The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-05-02
The chorus eirl in Private Lite.

dancers are dressed to represent mar
luises in front and beggars behind the
real true life of the chorus girl is one
Of vivid contrasts and of savage di-
serslty. Behind thu Spotlights she is a
rhn-g of beaGtS, a Joy forever, a muse
Of the light fantastic toe a smiling,
iimpiing flashing, fascinating sort of
plaything that irresistibly reminds
1ne OF cold bottles and hot birds, of
1ete-a-tete dinners, and the darling in
discretions that flesh is heir to.
But the reverse of the picture repre-
5ents the true life of the chorus girl
twenty hours out of the twenty-four.
Poorly paid, i'll advised, without nat
lral protectors, and the natural game
Of the men who line the way to and
from the stage door. their whole career
from the moment that they accept an
engagement is one of battle with hard
uck, adversely and temptation.
Almost every girl in every grade Of
society has a desire at some period OF
her life to go on the stage. Some of
hem really do go, and of that some
probably SO per cent are sick of their
bargain before the end of the first sea-
son. But generally 1t is too late then.
Ehey have cast their lines on the Rialto
and the glamour of the wings. the late
hours, the Bohemian life have them in
their grasp, and they eat their porridge
% the last terrible spoonful.
Yes" said a chorus girl. when I
asked her about her life, lit is a hard
)ne, fearful one, but
There she stopped, and the but said
volumes. For always just ahead Of
he chorus girl, with her S12 or SIS a
week salary, is the post of show girl,
With $40 week more and a name on
he bill. That is the goal for which
hey strive, and sacrifice, and work.
But 1t is when they return home late
1t night to the cheap lodgings. where
hey throw themselves on their chair,
100 utterly tired to go to bed they
thew the cud Of remorse. repentance
DR. despair for whole hours before ma
ure administers her divine anaes-
hetic.
1t was only recently that a beautiful
md talented girl was found in her
DOM starving, literally starving to
leath. She had lost her position some
weeks before, and the small sum that
ihe had saved from her previous en-
-agement had rapidly disa ppeared.
Then she had gone from agency to
lgency, again and again. with her plea
or work. She failed. Then she turned
o that mecca of despair-the pawn
broker. Her few trinkets. her small
took Of clothes, her poor little posses
sons, went one by one. She ate cruSts
IF bread and drank water. Yet all the
fn1e she reserved her best dress. for it
vas her stock in trade to look well
when she presented herself before the
igents to ask for a place. One agent
old her that she looked too glum to
make a good chorus girl She must
mile and smile, even though hunger
vas gnawing at her vitaIs. For the
public must be amused: it must see
hat the swaying line behind the foot
lights is the picture Of good natured
ollity and light hearted gayety. A
'horus girl without smile is like a
oOtman in a SLOUGH hat-something
TRANCE, startling and curious
So the poor little girl, with her rare
beauty. her exquisite grace, her look
IF Dresden china, and her well edu-
ated mind, was compelled to drag
long day after day. without work
without hope. and without sympathy.
Tor the chorus girl. if she is determined
o save her good name. has few friends.
even those of her own sex are avoided
nd distrusted, while the friends of
he opposite sex are dreaded.
Al last the day came when she was
90 i'll from want of food to rise from
Ter bed, dress, look pleasant and go
round to the agencies and the the
tres on a chance of an engagement.
hat day passed without food The
ext day was worse, for she was sicker.
he third day the landlady of the
iouse, not hearing her, went to the
DOM and found her all but dying from
tarvation. Then a hue and cry was
aised amongst the players. She had
sked for work and had been refused.
Vow that she was nearly dead a relief
ommittee was organized. Actors and
managers fell over each other in their
agerness to be of use. The case was
dvertised broadcast in the papers and
veryone knew It, A handsome sum
vas realized for the girl. and, broken
health and with terrible memories
behind her, she took a train for her
Western home, a wreck of her former
elf, after just eighteen months of bat
le with fame, as it is known in the
horus.
Still the chorus girl must smile.
Hunger, death, privation, loss of all
hat one holds dear in this world is an
Incident that the manager pays no
ttention to- Look pleasant and be
minated" Then crawl home to bed
nd sleep if you can.
From the moment a girl enters the
horus of a musical comedy her life
eases to be her own. First she must
ttend rehearsals. These are some
ines held all day long and until late
the evening. SO her spare time is
ell filled with work. When she arises
the morning she makes her own
reakfast by cooking some tea and per-
APPS an egg or two on the little gas
tove that she has in her room. She
ats her bread without butter and
ften goes without sugar in her tea or
Office. Then for a hasty toilet
The chorus girl is usually too poor
afford from her-own purse a room
18th a bath. SO the bathing part of the
oilet is skimped bit. aTki the basin
nd towel do the best part of the work.
he ic 11Nv q email ho1
Dom. and one visited a short time ago
-as typical Of the class. A cheap in
rain carpet covered the floor. The
urniture was painted to initiate ma
ogany. The bed was a small iron
fair, painted white, and with covers
Indifferent cleanliness. A patchwork
uilt was thrown across the foot of
be bed. The window had shade, but
0 curtain.
On the bureau were various articles
toilet scattered in helpless, hopeless 4
onfusion. Rabbits feet and grease
amt We're mingled with old gloves.
orn socks, bits of ribbon, empty candy
oXes and a greasy plate that had held
couple of ham sandwiches the night
efore. The walls were decorated with
heap chromos, the property of the
ndlady, for chorus girls are too much
irds of passage TO be burdened with
aggage of that description.
Clothes were everywhere. 1t was a
morning that the girl had to herself,
nd she was making use of it to darn
ne holes i'm her stockings and mend
he rents in her gowns. Click, click
ent her needle in the bit of white
ngerie that she was mending. and
lick. click went her tongue. She told
her home down in the quiet Penn
vlvania town where she had been
orn. How she had sung well at
hurch festival. How some Of her ad-