Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-20

morning In the echoolroofn, which Is
fitted up at the back Of the enormous
stage wherein 30 many great actors
have played In past generations. This
room is provided with all the access
sories 70 make II look as much like an
ordinary day schoolroom as possible,
and the system OF education IL similar
10 that OF an ordinary school. The
children are divided into grades ac-
cofding TO their educational attain.
ments, and they have their lessons set
them by a certiicated school ma'am.
Their hours are from a. m. to II.
and four days a week are devoted 10
reading, history, writing and arithmetic.
The remaining days are devoted TO
special subjects, such as geography,
map drawing, and English literature.
The rudiments OF music and physical
drill are not taught to stage children
by the school board authorities, as they
receive instruction while rehearsing
their parts. IN these departments Of
education.
Very few OF the children at Drury
Lane have speaking parts. Most Of
them take the part OF toys, birds and
insects In the ballots, work for which
they receive, for an afternoon and
evening performance daily, a sum rang
Ing from s2.50 TO IS a week,
At the Vaudeville, many Of the chill
dren have more important parts 10
play. and are accomplished miniature
actors and actresses. They are all we'll
dressed and look clean. happy strong
and well fed. Both boys and girls are
remarkable for their good looks. for
only pretty children have any chance
OF being engaged on the stage The
educational authorities report that the
attalnments and general knowledge OF
these little stage folk are quite equal to
children OF the same age who attend
school all day. and who are not other
wise employed. II is a strange ex-
perlence TO hear children OF IL and 10
talking with grave professional air
or their engagements the newspaper
notices they have received and the
celebrities they have met. The girls In
particular are precoclous, as a rule, al
though well behaved, and seem like
young women Of 20, with the bodies
of little children. The stage, however,
has no effect, one schoolmistress sor-
rowfully remarked in changing the
nature OF the boys. They were as
troublesome, noisy and miscbIeyous.
she said, as the ordinary variety OF
small boy. The keen observer how
ever. can detect difference In the
boys department when they are at
play. Instead Of having games like
tag" ball and tops amongst them
selves, they dance very gracefully and
assume poses and bow TO each other
In a most courtly style.
One little fair-haired girl named
Rosie Campbell. aged IL, told the writ
or she had been on the stage for five
years, during which period she had
acted with Mrs, Patrick Campbell,
Forbes Robertson, Seymour Hicks and
Ellaline Terriss. She was once at
command performance" of Dickens's
"Scrooge' at Sandrlngham, and was
introduced TO queen Alexandra, who
shook hands with her and gave her a
basket OF fruit. Another little girl
named Winnie Hall who has played
leading ohildrens parts, such as the
Dormouse In Alice in Wonderland"
astonished me by observing that she
had met the late Queen Victoria five
years ago.
Nearly all the children at the Vaude-
Vile theater have been continuously
employed at salaries ranging from
$3.50 to SIS weekly for the last four
years, and most of the girls wear little
lockets, containing small pieces OF
cake, which formed part OF the cake
Queen Alexandra gave them PERSONAL
ly when they played In Quality
Street" at Windsor Castle, by royal
command, The boys. however, possess
no such mementoes, and on being ques-
toned one sturdy lad named Albert
Valchera. who earns $l7.5O weekly al
though he is not yet Is. said. THAT
cake was too good to stick In locket,
We ate all ours quick, | can tell you"
Curiously enough, the boys when
they grow up, seldom stick to the
stage, but go into business. The girls,
however. rarely quit the footlights, and
often become famous actresses. Ellen
Terry Ellaline Terrlss, and many 9TH
er celebrities of the English stage
started their career as fairies In pam
Iomlme when three or four years old.
MARSHALL LORD,