The Washington times., 1906-05-20
X n m AIRY early and Of
80 NH ten; impossible TO
have too much Of
q good thing"

AZ have too much of
q good thing"
This would seem
on the face Of its marriage and d.
vorce record TO be the motto of
the theatrical profession. Evident
lv the mills of the gods. whereof
the poet sings, as grinding slowly,
are not the mills of the divorce
gods. For, year by year, these are
grinding faster and faster. Zach
successive season they seem to
grind at a higher gear. until the
nation has taken alarm at the case
and rapidity with which people
marry and are unmarried and mar
ry again within its borders.
II the day ever comes when
Uncle Sam does take a hand and
establish a national divorce law. IL
VIII undoubtedly be the theatrical
profession that VIII be hardest hit.
II holds the record in this matter
Of marriage and divorce. Dan
Cupid has played greater pranks
upon the men and women Of the
stage than among any other class
of people. And It IS not any one
class Of players who have fallen
victims 70 his wiles. The tragediau
succumbs as frequently as his
more frivolous comedian brother.
The Broadway star Is no more i'm
mune than the transformer. Nor
can either sex claim to have ac-
quired the more varied and pictur-
esque collection Of life partners.
Anything Ike a complete list Of
theatrical divorces and remarriages
Is out OF the question. Il would
require a special edition of The
Tines to carry it. Here are a few
OF them, the real footGght favor
ties, who have returned again and
again 10 the shrine of II lymen. With
a persistence worthy of a better
cause they have taken TO their
hearts that tiresome little copy
book aphorism, IF at first you
don't succeed" etc. And though
first results have been inharmoni-
Gus they have try, tried again"
1t is hard to say just who in the
theatrical profession really holds
the matrimonial record. Some of
them seem TO change their hus-
bands. or wives, almost as easily
as they change their clothes, and
Il Is hard to keep track Of the
changes. However. the first place
probably belongs to either Lillian
Russell or Lionel Lawrence. and
Mr.. Lawrence being a polite man
viii probably nrt quarrel with one
for putting the lady first. So here
goes:
Lillian Russell (Helen Louise
Leonard) has been known at vari-
Gus times as Mrs. Harry Braham,
Mrs. Edward Solomon and Mrs.
John Chatterton Cknown 10 theat-
ricals as Signor PeruginD. Her
daughter, Dorothy RusselI-Solo-
mon, sadly regrets the day that
made her Mrs. Abbott Einstein.
Now for Lionel Lawrence. whose
career is AT least equally pictur-
esque. One does not want 10 care
lessly thrust an extra life part
ner" or two upon any of ones fel-
low beings, but II really is a deli
cate matter keeping track of the
various Mrs. Lawrences. There
have been on the list Reata Win
field, Ernestine Kingston, Dorothy
Drew, Lottie Le Vypne. and three
or four more. The latest. not ueces-
ssrily the last, OF course. is. if
memory serves. Lillian Bond. Next.
Just at the time. by the way, that
Miss RusselIs career was at its
very zenith there died I'm Philadel-
phia a comic opera star who was
the Lillian Russell Of her time. She
was known 10 fame as Alice Oates.
one of the biggest favorites the
operate stage has ever known. As
Alice Merritt. she first married
James 4. Oates. and upon his death
she became Mrs. Tracy W. Titus.
y divorce followed, and at the time
Of her death. AT the early age Of
thirty-eight, she was Mrs. Samuel
T. Watkins.