.1 v.
H
, O Tf Gvr Xv Atfrcv
From the Parlor Stage
to the rrotessidnal
Footlights Is Oft but a
Step, as Is Proved by
the Careers of Noted
Women
TpyERY season, as the big lights go up
ri over the theaters and the names of
' the headliners glow in e fulgent, glory
io draw the multitudes, like moths, in eager
throngs, some new "find" in the way of het
plan genius springs into sudden fame. '
Usually the find is a woman, for of the
making- of the female stars there is, and ever
shall be, no (nd.
I ' Nobody may have heard of her before;
but everybody may as well expect to hear of
her again and again, and again, until she
shall have accepted the honorable dowager
ship of old women's roles, thirty years from
now, or has reluctantly consented to eface her
self, like Mary Anderson de Navarro, in the
happiness of marriage. But even marriage
doesn't always bring oblivion; an Edith King
don Gould will revive her triumph at some
j gorgeous private performance, or a Fay
, Temple ton: just can't help returning to the
; footlights.
These lights have an almost irresistible
lure, after' as well as before the woman with
the least of mimetic gifts has been in the fiery
heart of things. Agd afar, in cities and
towns -where only pale reflections of their
brilliancy are seen, their influence is felt.
' Scarcely a great city but has its one or
more coteries of amateurs, and scarcely a
town but contains a few ardent spirits who
long for the life of the stage, and feel con
vinced they have the talent for it.
It is in those amateur theatrical societies
that the solution of the mystery is often to
be discovered. Nominally organized for
mere diversion, any of these little groups is
liable to contain one woman or man who has
the true vocation, whose destiny is the glare
tif the professional boards which, once
basked in, seems to hallmark the votaries for
ever and a day.
a w-n HIS season has added its quota of amateurs
I to tha ranks of the regulars, as tha last took
, j away at least one who was deply and sin
cerely regretted. .
Last winter the people in New York who knew
Ilea Mildred Bergrer, from Milwaukee, the daughter
; of the late Dr. Henry C. Berger. all agreed that ona
H whose singing and general cleverness as an amateur
equaled hers ought to be on the regular stage. Tha
'.'eunimer had parejy closed when their previsions wera
; lusiifled. ; 1
s . The announcements of the cast of "The Kiss
Walts' included the name of Miss Mildred Manners,
Q who when the curtain went up and the Impersonate
f Mme. Rltste appeared, proved to be the phyai
rian's charming daughter. Klie had passed through
no harsh and cruel apprenticeship, such as the stock
company of years ago required, and with such excel
lent results; she simply emerged from toe chrysalis of
the amateur .into the grandeur of the actress in a
ainsrle night ,y-,- a
So It waa with pretty Edna Baker, ihe niece of
the lata General Lew Wallace. Her startling rlaa
to leading lady In 'The Arab" Included no atage
intermediate between amateur work and the promi
nence1 of th profession's heights. She left her home
town. Ashevllle, N. C, aome yearf agro upon the death
of her parenta, and lived-. With-relatives In Indian- '
e polls Last j ear, her ambition backing her courage,
aha went to New York to study dramatic art, 8he
waa thus amateur and student when, a few months
s so, Henry II. Harris believed he discerned in ber
the gifts that make a leading lady: Right from her .
school ba took her. and she carried the leading role
in Margaret May o'a play. "Behind tha fcVeaeaf whan -
Tin: ofcjxo" gf?aAV jouiu.au rmcruu.t), su).!a.
i f
4
V
II waa predated la Philadelphia. The manager had.
In Edgar ftelarya's "Arab," play thai called for
an erlraee of youth an 4 especial teiaaL bepltin ear
caw aad iha iclitii waa aiUI lacbiaa. Thea Ml a
Itaaer aa eeot lor, aa4 la thfae weeha -aba aa facing
Mar Vara eudleneee la a play entirely Straus t
her, ai4 making good with Iha aplomb af a veiaran.
an ifca aa or Bar uicK ck4 loriuna
rolaaaloaai alaaa lotl ta acob Waadall.
actor bo waa typical of what la tha vary
baat amoaa antataura. Ha waa o( an ol4 Koiekar
tKkar Unuly, waaltby, coilifa and a club man.
