Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31

Weeks ago IIOlH d SlII III CnCdSO:
My DEAR Miss Clark am tired of the narrow I'M
eventful life home with family and go the
stage seventeen old; have studied elocuton
and music for two years; and my friends tell me l
pretty. l willing and expect to- the bottom
of the ladder, and shall succeed. Won't you
please tell what you think of ambition and plan'
wrote the girl in the simplest and most school
giry' style could summon that wished with all my
heart could change places with her. and that should
trade every bit OF stage for the marrow,
eventful life at home" she described. Then on
and anticipated her thoughts by telling her that the
travelling around the country great first but
awuly hard to do your hair up nicely and keep
that travelling almost all the time might be somewhat
exciting; but it didn't give you any time to make
friends. week later the little girl me that she
guessed right, and that she had changed her mind
about going the stage
Now you see if had written her in the old fashioned
advice manner, and told her merely that stage work
very hard and that she should sacrifice good
home for the doubtful of the theater very likely
she would not have paid much attention to An
older actress might in all sincerity yet in complete in
eectualness, have written the little girl in that vein;
but kept one thought uppernost in my mind when
wrote,-how had felt at the Chicago girls age!
membered that then thought should dearly love to
of friends the road and look eternally pretty and
have lot of fun realized that the girl thinking
of all these things too when she wrote and that it
not the stage as the stage which her eyes
conferred.
MOST stagestruck girls look upon the stage chiefly as
call "fe." So tried hit my girl correspondent in
the weakest spot of her ambition. spoke the whole
truth nevertheless And when she read my letter and
the only half thought-of fact that she could always
"ook pretty while travelling (every girl knows that
down in her hearty, and that there time have
fun the road, she believed me, needed me-and
saved herself sympathzed with her and understood
her" lat least she certain in her mind that
did, and a result the little stagestruck child stayed
where she belonged, at home.
have the slightest intention of belitting my pro-
fession The drama is glorious art and its opponents
worthy people, but the sad fact that stagestruck
girls have their eyes less drama than what they
pleased to believe is the gay glamorous life of the
theater" 1t is against this that "advice" should be
drected-and rarely is. Every stagestruck girl q
the every is not too strong thinks of the "ga-
mour" and "fun" of stage life hundred times where
she thinks seriously of drama and work once Accord
ngly these girls be dissuaded with this in mind
and from this point of view. And they be dis
couraged trthfuly because the truth of the should
be vastly ample unto itself to discourage everyone of
them To such stagesruck girls therefore, would say
in all honesty:
Cd That travelling with theatrical company (Which
they believe to be great spor is truly enough, novel
and interesting for the first year. maybe for the
first two years; but after that it unquaedy mean
an existence girl can imagine In all the "advice"
have read, have it stated that the life of
the road is fearful from the very beginning This