The San Francisco call., 1909-02-20
HEART OF EXCITEMENT
IN THE GREAT KIRMESS
FOUND BEHIND SCENES
By Mary Ashe Miller

Just one i'll baby can create quite a
disturbance in a house, but it would
seem hardly possible that even all the
ailing kiddes that two of the cty's
biggest charities may present could
act as motive power for the excitement
that the kirmess has aroused in Sa
Francisco. Great interest is shown
in such unexpected places and people
whom one would never expect to know
what a lSirmess is are insisting that
the Hours or the Fluffles or the In
dams get all your votes. The ramif-
cations of this interest have spread
throughout the city-in the streetcars
the clubs Ohey are quite mad over
them it is said) at teas-everywhere
bits of gossip are heard.
But to find the very heart of all the
excitement, the fountain head OF all
the giggle and gurgle and perturba-
tion, go behind the scenes at the Cen
tral theater Early in the evening a
fine confusion prevails Marsovians
and Tarantellas made each other UP
with marked international courtesy:
statuesaue Hours in their soft hued
flowing robes lent pins most amiably
to Indians ugly enough TO halt the
progress of Time entirely: Irish lassies
and Scotch lads hunted up their col
lege colors from obscure corners; hand
some Spaniards received advice from
stunning swing girls" as to how their
sashes should be draped footmen lost
their trays; the Fluffies practiced f1irt-
ing-not that many of them seemed to
need it-and it seemed as though no
one would be ready in time for the ris-
ing of the curtain at SIS o'clock.
NO ONE WORRIED
No one was worried, however-those
who might have been agonized by the
state of affairs knew the hypnotic in
huence of Miss Stewart. They realized
that by some mysterious means she has
made people be on time who find it an
entirely new experience. At 1880 o'clock
a motor car dashed up to the Central
and a gorgeous dancer sprang out.
I'm hours late she gasped; II don't
know what Miss Stewart will think,
and into the theater she went as though
it were an hour later at least On the
opening night of this great amateur
affair the dancers. every one of them
present, waited 20 minutes for very
late audience, and last night they re-
peated the experience OF waiting until
the crowds assembled.
Finally came the summons from Miss
Stewart to take their places for the
opening tableau, and Immediately the
most orderly school children like pro-
cession went-almost on tiptoe-to
their places. Miss Stewart stood in the
front with a small megaphone, from
which she sent little quieting Kisses
to any spot in the gorgeous kaleideo-
scope which seemed disposed to CONVEX
sation. In possibly three minutes every
one was in his or her own particular
pose. Gorgeous Jester Greenway posed
with uplifted arms and the curtain rose
There was a silence until the march
began and then interrupted chats were
resumed whenever possible and COM
nents began again.
WHERE AUDIENCE WAS MISTAKEN
After that the audience out in front
might have thought they had the best
of il, but they We're mistaken
On the first night there were a few
nervous people who danced; most of
them felt little timorous, they con-
fessed. but now they have become ex-
perienced performers, almost profes-
sional. one might say. in their feelings
after three whole performances. It was
in reality a strange thing to see their
Inconsistencies of the hundreds gazing
at them
The Tarentellas, who have the task
Of breaking the ice and appear first on