Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-14

tunes have been swept away; ambitious, en-
ergeuc young women from the vast, ard
intelligent girls of good New England fami-
lies. Always 1t is the same tale They
came to New York intending to make their
living by other means, and with no knowl-
edge of the conditions against which they
must contend. And when their original
plans fell through they turned to a means
of livelihood which is always open 20 one
with a beautiful face or figure, no matter
how inexperienced she may be.
A West Virginia Belle
Take. for instance the story Of Miss Julia
Middleton. who has been one of the most
popular models among New York artists
this year. She was a West Virginia belle
and comes from one of the most exclusive
families of that state. When her father a
prominent lawyer, met with reverses a
year ago, she was obliged to become a
bread-Winner. Like many another girl hey
thoughts turned to the metropolis as the
place where fortunes made in a day
She decided to journey thither and go on
the stage.
BY a singular chance, a few weeks be-
fore leaving home, Miss Middleton happen
ed to read an article in one of the maya
zines OF the month upon the work of an
artists model. 1t described how many
models posed for one thing only-hands
lace. neck and shoulders, arms or figure
whatever was most beautiful about her
MISS Middleton has the most wonderful red
hair-hair with a natural wave which
never leaves it. even in the dampest
weather And she said to herself then:
well. II L don't succeed in getting on the
stage in New York, 1 need never starve,
for L can make my fortune posing for my
hair"
She little thought at the time that this
was a lest in sober earnest. But months
afterward. when she had tried and tried
IN vain to get position behind the foot
lights. and when it became necessary To
he
magazine article, and started out among
the studios to look for work
Alter all. 1t was her hair that proved her
fortune AS she was going down on the
elevator in the Sherwood building on the
hrst day of her quest of employment Miss
Helen Watson Phelps. the most celebrated
woman painter of the nude in America,
happened to pass in the hall and caught a
glimpse of the FURNISHED gold beneath her
nat. Every one knows Miss Phelps' pref-
erence for red hair in her pictures She
ran over to the grating and called down to
the man running the car: IF that younp
iady Is model | want to see her at once"
Such was the beginning of Miss Middle
ton s success.
From the West Indies.
Another model who owed her start in
life to Miss Phelps was beautiful young
woman. native of the West Indies. She
came to New York thinking 1t would be an
easy matter to earn her living teaching
competition she would meet in this line as
she was of the fact that her French accent
was simply atrocious. Miss Phelps met
TINS young woman on the steamer coming
from the West Indies. and recognized the
disappointment in store for her She adj
Vlseo her to take to posing, if she could not
OBTAIN pupils. and promised her work.
me girl was confident of success then
When the steamer stopped at Staten Island
she leaned compacently over the rail and
said condescen9ngly:
isn't it?" ''
However, she soon learned. One day she
knocked at Miss Phelps studio door. sad
and discouraged. Before long she had he
come the rage among the artists
A New England Maid.
Then there was a sweet little New Eng
land maiden who came to New York a few
months ago to teach the authorities at the
celebrated Pratt Institute in Brooklyn
something entirely new in free-hand water
color sketching. She anticipated that 1t
really wouldn't be a week before she had
convinced them how superior her way was
to theirs, and had formed classes which
would pay her splendidly for their en-
lfghtenment. Alas! She was the one to-
learn. She learned that her work was
neither new nor creditable-that she was at
the mercy Of a strange city without the
slightest knowledge that would help her to
earn cent She had a pretty figure and
was offered money to pose for class at
interest In her. gave her a list of several
artists to whom she might safely apply for
work
At the first studio at which she knocked