Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-05-08

l am very glad, my dear boy, to find
you in the humor for stroll. think
the night air will do you good, and, be-
sides, there are certain things l feel
it my duty to say to you before you go
any further in this rather hazardous
business you have in mind.
Il suggested it, you say? Yes, but
when made the remark about your
finding some woman that would con-
done all your faults l did not expect
you to take me seriously. 1t is such
things as that that make ME doubt at
times whether you have even rudi-
mentary sense of humor. Still, must
confess that when you went to the
stage to find that longed-for paragon
in petticoats fe.t l might have been
Understanding your possibilities as
an unconscious humorist at least.
But candidly. now. what do you
know about the stage?
Beg pardon. DO hear Alright? You
know it to be greatly misunderstood
professions Go on, I'll listen"
Then, with your permission, shall
begin by telling you that the popular
conception of the daily life of stage
folk is entirely erroneous. True. there
are few that seem to exist upon a
perpetual diet of Holsters and cham
pagne-you will have to admit that is
something of feat. at least-but /
have not that class in mind. am
thinking of the quiet. hard working
people of the stage who manage to
keep up semblance of domestic life,
even on the road
You refer to the women. l sup
pose?"
Naturally. When the stage is I'M
der consideration from a serious point
of view no one thinks of mentioning
the men,"
But does the public discriminate
in favor of the women as a general
rule?"
mo, and that is just what l was
leading up to. They err grieyous}y in
not doing so. These callow common
tators on the life of the stage would
be surprised if they knew the number
of quiet, hard working women that go
from town to town. year after year,
and take goodly part of their house
work with them
Explain, please"
well, a young woman of breeding.
possibly OF culture. even. finds herself
in a position where it is necessary to
earn her own living. Casting about
her she hts upon the stage as proba-
bly, Offering the most practicable field.
Of course. she is in error. but it takes
several years for her to learn that. In
the interval. if she is temperamentally
inclined that way. she marries an act
or and has several children left on her
hands to support. And. oddly enough,
as rule. she does it. If she is triae
riage to art to satisfy all the longings
of her nature and c.oes in for a career.
In either case she works and tries to
keep up some semblance of home life,
even when the company is playing one
night stands"
who has been telling you all this ?"
"She has,
But I don't see just where the do
nestle note you referred to comes in.
Pray explain"
''She says it would bring the tears
to your eyes If you saw the way the
girls who take the stage seriously
struggle to get along. A hotel with run
ming water when you are on the road,
she says is a boon, and whenever they
find one the first thing they all do is
to get at their weeks washing. Then,
# they are really serious, two or three
Of them have dubbed together and
got an electric iron, and then, in their
dressing rooms at night, they do up
shirt waists and handkerchiefs and ev-
erything. The men in the companies
appreciate that attitude and come
around and beg to have their cravats
ironed out and, of course, get it done
without any expense to themselves.
"She says they economic, too, and
that you would be astonished to know
what girl can save on $25 or $50 a
week."
IT you will pardon me, the only girl
on the stage that every heard of saw
ing much was that one we met once
whose best friend said she never
would have done so we'll if she hadn't
been saving to get divorce. But I
suppose you will say that was a spite
full remark to make"
Indeed do. Furthermore, want
to explain to you that the domestic
side of the stage is not confined to
laundry work. One woman that she
knows used to do all the sewing Of a
family of three on the trains or in her
dressing room while waiting her cues.