The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-13
GRAYCE SCOTT TELLS
OF EARLY STRUGGLE
Reminds Girls Who Want to Go
on Stage That Life Is Hard
and Dangerous.


VINO has charmed and thrilled so many
Richmond audiences. drops her masks
and becomes for the while the real wo-
man that sho Is, woman who is AZ
charming and graceful OF speech and
heart in the privacy of her dressing
room as she Is when playing tho part
of some hcI dine of drama.
For Il short while the othor after
noon, when she had descended from
the footlights To the level OF real men
and things, Miss Scott talked of herself
OF her early struggles in life. and of
her continued study 10 master the diff
ncuitlcs Of dramatic art. The pathway
to the stage is not strcwn with roses
for Miss Scott's story is generally true
OF all those who have achieved sue
cess: and the life Is not az pleasant and
easy asst appears from the front row
in the orchestra or the balcony. Days
and nights that run into tho long years
are spent III study. and a. soon as one
di'iicult part is mastered. there Is an
other that must be studied until il IL
learned 50 thoroughly that tho actress
impresSes her audience that she is not
reproducing Il flctioual character, but
is herself passing through tho scenes
and emotions that have been written
into the play. Such an actress is Miss
scott. And what she is to-day, and the
success she has achieved, are due not
only to her native talent. but as well
to An incxhaustible energy and deep
seated passion to please.
Quit TsrcwritinG for Stage.
MISC Scott was born in san Fran
cisco. When but - little slip OF a girl,
who knew hardly more than to be able
70 count her fingers and toes. she
moved with her parents TO New York
Her childhood was passed as is that OF
thousands of other children. She went
to school, studied and played just like
her companions and just as gradually
grew up and became ambitious.
Time came when she had to help earn
her living. and. with a spirit az will
Ing and an energy as capable as those
she exhibits to-day, she learned stcno-
Sraphy, typewritlnr and bookkeeping.
But through all the hard hours Of tap
ping her typewriter keys, and taking
dlctation from her employer and porting
over the dry figures of hcr books. there I
thrilled through her heart the desire |
present in so many girls, to go on the
stage.
at last" she said. 81 was driven to |!
inc stage ] wasn't earning enough as
a stenoEr2pher ana typewriter Final |
W the chince came TO become n chorus |
Sirl, and took the opportunities" She
mad not Leon long in the chorus when
a touch OF real romance came into her
IRE. one day she received a box OF
flowers. in the box was a card giving I
the sendcr's name. Thereafter the box 1
~. afternoon.
was followed b. cut flowers at night ,
Always came the card, bearing only tho
slNcTs name. They pleased Miss Scott
LOT tney showed To her that somewhere /
out beyond the footlights sat a man
VINO was interested in her. who cared |
enough to wish her we'll. and to en-
courage her towards success When
she went on the road the flowers fol-
io"cc her wherever she stopped They
req 10 a correspondence for she had to
I ok .I"a lcuHe inc continued courtesy.
but me correspondence, she said was
always In the third person.
Finally She went to Washington. and
there one day she received n note from,
the man who had first appreciated her.
asking that he be permitted TO meet
her.
Il was young, very young, at the
time said Miss Scott, and | refused.
but nc never desisted. and one day
wnen ! was In New York received 4
letter from him. asking that he bc al
lowed TO meet me at my mothers
home. So 1t was arranged. found
NM TO be a much older man than l.
about thirty-tivc or thirty-eight and at |
my age then that seemed to be ter
fipiy Old. But when my mother and /
sister went to Europe--my sister was
going to dance on the Continent then
ne asked my mother 10 be allowed to f,
tax" care OF me. IIc said that he could !
get me good position in a regular
company, and my mother finally con-
Sented. WAS 10 pay all my expenses.
ana he was to pay everything over |
with the understanding that one day j |
should pay him back"
Took Leading Part.
The kindly friend got Miss SCOT, , |
position III Washington. where she en-
tered upon her real stage career In n
STOCK company. She had learned much 4
while q chorus girl, and had ACQUIRED /
q stage presence which stood her i'm /
Eoou stead when she entered stock. !
SHe went on first as undcrstudy for the [
leading woman. one day the leading
woman became Ill, and Miss Scott took /
the part She did IL so we'll that She
TOOK the part regularly, the leading
woman never coming back.
Later Shc entered 4 stock company
WIN ElcnArd Mansiield. and attrnctnl