The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-10
Curb and Guher|


In the small, cheap music hall beside
the public house the usual East end
throng were gathered. In the gallery
were the boys and the girls with their
sweethearts. Sometimes the girls paid
when the boys had no money; there is no
false pride on that score. In the body Of
the hall sat rows of working men; small
clerks We're there also; mates Of the
ships, for it is a, riverside place: and a
company whose various occupations may
be guessed as long as the observer
pleases because he will never succeed IN
finding out.
Among them this evening sat two OF the
upper sort; the company recognized them
as class they sat together on one of
the foremost benches and they looked
about them; they looked at the audience
more than at the stage; they had come
to that music hall with the purpose of
looking at the people, not of hearing the
songs.
Presently one of them got up. I'VE
have had enough he said, '-let US GO. j"
Stop for this next turn. See, it's a girl
this time, sit down again. The funny
man retires at last"
Amidst a rapturous shouting Of Liz:
Liz the girl came on quietly. She did
not bound on the stage like the ordinary
dancing girl, with a flare and a wave OF
the hands, nor did she swim on grace
fully with a sweet smile like the singing
woman. She emerged quietly from the
side looking very serious and rather aExi-
Gus. She was quite young girl, not mere
than fifteen or so. She was dressed in a
short white skirt provided by the Inen-
agement, and in pink tights She had not
made up" her face so that she looked
horribly pale in the strong gas ligat: her
hair and her eyes were black; she wore
terrible fringe over her forehead; and
she had long white gloves hiding most
Of her arm; it would have been as well
if the glove had hidden the whole Of
that limb, because what was revealed was
red and suggested work with sleeves
tucked up.
Liz! Liz! Liz" they cried
one Of our gals said a young fellow
of the clerkly profession Two or three
of them do their turn at the halls "!
Liz! Liz! She's the cleverest. Listen!
she's going to sing. She can sing, too,
and she can dance round you" The or
chestra struck up a lively measure and
the girl began. She had a rough voice.
uncUltivated but strong. The high notes
were good and full, the quality of the
voice was quite good, and she sang in
tune.
1t was a sentimental dftty that she
gave her audience. When she finished
they cried for more She struck up a
song Of the comic kind. 1t demanded
tfTat terrible gift the power Of "arch-
ness" The girl tried to be arch; she was
SO young and 50 badly trained that the
desired effect failed but the people knew
the song and bawled the chorus, and did
the archness for themselves. Then the
orchstra played another tune, and she
began to dance 1t was a curious dance,
apparently of her own invention. 1t be-
gan with the figure which you may see
performed by the children in the neigh
bOrhoOd of Drury Lane on the Asphalt.
to the barrel organ. This figure is the
first taught to their elder sister in the
corps de ballet. The girl on the stage
went through it conscientiously, holding
her skirts and pointing her feet quite
properly. Then She changed her dance
and broke into something very much like
a hornpipe, or perhaps it was a break
down.
Liz! Liz! Lizr shouted the enraptured
company. She bowed gravely and re-
ured. Liz! Liz" But she would not
come on again. 81 told you" SAL the
young clerk to his friend, Liz! Liz! Liz
that she could dance and sing Now you
see. Liz! Lizr'
We have found an artist" said one
of the gentlemen to his friend
Your geese are all swans as usual"
with great gifts If | know voice
When 1 near 1t, she has one; if | can
recognize fine ear, she ha- it, if /
understand dancing she is a danseuse.
She looks artistic through and through.
[ couldn't see her finger tips, but am
sure they have the true artistic shape"
GO and make her acquaintance then,
over glass CT beer"
She is the sort of girl" continued the
man of observation, that one would
like to make a lady"
She is already a lady They are all
ladies except the men who are all gentle
men"
"A highly bred and refined gentle
woman"
"Oh! cOme-cOme'
Take her out of this rabble." He
looked about the room; his eyes fell on a
lad behind him. This noisy, vulgar ra b.
Bile. Surround her with an atmosphere
of gentle companions, gentle manners
gentle speech, gentle ideas. Train these
talents Of hers. Then you Shall see the
value of that heredity you talk about so
much
Come his companion took him by
the arm, ''leU US catch a tram or a bus
or something and get away west"