El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-08-15
STAGE STRUCK AT FORTY
By wINIFRED BLACK

- HE'S going on the stage. my friend
- of forty.
She has a pretty town house,
| a rather stunning country place. a
good husband. two grown children, a
! circle of friends. a good cook, five
/ new frocks every season, 1alr auto
| mobile. two pet dogs, a thumb ring,
/ five sets OF dangling earrings, rath-
/ er decent rigUre, good eyes, voice
! like a peacock, well manIcured hands
| a fad for actors and about as much
l ability to act ss-ss, oh, as to cook a
: good dinner, and if her cook should
/ leave her you'd starve to death rather
! than dine at her house But for all
that. she's going on the stage.
I have the temperament, the ply
! sique, the face and the ambition" she
/ said when she told me about it. I'm
! tired OF this empty life Of teas and
I bridges and auto trips; I want to live,
to breathe the higher air; want TO
express my soul.
What piece have you selected for
your debut2''I ventured to ask
The Vampire she replied prompt
. ". They are dramatiZing II for me
It's glorious part and the woman of
forty looked at herself in the mirror,
settled her hair. nipped in her waist,
made eyes at the looking glass and
laughed lightly" like her favorite
heroine in her favorite book
1 couldn't stand il a minute longer;
I really couldn't; so I went home
On the way home I met the actor ]
know. I told him about the woman
of 30. He threw up his hands.
Save US" he said. what is the
stage coming to- They are all there
at the stage door, the woman of 40.
The girls have all got some other fad
these days. It's the women who drive
US mad now. What is she going to
play-'The Vampire2"
How did you know asked.
Have you met herr"
The actor laughed. Not this one
he gurgled Historically 4 didn't have
The Vampire" or "Zaza," or Ca
mile They all fancy themselves sir
ems. the poor things Of 40, who are
gong on the stage.
zone pursues me night and day try
ing to get me to put her on in some
thing rather sensational. don't you
know, where my face and figure would
be the thing and if I had my way
I'd put her in an old ladies' home
and get her to knit tides for the par
Tor chairs.
What on earth has got hold of
them2 WHO is II that is telling them
they can act. and why. oh. why do !
they want to be vampires, and sirens.
and ladies who lure2 Scarlet frock in Z
the first act. black and spangles in the /
last act, cigarets all through. That's 4
the way good old ma laid IL all out /
for me the other day, and the only /
place in the world that good kind wo- |
man would look like herself is out /
in the kitchen making jam
Crazy, every one of them. crazy as 4
bats. They think they can go on the !
stage and fascinate the public after /
they've brought up all their children |
and got father comfortable at the !
club. It's really too bad
And, really. do you know, believe /
1t IS too bad wonder what on
What has become of all the good |
comfy women we used to know, wo-
men who were 40 and glad of it. wo-
men who let out their corsets and put
on loose shoes. and tied their hats
on with rubber. and let it go at
that2
All gone, disappeared, vanished into
the beauty parlors to be made over
into 20. I wonder why2
Forty is the fine age. the most comfy
age in the world, if we'd only live it.
No more weepy hours because he |
danced oftener with that creature than !
with me- no more miserable nights
trying to figure out just how to man |
age to make over that old frock so
your dearest friend wouldn't know it.
You had a struggle of il that first
year or so. but the business is settled /
now, and things are going pretty well.
rat? OF course you're fat. You
ought to be at 40. You know what |
to eat and how to eat it: you know
when to rest and how to enjoy it: You
can pick out the kind of book you
like at one glance; YOU can tell the
summer bore with one look and you
understand just exactly how to set rid
Of him
Tanned? Pooh, what do you care?
You can throw back your veil and
love the wind and sun and glory of
all outdoors, while poor little Sweet
and-Twenty has to swaddle herself in
sauze to keep that complexion that is
the only thing she has
Friends Hosts of them-au the |
sort you want; you've learned how to
get rid of the other sort
Enemies Not one in the world. !
You have found out what a nuisance