Omaha daily bee., 1912-08-14

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.
Il have the temperament the physique,
the face and the ambition" she said when
she told me about It, I'm tired Of this
empty life of teas and bridges and auto
trips; l want to live, to breathe the
higher air; want to express my soul"
What piece have you selected for your
debut?" ventured to ask.
| THE Vampire, she replied promptly.
They are dramatizlng it for me. It's a
glorious part" and the woman of 40
| looked at herself In the mirror settled
her hair, nipped In her waist, made eyes
at the looking glass and laughed Tightly"
like her favorite heroine in her fayorite
book.
I couldn't stand 1t minute longer; l
really couldn't, SO / went home.
On the way home / met the actor
know. / told him about the woman Of
40. He threw up his hands.
Save u.s. he said what Is the stage
coming to. They are all there at the
stage door, the women 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 YAM
pirs?'
How did you know?" / asked. Have
you met her?'
The actor laughed Not this one"
he gurgled Historically. Il didn't have
to, they are all going to play that, The
Vampire or 'Zaza,' or Camille They
all fancy themselves sirens, the poor
things Of 10, who are going on the stage.
One pursues me night and day trying
to get me to put her on in something
rather sensational. don't you know. where
my face and figure would be the thing,
and II had my way Id put her in an
old ladies' home and get her to knit
tides for the parlor chairs.
What on earth has got hold Of them?
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
lure? Scarlet frock in the first act, black
and spangies In the last act. cigarettes
all through. That's the way good old ma
laid It all out for me the other day, and
the only place in the world that good kind
woman would look like herself is out in
the kitchen making jam.
Crazy, every one of them. crazy as
bats. Think they can go on the stage and
fascinate the public after they've brought
up all their children and got father COM
Portable at the club, It's really too bad"
And. really, do you know, / believe
1t is too bad. / wonder what on earth
IL all means?
What has become of all the good
comfy women we used to know, women
who were forty and glad of it. women
who let out their corsets and put on
loose shoes, and tied their hats on with
a rubber and let 1t go at that?
All gone. disappeared. vanished into
the beauty parlors to be made over
into twenty. l wonder why?
Forty is the fine age, the most comfy
age in the world. IL we'd only live it.
No more weepy hours because he
danced oftener with the creature than
with me-" no more miserable nights try
ing to figure out just how TO manage
to make over the old frock so your
dearest friend wouldn't know It,
You had a struggle of 1t that first |
year or 80, but the business is settled !
now, and things are going pretty we'll |
Fat? OF course you're fat. You ought |
to be at forty. You know what to eat |
and how to eat 1t: 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 get rid of him.
Tanned? Pooh, what do you care? |
You can throw back your veil and love
The wind and the sun and glory of all |
outdoors, while poor little Sweet-and-
twenty has to swaddle herself In cause
70 keep that complexion that is the
,nly thing she has.
Friends? Hosts Of them-all the sort
you want; you've learned how to get rid
Of the other sort.
M