The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-08-01

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By Ruth CAMERON
ONE KIND OF BEGGING.


ONE KIND OF BEGGING.
The similarity oil asking for none,
| and asking for the use OF time and tai
cnts which are worth money to theil
possessors, is something OF which
many people do not seem to be cosn.
zant.
Mrs. L. is the fortunate possessol
OF very sweet and well trained voice
BEFORE her marriage she was trained
in the use of this talent rather than
III the household arts. Consequently
she is glad that, although she is moi
. very economical household mana.
ger, she Is able TO help out her has
bands rather slender income by sing.
Ing. Although she Is extremely busy
in her home she finds time to hold a
church position and has also putSher
name In an agency which occasional.
ly brings her chances to sing at some
entertainment. For this work she
gets from five to ten dollars night.
Now Mrs. LIS friends, who know
that the family finances are none too
tiourishing, would never think of ask
ing her to give five or ten dollars to
some pet project, and yet they are
rerpetually asking her 10 sing for
them, gratis, on this or that occasion.
And what else does that mean than
asking her to give five or ten dollars
worth OF time and talent?
Why is 1t, |. wonder, that artistic
talents, that is, the ability to sing, or
play some instrument, pr.read we'll. or
entertain in any other way. are thus
regarded by peoples friends as pub.
lie property? We would never think
OF asking the clever dressmaker to
give several dollars worth Oh time to.
ward making gown to be sold at the
Fair for the Benefit OF the Something's
OF Something. And yet Mrs. L. sang
twice at that fair. and two other ar
lists who are dependent for their
bread and butter on their talents,
were held up by friends to give their
services.
But" you say, Just think what a
very few minutes 1t takes Mrs. L. and
those others to sing or play. That
isn't asking very much, is lt?"T
All, my friend, you forget some
thing. Mrs. l.. and the other artists
did not give merely the ten or fifteen
minutes of time and the modicum OF
effoi, which were represented by the
actual performance. They gave also
the hours OF preparation required by
even the most skiiliM performers to
prepare an entertainment and fur.
thermore, they We're giving due
share and proportion OF the lifetime
investment of effort ana time and
money which they had put into cult.
waiting their talents.
To be sure, there are some artists
who like nothing better than the OPP
portunity TO appear In public. who ask
no other remuneration than Il goodly
need OF ilattery and the joy Of being
the "cynosure OF neighborlng eyes
don't doubt that there are even
some who would be glad 10 pay for
this pleasure II that were allowable
But that is another story. Mrs. l.
does not belong to this class. Many
OF the artists who are continually
bounded by thbughtiess friends do not
belong to 1t,
So be a little less glib In your as.
sulances 10 the committee that you
are sure you can get Mr.. A. to read
or Mrs. b. TO sing, or Miss C. to play
the violin, at the entertainment. Per.
hars you can hold them p ut the pts.
iol point of your importunity. But do
80 want to do It?
Nathaniel Toothaker, Of Phillips,