El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-12-25
CONTINUED from previous page)

NCunLA44uCu LIOul pr pe15Csy
to a cherries, uninviting room or a
tramp through the dark and Ofttimes
slushy streets to q sleeper for the next
stand" when that Pullman luxury
has been provided, and it usually is
after the good business of a holiday,
even with companies which are not ac-
custOmed TO it as a frequent feature of
their daily travels. This, of course,
does not apply to the more important
travelling organizations for the com
forts of which everything possible is
usually provided.
A great many companies do not play
the week preceding Christmas, but none
was ever heard of which did not re-
sumo its labOTs on that day. Often
times the Jump" to the Christmas
stand" is long one and entails spend
ing most Of the preceding "A hours IN
travel For instance, Mrs. FiSke, three
years ago, after weeks rest in New
York, played on Christmas day in Grand
Rapids Mich, but there was no par
ticular hardship in this as there were
fine train and hotel service, but she
has played on the great holiday in some
towns she would like to forget, among
others, East Liverpool Ohio. Any one
who has ever visited the. pottery. city,
can picture the delights Of a Christ
mas day sOjoUrn there.
The Actors Yearly Grief
New York is the home of a large
percentage OF the people Of the stage,
but a very small percentage of them
ever has the good fortune to be play
ing there during the holidays so
Christmas is a holiday away from home
for almost all. This is yearly grief
to those who have homes and families
there. and the number of those who do
would doubtless be somewhat aston
iShing to the people whose opinions OF
professional dOmestfcity are based upon
the comparatively isolated instances of
infelicity that find their way into the
public prints.
As Christmas is the worlds holiday
the day when the family tie. the tie
between parents and children is
strengthened each year, and there is
real pathos in the fact that seldom in
deed is the player enabled to spend II
with his family. That vast travelling
public that moves ceaseleSSly to and
from east and west, north and south, to
the extent that makes our tranSpOrta-
ton facilities the wonder Of the world,
always makes every effort to get
home for Christmas" the hotels Of the
country over being almost deserted in
consequence. but on the contrary the
player is always hurrying away from
his home. He alone of all the great
thrOng is setting his face in the other
direction.
Actors Deprived OF Shopping.
When "On the road" the OppOrtuni-
ties of the player for shopping, and for
the most part the theater-fOlk are
most generous in the matter Of gifts,
are necessarily somewhat limited, while
the remembrances that are sent to
them often reach them days or even
weeks after the holiday season. fire.
Quently not at all, owing to overcrowd-
ed mail and express conditions which
bring them to the place Of address af-
ter the company has departed. Through
negligence or delay, they are not prop
erly Of promptly forwarded, and fire.
quently the Christmas parcel Of a Thes-
plan, when finally received, looks like
a postal directory of a half dozen states.
Probably no stage figure in America
has known so many Christmas Vicis-
STUDIES as Mrs. Fiske- Practically born
and brought up in the theater, she has.
since she made her debut at the age Of
three, known but three returns of the
festaI day when she was not actively
engaged in the work in which she has
won such prominence. These were
during the three years of her temporary
retirement following her marriage to
Harrison Grey Fiske.
Mrs. Ffske Describes a Christmas.
Her home dressing room, her cradle
a trunk, the first Christmas Mrs. Fis6e
members was that of her fourth year.
Il was playing the Duke of York in
Richard III" says Mrs. Fiske. Gin a
southern city in my fathers company,
of which my mother was the principal
member My Christmas dinner was
served on a hotel tray on top Of our