Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-23
TAKEN UP BY SOCIETY
Prominent Thespians Re
ceived" in New York.
PREJUDICE rs WANING
MANY APPEAR" ON PURELY
COMMERCIAL BASIS.
Glass of Successful Young Actresses
Admitted on q Basis Of
Social Equality.
PREJUDICE rs WANING

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
NEW YORK, January -. 1904.
New York society has never evinced any
very pronounced disposition to take up
theatrical personages. This is the one re-
spect in which New York society has not
sought to initiate the swell mob" OF Lon
don. A number of stage figurantes have
had a brief whirl on the outskirts, as 1t
were, of New York society. but none OF
them, until very recently. has been admit
ted on equal terms to the holy of holes
Nine. Bernhard was frequently to be seen
in the drawing rooms Of New York during
her visits here. but she was had" more as
a curiosity Of genius and person" OF
worldwide distinction in the realm of art
than as a social equar'-to employ term
beloved of New York's most exclusive So
ciety. They gave the divine Sarah the tips
of their fingers and smiled upon her patron
izingly. AS often as not the bronze-haired
Frenchwoman failed to see those finger tips
thus condescendingly extended. looked quite
through the patronizing ones, and passed
them by with curling lip. At length she
ceased altogether to respond to invitations
to New York houses where she felt con-
WINGED she would be looked upon as sort
ways buried under social invitations when
he is in New York, but 1t may be observed
that the invitations were few and far be-
tween before he acquired his "Sir."
He scarcely "goes out" at all. however,
while on his professional tours on this side,
being aware, for one thing. Of the necessity
for conserving his energies, for Sir Henry
Is not so young as he used to be- The
Rejane, the DuSe, were quite ignored by
New York society when on their profess
side
a long line of eminently respectable theat-
rfcal ancestors, has made occasional ap-
pearances in some of the good houses OF
New York, for which he has always ap-
peared to be appropriately grateful Like
other actors even of his respectable cult,
however, he has failed to make much head
way among the men who are high In the
social affairs of New York, the old dictum
holding fast over here, and bidding fair
to stay held for a long while to come
Doors Closed Against Mrs. Langtry.
The New York society portals have been
closed to the once-received Mrs. Langtry
for great many years. A disposition was
shown to take up Mrs. Pat Campbell
when she was in New York. but, appre-
hending the probable terms of the patron
age, Mrs. Pat" quite decidedly declined to
be took up Word of her balkiness passed
around and in consequence New York So
ciety resolutely refused to go to the theater
to. see her. Mrs. Pat as a natural Sc
quence. was exceedingly severe In her stric-
lures upon New York society when she re-
turned to perfidious Albion. thereby gaining
the affection of the stodgy and incoherent
Marie CorelH person. whose hatred of
America and Americans is little short of an
obseSsion.
Coquelin, the plastic-faced French actor,
was shown" in some New York drawing
rooms when he was here. and the mellow
and experienced matrons of upper tendon
quite enjoyed his violent and, seemingly
wholly uncontrollablef 1irtatiousness Among
the singers Jean and Edward De Reszke
were often to be seen in the best houses
of New York, but their presence was known
TO De on strictly commercial basis. The
enough to smile and phrase their way
through an ornate drawing room for a
couple of hours and to graciously accede
to the general demand for vocal music
when the prearrangement consisted of a
check for three or four thousand dolla rs
for their evening out" The women singers
nave made frequent appearances in New
YORK society under exactly the same condf
tons Melba, Eames. Nordfca. Sembrich-
all have been taken up" at various times
by New York society, but always with the
explicit understanding that they found II
out OF the question from every point of
view. not neglecting the hygienfc, to sing
OUT OF mere deiirf0us gratitude for being
had thorough advance understanding that
they did not sing for their health In the
music rooms of wealthy houses any more
imam on the operate stage. A good MANY
connection "a 'iiiS
We should so love to have Won at our
daughters coming-out on Thursday evening
next! a powerful matron of New Yora's
ente once remarked. somewhat gushingly,
TO a very famous song bird, whose ART
with an upper-case A, was dovetailed with
an amazingly clever business sense.
fes!' said the singer. You may see
my manager. then I do not know whether
am at liberty on Thursday evening or
not At any rate. he will inform You "a
10 that. and as to-the terms"
TO summarize. personages of the dra-
matte or operate stage have rarely or never
been admitted to the close cornoratJon
known as the 400 or the 600, or whatever
the number may now be, Of New York ax
cept as lions or Honesses, to be gazed al
foI brief moment and then shunted into
OBLIVION. or upon the straight sordid basis
OF giving value received, in the form of
entertainment. to the companies with whom
they mingled.
Jealousy Over Miss Barrymore.
This Is why there is said to be a great
deal of heartburning among the female
stage personages ''at the top Of the pro-
fession" over the warmth and enthusiasm.
not to say the acclaim, with which Miss
Ethel Barrymore has been taken up by
New York society this year. 1t is not put
ting 1t too strongly to say that for some
months past Miss Barrymore has boon
the toast" of New York swelldom of
both sexes. She is invited everywhere.
and no notable function" seems to be
complete without her. She possesses the
rare faculty of making herself as popuIar
among women as among men, and she has
been taken up" by New York's most ex-
allied upper crust upon terms not only en-
tirely equal. but upon any terms she may
elect to dictate. She Is not, however. dc
tatorial. and she glides along famouslg as
the rage of the salons. The queens reg
nant Of society's numerous and shifting
domains eagerly strive to have her at their
affairs. and she Is compelled to turn
down. five times as many invitations as
she accepts. The wiseacres and mental
matchmakers are predicting a very great
marriage for Miss Ethel Barrymore, and It
must be admitted that there are many
more far-fetched representations in Cir
culation.
The young woman shows not the slightest
tendency to lose her head over the wholly
amount of attention and
fiattery bestowed upon her. Outside of the
fact that 1t Is something unusual for New
York society to adopt theatrical peopIe.
there Is nothing to marvel over lit connec-