Ilia plaaaura waa In tba t.aria ho took la taa
amataur parformanett of Iha Now Tork ComJy Cluo.
Tba graat manaaara tha mairoaolla uaaa to da
ntand of blm, ary lima wblla. that ha aln a rn
Irari for a on; bat hi aoclal tralnlna rabttlad.
whlla.hja aa rt aravlnaa rt4 him to comply.
A i-OQDta of yaart aao ha concluded It waa vain
t flaht aaalnrt a :nina ajlina lo tha la. and
ha Jolnad Iha Nw Thaalar Company. Tfatra waa ao
ona who tkouaht'-o ao - rich amaiaarv lakln
nrantlco laaaona htrai Bf rlaht of talaiM and thor
ouahljr afflclnt aklll, Mr. Wandall waa 1rnad promi
nent rolaa from tha vary baalnnlar When. In April
laat, ha waa epanlnf iha play. "Whal tha V "lor
Ordered." with tha Aatnr Theater Company. In Tren
ton. N. J., hla aaddenly fatal lllnaaa atmck hirn down,
tba whole theatrical world lamented Iha Jo4. not of
an aaplrlna amataur. but of a capable and honored
profeaelonat
If tha real btnarraphlea of all tha multitude In.
eluded under tha phraee. tha nrrtfeealoral eaa. cniM
be learned, there would probublr be found few whrt
daahed In for tha take of hoer" end lodatre;. r
"urd." a la IMaey, aa the hind lr of a mule, or
ehot up throuah a trapdoor aa rhorua, a la Morv
phaw. Tha eparlr of aenlua hae Howd. for moat of
them, flrat In oraranlaatlona of -kindred eplriu, and.
Nrs.
t fmeriGm hbmert VAa Scared ffo
TMfWeU SLUM
L
ITTLE wonder it is that the caar haa placed
a ban on morganatic marriages, with es
pecial reference to American girls. 3 f .
. The Romanoffs, as a family, have never
been accused of overlooking prejtty women. What
ever else might be said of, the men, they have proved
beyond peradventure that they value a smile more
highly than a throne. Grand dukes of the most
approved lineage have been ever ready to chuck
the royal game and go in for real happiness. .
T
IHERS waa a reason. Mrs. George Lea Thomp
son, one of the loveliest of Americans on for
eign ahorea. had captivated, the. Grand Puke
Boris to auch an extent that, about a year ago, -
It waa rather more than rumored that, the royal rake
waa' going- to turn over a now leaf. Nothing cama of it,
' for tha time . hAinar. at leaat. hu thica was -always
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1 III V j V L.
no, vary afua, uldea tben to aotna efhool af actlaf
wbera Ibay may ba truly tirellrat proft aaloaala
wblla they are atlll rated aa aludeat amataura.
Tbara'a Elala Jaala. Krom tba hour whea. aa a
cbUd I yaara old. aha couldo't b raatralaad from
Sivtua- iitbtawotte vt vtr fcvsiy arvund bcr. btull tba
tale fraaldaai alcKialay url ber to go a too prv
Iteatuoal a ta a, aba bad oaca daauaaa lur (nimeuo
laaie.
la direct contraat with auch precocloua develop
ment waa tha rlae U atallar graatnaea of Mr a. Jamaa
Brown Hotter. A aoclal belie, iha dauabter of Colonel
liavld Urquhart. of Mew Orteane, ana had married
Mr. f otter aad takaa a. prominent place la Now York
eociety before aba allowed any particular Internet
in tba dramatla arc Hut wban aha did. aha waa
Ilka a meteor In tba reodeat yanka if taa .amataura
with whom aha waa ftrat aaaoctat . ier avna war
tonaplauoua for tuatr ai'Ufidor; bar beatitr waa In
ktanily racoanlaad aa balua of the type that faacinatea
" . rraat audloncra, and bar laltnt waa tndtaputabla.
