived IN
Paris hours behind time-late at night,
and went straight to our reserved
rooms, seeing no one but some sleepy
servants. Early next morning, going TO
my friends apartments, / came upon