The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-17
HORACE LANCASTER.

last seasons gown with the same eagle eve
that detects a flaw in her acting. No ready
to-wear frocks for the star, or the leading
woman, but gowns fresh from the man.
tailor, and gowns from Paris. Even her
negligees must be marvels Of handwork
and lace, lest she be caught unawares by
newspaper caller
She may not walk, like the humble
chorus girl, to and from the theater A
carriage must be at her command night
and day Neither may she stay at an
1umpIe boarding house. and thus save
money TO send home to mother or the bank
For her the star suite In the best hotel
in other words, she must live up to the
reputation that the public has given her
purely as a matter of advertisement The
star must tip every one. from hotel stan to
theater attaches And she must never re-
fuse an appeal Every business man will
ADMIT that charity appeals are tremendous
drain on his resources-and yet he dare not
turn them down, lest his standing as a
merchant be hurt. Just so the actress is
logged from one end of the country to an
other with appeals of all sorts. If she re-
fuses. the story soon travels through the
profession that she is failure.
And lifting the curtain lust a little
farther, you catch a glimpse of the more
personal expenses which the actress al
most invariably has. Not only is she the
bright particular artistic star on the stage,
but the financial star of her family Very
few stars are born with the silver spoon
at their lips. gold spoon is practically
unheard of. In fact, the social evolution
of our profession is not only an interesting
study. but a real tribute to the versatility
| OF It's women. Most of us have had to
work our way up, financially and artistic
| ally.
L can honestly say that of all the ac-
| tresses | have known, fully 999 out of a
thousand have had heavy family burdens
4 TO carry. l recall the family history of one
| well-known stage woman which is really
| pathetic. All during her climbing days
days when the anxiety of unappreciated
| effort and frequent disappointments would
have discouraged anyone but an ambitious
| girl-she eked out a support also for her
rather When at last, she met comparative
| luxury and success, and felt that she could
breathe more easily, and work her way
| toward stardom (and believe me the path
TO stardom is usually strewn with dollars
| spent in one form or another) her father
| In his dOtage married q young and schem.
| ing woman who in the prospective
+, star a mine OF wealth and comfort foI
| herself. The shrewish tongue of the step
| mother and her indiscretions make it i'm
| possible for the actress to live under the
| FAMILY tree. and out of her earnings she
| supports two distinct establishments
| Still another case / recall Is of a young
| high-strung, sensitive girl who, on leaving
| the stage door one afternoon, was confront
ed by two children, barefoot and otherwis,
| ill-clad Please" said the boy, stepping
| forward. Aunt Nellie, mamma sent u.
| down and says won't you please get u.
| some new clothes before you leave town p
4
| her, the girl hurried the two children into
| her dressing room. The next day / wen
| with her 10 buy complete outfits for thos,
| children, who were the son and daughter q
a worthless cousin. who, knowing the girl,
| pride, had attached himself like a leech Il
| her purse strings. She said the children
| probably had better clothes. but the parent!
| had used this effective method of shamins
| her into giving assistance. Every family
| has its skeleton, and il often costs tn,
| actress round sum to keep hers out o.
| sight. The sin may not rest upon her head
| but as in the case just cited. ii thrust
| itself upon her and she is forced 10 hide IL
| The woman in private life has everythin,
to assist her in the gentle art of economy
| Not so the actress. Everything in her lif
| tends in the opposite direction. One-nigh
| stands, constant travelling rehearsals OF
| dirty stages. all play havoc with her clothes
| and she has neither time opportunity I,
| practice those l0l economies in renovatin,
| her garments that are VOuchsafed tn
| woman in private life So when the public
| rises to remark, Behold the actress on IN,
stage, she tolls not neither does she spin
| yet she has money TO throw at modiste
and milliners,' let ii bear In mind that tn
| same actress may have yearnings in tn
| direction of "A bank account which circum
stances, her managers and the public II
self will not permit her TO crafty.