1' ho year e -of humbla rehaeraai 'and painful drllllaa
that are tha lot of moat amataura for only a few are
, choaen by native endowment rather than ardent
aspiration were not for her. Within a abort time
aha went atraifht to tba regular ataf a, and made
her debut In London, In 1h7. at tha iiaymarkec. in
Wllkle Colllna' "Man and Wife." Colllne hlmaelf con
raiulated bar, by letter, on her eucceea In tha rola of
Anne flylveeter. When aha returned to the United
Plate ah appeared aa a atar In a repertoire, wltb
Kyrle Bellaw aa'her leading man.
Tba atory of Mra. Iealle Carter'a thrilling- expert
eneee as an amataur learning- under David Belaace.
with ber magnificent red hair aixl equally magnificent
etaa presence her only dramatic naaela- until hard
drllllner fanrad Icto flame 'thatlw twinkle of talent .
ehe dtaplaved. la a atory oftew told, end again denied.
But thai ehe waa tba tyre of the atudent-amateur who
--f
' Scarcely a member of tha wiirniriff hmiAA but'
ovarteiy a memper oi xne reigning nouse out
has, at one time or another, indulged his fancy in r
tne way of lovely woman.- borne, nave been content
with temporary affairs, while others, like his nephew
Michael, who married the Countess Torby, have
gone into exile rather than give up their morgan
atic wives. . ' :. -
Now Nicholas, imperator rex, is tired of , tha;
whole blooming business, and has served notice
that he will have no mercy on the next offender; '
danger when such pretty women as Mrs. Thompson,"
Katharine Elkina and a, host like them wera adorning.
' Paris. - . ; - .. - ,i
No wonder tha ciar had an attack of serves with
reference to the morganatie-peril. No leas a personage
than hla only brother, the Grand Duke Michael, had
made an -effort to Jump -the tracea. chuck hia royal
ha" ore and light out with tha lady of hia desires. -Tha
yp'ng woj3jli.1j 4uestiOG wonderfully lovely
"saw M .aaamar
ncn.u.a ccic: i:t i ir.x
S3
Jjwj Grostt
aaag laa taawaeacw free tba Brat af bar aaae.
aa M a aaatiar of ata tif, s '
ftmlmmm a I laia aaeaa afctrt. a4 crttK
ibaa wera B'Prty aba aaai4 aaa atajg draaaatia
aawut Mr aitapc bar ba'r a4 bar Mvra t a 4
U aibila aftar bad ba waartajt tba Mf
laoreie af a atar. Tt Hit. Laaila Carta fought ba
ay ttroub la aa aataptad poasuoa aa Iba aiaga d
awrvlvad aiuaila taull-Radiaga aaul tea af iba vary
rtllk ba Brat eoa4aaae bar aa tba . ra
gMiataur aaUe4 bar aa a pnse la tba prafaaaMa. ' .
iiiabcba a.au. aa aa amaiatr. a-aiaj.y kark4
frow le liar f.Kver waa aaMrt laara. &a
eat ta tba pwltfie ac avaa by day and draaawd of laa
luuutctsta aj a.ai- Ma aaa auly 14 eara aid.
rarta.y eu -tf a.ou and la loog ateeaia, aaea ee
trade hr Brat amateur apiwuaacj at a baat
perlormaiM-a In the vy Indoor fAaetef. on tba Hoaery,
a yoang aa lr4niona aa blaiomal accuracy cwuld
Coeatbly rUla lur tha aaa aad taa ttajy waera
wademona e auppoaed lo have lived. . aba waa ana af
Ihuae amataura who couidn l ba kepi away from tba
regular etaga by all the wardna aad ntanagara ta
Christendom, and aba waaa't It before aba waa acting
wKb Tboroae McUonoug b is (bat belly aid naiadraaaa,
"alberta."
fcdna Ooodrlcb bad a similar rlaa la alage pranil
Banco, bat from Chicago, alia waa acarcaiy aut of
iha Hyde Park fk-houl when aba waa glinting gayly
through occaaional amateur performances and long
ing ail tha wbila for tba larger opportunlllea af tba
raaJ ataga. bba could aea the Jlgbu of Hroadwey aa
far off aa Chicago, and they drew her etralght ta
them. LuckT Why. aha became ofe af Iha Tloradera"
saiteL although aba waa too lata to land among
the original an. Her career baa btn a eucceealoa
of comedy trlumpha, not tha leaat tmonc thrm being
ber marriage with Nat Uoodwln and her whole
hearted grip on tha Uoodwln fortune. . Tha raat af
tdna. and the marriageable Nat. la currant newa.
