The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-12-22
Madame Spectators Observations
By CATHERINE ALTMAN.

Actors and actresses often have hard
struggle educating the low brow public"
up 20 the heights Of their art. It is
sore trial to the leading lights Of the
profession 20 have TO play before an un-
appreciatIve audience, and read IN the
next mornings paper the verdant criti-
cisms fosome callow youth who looks
upon the profession Of acting as being
much on the same level with football.
baseball, and other sporting forms of
amusement
Every one knows Of the extreme al
most painful elevation Of Mrs. Patrick
CampbeHs art. Any one who has seen
her portray one OF her repertoire Of over
ripe heroines who wear ~doop-tailed.'
dresses. and drag forth their gauzy
pasts and faunt their sins before a long
suffering bur wen-paying house. viii con
cede this. Indeed. as one caustlc critic
has written. Mrs. Pat probably wears
the laurels as the chief "sob-grabber" OF
this class Of actresses. and ell her eccen-
tricities have been played UP 10 the high
est notch by Jealous press agents and
reporters baked Of their copy prey.
In the course OF one OF the lady's tours
about the country she caught a .'beastly'
cold in the head. which rendered the per
formances which she insisted upon giving
rather ludicrous At times. the step from
The sublime being such a tiny distance.
Fancy an agonized Mrs. TanQueray
heroine. torn between the conflicting desire
20 end her life or 70 blow her nose. stalk
ing up and down the stage in wheezy
discomfort Going up stage thus and
pausing for a sniff. sniff coming
down center with a fine air Of tragedy
cut short in the bloom OF us Young life
by an u7mlstakably inarcistic but exceed
ingly life-like sneeze. Fancy the scene
where she says something about alb
what 1 ab, following with a suggestion
Of hardened Indifference that makes her
listener invOluntarily supply the rest Of
the phrase by a and I don't gib a dab"
which, OF course. is not in the play
Her audience bore with her perform
ance. and only one or two Eighty ones
snickered when the cOnsOnant - would
insist on caricaturing her pure English
accept. But the caustic critic who at
tended bore fair Mrs Pat a gTudge for
past affronts. and the following morning
the actress-lady read his criticism with
rage for It ran:
Mrs. Campbelrs reputation as a. &C
tress needs no eulogistie praise from an
unknown critic. and Of her performance
last evening il is only necessary 70 say
that. in sporting parlanee. she won out
by noser'
Most men believe fondly that their
wives have little sense Of business. and
would be the merest unprotected lambs
without the strong arms and massive
brains Of their lords and masters. Not
long ago a young husband. who feels a
strong sense Of his matrimonial response
bilities and the clnging dependence OF
his fair young wife took out a $500 life
insurance policy in her favor and had
the same deposited in a bank vault which
was rented in the name Of the wife. as
well as that OF her husband.
You see, dear" he explained elaborate
ly. 81 do this so that in case Of my death.
without having to await the order OF the
court. you could go 10 the vault and get
out this policy. and thus have no delay
in getting the money"
Where do 1 take the pol.cy?" wife
: -ked with deep interest.
You take II down TO the Office OF the
insurance company. after getting the
proof OF my death"
Where do l get that?" she asked. get
ting deeper interested in the transaction.
The doctor and the undertaken viii
give you that; then you can go there
and get your money inside OF a week. and
thus
a week. his wife exeleimed in a
troubled voice, why couldn't ] stop in
and get them TO sign il and close the
matter up on the way back from the
funeral?"
4 see you understand her husband re-
piled grimly; and now lets talk Of some
thing else
The Teddy bear craze has spread even