The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-29
Rebel Howard, In London Mail.

Rebel Howard, In London Mail.
 Hysteria of the playhouse is quite a modern malady. It may be said to date from the production of ''The Second Mrs. Tanaueray." Before that time young girls were taken to the theater once a month by their indulgent brothers; nowa- days they go three times week by them- selves. The old-fashioned play-going girl, moreover. was healthy person, who regarded the theater as place of entertainment
 The modern glrl scorns to be amused at the theater. She wants to probe as deeply as possible into the mysteries of life; she wants to be depressed, rather than charmed to tears; sne wants, in short, to experience the hysterical dis tress of the mental dyspeptc.
 If you don't believe me. if you think l am overstating the case, Just run your eye along any row of the stalls when next you take into your head to witness the performance of a problem play. You will find the greater part of that row given up to pallid young women between the ages of twenty and thirty. Their hair you will observe, Is lank; their ex- pressions strained with eager; their dress severe; their fingers inclined to twitch, their lips compr essed.
 The picture, l grant you, is pitiful one, but 1t is still more pitiful when you contrast 1t with the appearance present. ed by the mothers of these girls when they, inturn, went to the play. That, you must remember, was forty or nfty years ago, when laughter was considered rather jolly. and tears the essence of sentimental delight. Rosy-cheeked play goers those, with dangerously bright eyes and ensnaringly gay /frocks. Little they troubled their heads about ugly sins and nauseating troubles. So long as the curtain was up, they lived in world of gallant deeds, courtly speeches sly glances, merry coquettings. harmless in- triaues, cruel irjustices, lighted wrongs. Not for them the feverish fingers that stray desparingly over the haggard face. The stage heroine beloved of our mothers was rogush. dimpled creature. who laughed at love until she cried. and ex- acted the utmost homage from the man of her heart.
 Our mothers. you see. had sufficient sense of humor to distinguish between theatrical pictures of life and the real lnlnB. w Hen lHcy ltit tHe tntdttis thty wrapped up their sentamentalities and put them aside until they should be again required.
 As rule, no doubt, they fell violently in love with the hero of the piece, but the signing, raphsodzing fellow passed out of their thoughts before they ap- peared at breakfast the following morn- ing. The play-going girl of today, how ever, is never really happy unless she can imagine herself in love with an &C., tor. If he happens to be trife con- sumptkve, so much the more ardent is her admiration. A large portrait of him hangs over her bed, another large por- trait stands on the mantelpiece of her bedroom; a miniature of him jogs about in her locket his autograph adorns the first page of her album.
 Sometimes when she Is very hysteri cal, indeed. the poor girl addresses let ter to her favorite actor. The little epis- tie, which is generally written on scent ed paper and edited by an admiring girl friend, assures him of her unbounded admiration, and wonders whether he would care for a photograph of the writer The letter poster, Miss Hysteria hurries of to gaze at her hero from her stall, and marvels that he should bear himself with all his usual dignity and self composure. Surely, with the know ledge that he is loved by some fair un- known one, he should sigh little. stam- mer little, or commit one of the many