Heaven only knowa bow many actreaaaa amataur
companlea have been responsible far. but one 'f I hem
waa Mabel lllte. who caught tha glamour af tha ataga
at tha early aga of II eara. when sna plsyad tna
Lord Chancellor In 'lolanthe.' Mhe proved a true
comedienne, but went on to atellar heights, until aha
acted on eiusl terms with John Hlavlo In "A Knight
for a lay.-. 6he la almost he aole esampla of a auo
cessful actress being overcome with a paaalon for any
ether art or, science. But baseball proved the rival of
tha ataga, and Mlka Donlln baa her now. Ha mar
ried her.
Tbla country la not alone in the amateur com
panlea that contribute their nuota of regular
erlreeaea to tha boards, for England has always cher
ished Its Utile societies of actors who hope for raat
trlumpha To count them all would take a book. Olga
ff tfe Cz drris circfe.
Vs a matter of courae, rejoiced In he narna of Ekate-
rlna and a family of high and noble, though not royal,
I'neage. The grand duke met her. became Infatuated
w,th1ieP, butjcould not marry her without the consent
of his brother, tha czar, in other words, he simply
couldn't, becauaa tha brother would never countenanca
a matcn except with a peraonage of duly accredited
regal birth.
. The marrlapre - question was somewhat simplified
when the young woman went to the altar with a man
named Mamontoff. supposed to be the richest man In
Moscow, the ancient and Honorable capital of the
empire.
All should hava been ended.-but It was not. Mar
riage : was out-of the question. JSut love persisted.
Mamontoff waa not pleased. Younar and handsome
himself, he saw no. reaaon why hia wife ahould not be
aatlsfled with him, and him alone. Forthwith ha besran '
to acquire the disposition of an Ot'-'lo Like a Turk
ha watched his wife, an army of servants keeping hirn
fully informed aa to her comings and golnara.
If the reports of the affair are to be believed, tha
husband was not only Jealous, but brutal. lie Is said
to have dragged- hia lovely wife around her boudoir
by her. blonde creases, demanding all the lettera that
tha grand duka had written to her before her mar
rlavare. That-, jot .course, wa.' Bflt -calculated to males tha
life
I hi it
rtxrrfsf
Netbarsola may ba cited aa one af tba moat conspicu
ous of Iba graduates. Educated In Oermany, socas
tooted lo tba coraforte and reOnementa of auch a bema
aa bar father, an English barrlatar, could provide, aba
bad la fend for bereelf when ha dladT aha bad
played Lattice Vane In "Harveet" In tba Theater
KoyaL at lirlghlon, and aha believed aba bad talent
enough to fit bar for tha provlncea. at least- She had.
And aha had enough to taka her, within a year, ta
London, at the Adelphl. and speedily to tba leading
role in "The naan'a Daughter" at tba St James.
The popular paaalon for amateur theatrtcale. both
here and abroad, la acarcaiy ao universal aa II waa
thirty yeara ago; but It la on a baala of much batter
organisation, and additions to tba players' ranks may
ba looked for aa numerously In Iha future, from thoaa
modest eoureea. aa they have been In tha paat Some
times, matrimony la an aid ta tha ataga, aa la tha
eaaa af Jack Barryanore, whoee bride could not be
aomptately happy until aha began appearing- on tha
boarda with him.
proua beauty forget her royal lover. It was not even
t even
So. ao-
effectual in making her glva up her lettera. So,
cording lo tha choice morsels of gossip tha
t hava
been floating about In court clrciea. Mamontoff
t pciu
a used
S ho ret
r. ;
ally -beat har Ilka a moujlk." In other worda. ha
her Ilka wa would a drunken -cab driver or tha
of a tazt who haa exceeded hla cargo capacity
Having at laat acquired tha missing papers, ha la
aald to hava harried off to St Petersburg with than)
and to hava -laid them before tha caar. Tha cones
quenoa waa that Michael waa hauled over tha ooala ao
hard that he promised to hava nothing more to do
with tha woman. -.. ...
