Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-29
( LIFE--By Evelyn Nesbit Tha
Than

made In those early days to master such clas-
sizes as came my way had been a sort Of men,
tai gymnastics which enabled me to secure a
sense of proportion, the one sense which spells
salvation to girl upon whom is lavished the
subtle tlattery of publicity. This and my own
taste for healthy Open-air life, enabled me to
take normal view of things. | have always
loved the fields and the woods and every beast
that walks or creeps or crawls There are no
phenomena OF nature which are not beautiful
to me
So when l am asked in what spirit I ap-
preached the stage and the career it offered
me, | say | approached the stage as would
a virgin forest, with a bubbIing sense of hap
piness In the revelations which it would open
to me- | was not stage-struck in the accepted
sense. | never thought Of the audiences and
what charm l might exert over them. | did
not anticipate huge triumphs In floral tributes
handed across the footlights, nor did dream
dreams Of Mandatory newspaper notices. |
supremely Indifferent as to the position
| might occupy in the prOfession It was enough
to me that should be one with the people of
the new world privy to their lives, their habits
of thought and speech. / should be I'm IT"
There came offers TO me from all manner
Of people. promising me this and that success;
dazzling prospects Of distant fame were held
before my eyes. With the advertisement given
me by newspapers should command high sal
aries, | should star l should be the most
talked-of woman IN America-all these prom
ises lghtheartedly given, came to me, and
remember that l was not impressed. was
only interested in the actual getting there"
One letter from a manager asking fer my ser.
vices at $40 a week would have eclipRed all
other communications l was Sane enough to
realize that a freakish notoriety was not de-
sirable from any point of view.
The greatest advancement apart from "A Inp
born desire for enlargement Of life, lay In
the very material fact that the stage life would
enable me to make double income I could
pose by day and appear on the stage By night
The dollars counted horribly, for | had tasted
prtvatlon and was anxious to put myself as
far distant from a repetition a. l could
l do not think that my mother was over
anxious for me to adopt tho stage as my pro-
fession, but fate was moving me inerorAbly In
the direction was to take.
Every day the new life became q more tan
g1ble possibility, and when at length entered
the unpromising stage door It seemed less Of
a new experience than an introduction TO a
life with which was already familiar.
| had letter from Mr. Marks. who was Z
theatrical manager He was very anxious that
l should go on the stage and promised me that
he would do all he could to make me famous
These letters used to come addressed to u.s.
but we paid little attention to them, but after.
ward he wrote saying that he could get me
position in "Floradora," and some time later
through a girl | knew, l met him and secured
letter OF introduction to John G. F1shell, who
was at that time the manager of the Flora,
dora" company. From thence onward the stage
became a practical issue. | overruled mothert
objections, and went with her one day to Mo
Fishelrs office He had long look at me- IL
was a pleasant, genial man, blessed with &
sense Of humor, and he burst into fit Z
laughter
so you want to be an actressH" he said wiN,
mock soemnity Il am running a theater n1
a baby farm. Why" he went on, IF | took
you In Floradora | should have the Gerry
Society on my back. No, my child, can nos
rob the cradle.
When l got back to the office Mr. FisheI\
asked me II | could dance. | said, Yes" d
little fearfully. l had learned dancing at d
school in Pittsburg. He sent for a woman Wild
came to the plano and played.
The stage manager was keen on my coming
into the theater, but Mr.. Fishell was not SO
enthusiastic and said he would let me know.
THE fact is" he said frankly the only
chance Of your coming on the stage is for you
to be little reticent as to what your age is.
II you like to do this am willing to give you
a trial; you can come tomorrow and rehearss"