Daily Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1918-191?, 1918-07-13


modest announcement:
ELSIE JANis-AnGRicAa oRuAT.
EST AcrREss-FoR ONE
NIGHT ONLY.
And At last. with warning toots from
q distant whistle and a great wave Of
laughter ~ the order was % ssed sionx
10 clear the track. q locomotive trun-
died In out NJ the night In It's cab
pair Of proud and grinnlag engineers.
on Its cowcatcher Elsie Janis. A mo-
ment later and the engine WAS near
enough 30 the stage for-he to clear the
space At a single Jump and there she
was. with her black velvet tam pushed
back on her tossing hair. with her
eyes alight and her hands uplifted. her
whole voice thrown into the question
which Il the beginning and the end Of
morale. which IL the most important
question In the army:
"Are we downheartedf'
The Thundsrovs Rsspenss.
You can only family imagine the
thunderous mo" with which the train
shed echoed. And itIs the whole point
81 Elsie Jsnis--as well ss the whole
point Of all the mummers now being
booked 10 play for the A. v. F.--that
whatever the spirit OF the boys before
her coming. they really meant that
mo" with all there was In them. that
any who might have bsen just q little
downhearted before. felt better about
u after seeing and hearing her. For.
like the rare ofhcer who can inspire his
men to very prodigie OF valer. 90 the
flashing Elsie IL compact Of that price
less thing which. for lack Of q less
pedsntie phrase. we must call positive
magnetism. More than one company
has marched on to It's nrst night 10 the
trenches with brighter eyas. sauarer
shoulders aud q more gallant swing be-
cause. az the very threshold Of ssfety.
this lnnky and lovely lady from Co
lumbus. Ohio. waved and sang and
cheered them on their way.
That Ii why. when the history Of
this great expedition comes TO be writ. I
ten. there should be q chapter dcvot. 4
ed TO the play-giri OF the western front. 4
the star II the A. \. r.. the forerunuer
~ those players who are now being
booked In the greatest circuit OF then
all. the Y. N. c. A huts Of France.
Fer her. and for her like. there 10
always room. And work aplenty 10 |
do. There are troops to be fred--as
by martial musie-on the edge Of the
advance.
Elsie Janis land mother) ore havlng 4
the time OF their lives. aud she meant
every word Of Il when she cablen |
back 90 all her brothers and sisters OF
the stage TO come or they would never
know what they had missed.
Barn storr,Ina With Vengeance.
For Elsie Il has been Transforming
with a vengeance. tour OF tank town.
In mere senses than one. Il has meant
travelling without q maid for once ~
a way. playing a whole season With
one dress wardrobe. bisoa.cktng In
strange and uainvitiag hotels.
II has meant warbling as n cabaret
singer among tables Of some ofhcers
mess or mounting, q beach. to- sins
through the windows OF come eonta
gion barracks where the isolated
doughboys had been tearing their In
fected hair with disappointment be
cause they had heard she was In the
post and knew they could not get out
20 see her.
II has meant lingering for an extrt
performance at some hut because
whole new audience was ooninl
through the stsrllt heavens from thu
aviation camp down the lines.
In all her years on the stage shs
has known no such tumultnons. heart
warmipg welcomes - are her Nightly
portions In the biggest time a. boskins
once can offer 10 q player In the yeaff
1918.
The boys swarm up on the stsEsl
and slap her on the back and vow thsr
never was such a girl since the ~crit !
began. They ehsAr her until tbes ar
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