Such promlaea hava been broken before, and It la
not strange that, on the conclusion of a hunting trip,
Mamontoff la aald to hava found tha grand duka com
forubly anaconced In hla homo whan ha arrived rather
unexpectedly. After tha uaual melodrama. Mamontoff
tna?.? R'y n which the curtain anould nave aioppeo.
. , wj11, hUch n' to a curt." ha la asserted to hava
declared, "and laah her through tha streets of Moscow
according to tha old cuatom"" . .
thJinJilZL9 , ck; getaway, with
VV -in i. Jrr.w, "1U1 ms, declaring
...j L7" d0 ftotninB- ' the aort. and tha ho
aynod will give you a divorce frou -Ekaterlna." "
holy
rc? part OI 't-wag prophetic. Mamontoff
hJA1 aBd th rand duk hd womanTn hla
handa whoaa wrong he could not right. Tha situation
ZaI eompromiaed. It la aald, by hla giving over tha
i.l0. fcutnant to mrry. The yoking officer waa
to hava a handsome Income for aettlng; Sn an aataS
hahment In Orel and keeping atrlcUy to th? Iput
menu assigned to him inside of It
TOO MUCH FOR RUSSIA
Jrnar,',.aB..of form 'o'lowed . 'BuVit la not strange
that the situation should become irksome to tha two
princlpala concerned In It. Only the lieutenant, with
a anus; lncoma mrf hiiKtun. m,..t... 'r " "
comDletalv nuflHrt
- in Jacv It waa too much even for Russia. One daw
Jl2r2$l0,lK c.Mman8 the lieutenant', regfrnent de
clared that the acandal was growing too great, and
ho would have to go to St Petersburg- and report 2
tha czar. That was (inuih ia ,JTf. m.;:.,".!
------- ... a monvuiY. n nn vne
report
which waa exactrv what .vVrv -"lV,uV""?iv5'
IRA maaala.. Jl. i" -
; a a . r vvu Uilii m aa iim
Micnaei is aaia to have Immediately bribed an ortho
dox priest; to marry him to JEkaterlna. v
' Evrythlngr wenVlovely unMl Michael tried to get
an extended leave of absence. For once hi, royal pull
availed not. He had to report to the emperor, who la
said l to hava suggested to him that ha return to Orel
to take leave of Ekaterina, who was therL in the
cloister oftha holy trlntty . - ' 'T ln
' Nothinar loth Michael hnrrled n Wk. ..
applied for permission to converse with Kkaterlna. tha
following: dialogue is reported to have taken place :
"The g-reat ainner, Ekaterina." aald a repreaerlta-
i'" "L.r.'"' 1"" 7"" mm, "will have
pra uu nuumiii, Aiicrwara ana win be allowed
to aea you." . w u
J'?1. ",f rL8Jnnl ana yJ"i JPOBlnaT of her
edV
ii.a.w. ua, viiv (rum OUKO. -
' "Ekaterina la not . and never waa your lmrerlt
highness' wife replied the personage. "Head hTr con
fession and her submission to tha decrees of tha holy
synod.'' . - , --. .
. "infamoua! shouted Michael,' ba he crumpled U th:
paper handed t him, "You have browbeaten and de
ceived the poor woman;. but her confession and sub
mission aren't worth the. paper they are written on
; v -Kkaterlna may speak for herself,' aald the prel
ate, emlling, and thereupon the .young woman was
- led out. ..- '-) '-: '.:.-,' , , , , ,
But what a changer Ekaterina was arrayed, ilka a
penitent. In a coarse, one-plec garment tied by a
string. Her hair waa shaved off. Bven her eyebrowa
bad been taken away, by the remorseless rasor.
r Literally stunned, tha grand duke stared at the
.wreck of beauty. .Tben. in utter dismay, he turned aad
fled aa if from the plague. . r . .
. It may not be true, hut yet It la as novel a tale as
aver cama out of Kuasia. , , ; . , ... v
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