The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-22

Antoinette Barton in Harpers Weekly.
A CHORUS girl, according to popu-
~ lar impression either drinks cham
4 \ payne at breakfast or doesn't
breakfast And-still according to pop
uar impression-she either wears SILKS
and satins or goes about in slant-heeied
shoes ard sasging rags. Popular impress
sion as far as the chorus girl goes,
knows no middle ground. Chorus girls,
it proclaims, ARE either peacocks or spar
rows. You'll find no robins among Them
you'll find no girl like the everyday
girl among them. You'll find-only ex-
tremes."
Having listened for SO long to popular
impression. | decided to see for myself;
to penetrate surreptitiously into the lion
esses den; to learn, If possible, what
the chorus girl really was, was like, and
was not like. went unprejudiced-mere-
ly as reporter, to chronicle what saw
and heard and to deduce what I could
therefrom. At best, the study of the
chorus girl, like the study of any woman.
must end in lady or the tiger fashion.
There is only one person in the wide world
who can supply the final answer, and
that person is the woman herself. And,
even them there remains some doubt.
For purposes of investigation, chose
big musical show in the height of its
metropolitan favor. It's name is quite
unnecessary for present purposes Chorus
girls are migratory. They move from
one show to another with such regularity
that any show affords fair criterion OF
all the rest. When 1 got back on the
stage, the first act had been going on
for some time. A group of chorus girls
were standing in the wings awaiting their
final song cue. They paid no attention
to me- The girls were whispering ex-
citedy. The words l managed to hear
were not very illuminating. Presently I
succeeded in getting one of the girls
into conversation with me-back in
corner where we wouldn't be heard. In
answer to remark of mine she said:
mo, l haven't been on the stage long. 1
began two years ago. My husband fell
sick"
Are you married? You look so young,
more like chid!'
A smile barely fitted across her face.
i've got a little boy, too" she added,
simply.
"Of course it's hard to leave him SO
much" she went on, but what can
do? I've got to live. Oh, l married
before l knew what | was doing-I was
only IT, l never did care much for my
own home Mother died when was
Int 70 IA
much about me. So | did as l pleased
WI only been married few months
wien Jim was run over-both his legs
cut off. We got some damages, of course,
| but not much-just enough to keep us
alive till the baby was born. Jim can't
do anything; he just sits around. and so
l have to work. l tried being a sales
| lady, but lands! the wages wouldn't feed
| half one person, let alone three, There
I got acquainted with a girl who became
a show girl. She got me a job in the
chorus And since then I've stuck to it,"
| We joined the group of girls in the
wings and, under cover. ! listened to
their conversation. One of the girls was
chatting away volubly as 1 came near.
This is what I heard:
Now last year l had a cnch. | was
telephone operator. / come from Ohio.
you know Wanted to see New York.
| got job on a downtown exchange
had all the, rich brokers down there.
For Christmas you should have seen the
stuff | got; fur coat, a. muff, and
candy and a hat. Say, priced EN-.
That swell fur coat I wear, that's it..
Looks real classy. don't 1t. That cost at
least $135. Honest No, don't know who
gave it to me. for fore up the card,
but kept the coat. SAT, l looked so pref
ty the first time / put it on that / said
to myself, No more switchboard for
you, and up l went for chorus job.
made such an impression on the manager
that l was engaged on the spot
,mmoned up courage and approach
ed another girl close by. As the music
delayed one could feel how she longed