Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-20
TABLEAUx vIvANTS
VANITY FAIR AND SWEET
CHARITY


MITE soup kitchens on every corner
w of the thickly populated district;
w with the air filled with the cries
of the distressed; with the newspapers
printing daily stories of starvation and
death, New York's four hundred fash
ionable people decided that 1t was time
to be up and doing something in aid OF
their little brethren, the poor. The fact
that there are poor had been brought
home to them by the daily papers, and
by the ministers who, even in fashion
able churches, have beer moved to ask
for special collections for the deserving
needy. The word deserving" is a dis
tinctly modern and unchristian adjec-
tive. a rebuke of all Christian teach
ing, and fragrant disobedience of the
commandment, Judge not" Jesus said
that all the poor are alike deserving OF
mercy. He also said that the first poor
man we met was Our neighbor.
The charitable of the four hundred,
however, do not believe that aims CIV
ing should begin at home. They have
been attracted by published accounts
of the miserable lives of the mountain
GERS of Virginia, and for the benefit
of that decidedly picturesque class, the
representatives of which pass their USE
full careers in snuff dipping and in dis
tilling the fiercest, f1eriest and most
untamable liquor known to mankind,
the society danes will disport them
selves and edify the onlookers in
20 e. viva 11tQ In the
variety shows this kind of entertain
ment is called living pictures, but
English is too rude a language for the
use of eastern millionaires. 1t is i
horrid, vulgar tongue. There isn't any
thing exclusive about it. Even ths
wretched little Bowery toughs talk a
kind of English.
Therefore tableaux vivants they must
be, and the patronesses are Mrs. John
Jacob Aston, Mrs. Waldorf Aston, Mrs,
Reginald Brooks, Mrs. Joseph ID.
Choate, Mrs. Benjamin s. Ginness, Mrs.
Clarence A. Mackay, Mrs. Ogden Minis
Mrs. Edwin r. Thomas, Mrs. William
p. Thompson, Mrs. Cornelius Wander
bilt, Mrs. William X. Vanderbilt. jr.,
and Mrs. Henry Rogers Winthrop.
They are the richest women in the
world. The combined wealth owned by
the families of which they are matronly
heads could supply employment for all
the poor people in the United States
and could put them beyond charity.
But there are times when 1t is easy to
understand that charity becomes what
Artemus Ward would have called a
sweet boon to the daughters of ease.
They, too, in a sense, are unemployed,
and it gives them useful and soul COM
forting occupation. There is not one OF
these charitable patronesses and char
ity mummers who will not believe in
her heart of hearts that she has in
! terested the Recording Angel above as
well as the recording-are we angels ?
below, and that her name will shine in
the annals of heaven as we'll as glare
in big type in the newspapers of earth
| A glance at the announced program
shows the aspirations of the perform
ers. Each has chosen for her part in
| the living pictures the character real
or allegorical that most attracts her
most appeals to her. Here indeed there
is opened unto us a book of revelations
The program will begin with 1.-THE Cir
with the Muff." There Is plenty Of
sartorial suggestion in this. Tho CIR
| will wear a muff. to say the least, anc
there will probably be heavy winter
costuming to match. The girl with ths
muff will never bring the blush -o
shame to the delicate cheek of a Com
stock
/ But what about Phyllis. and That's
and Salambo. and Hope. and Nature
and Semiramis? Let's see. How deli
cately can we insinuate the query tina
arises In every mind VIII they--oh
pardon us--w-w-will they w-w-w-weai
l--t-t-t-tights? Or w-w-will they appea;
in the In Part" or the--or the--alto
gether--- Horresco referens! Pra,
pardon us.
The living pictures will be supple
mented by lively gambols, contributed
4 by amateur dancers, or. we SHOULD
call them "danseuses Among th'
"danseuses-es" win be Mrs. Arthur
Scott Burden and Mrs Howard Cnsh
Ing of Boston. Mrs. Gushing will do |