THE BURDEN OF BEAUTY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 69, 14 December 1907, Page 11

THE BURDEN OF BEAUTY.

Any thing ;:f rem 7.5,000:'t0' 100;000 picture postcards Have-been 'sent- to-me-for.'signalitre-;, during "three years, (says Miss Phyllis Darn,' 'disciissing'tho picture post-card craze in. the little book she has written ''From School to Stage,'', just; published by ' Messrs. Collier and Co.). ; When first-l.rused:to receive post-cards.to sign Piiivariably took' the messages written 'thereon'most-seriously, and- when I found a post-card addressed to' •-me on which was written,. "I foil' in love with you. the-first : timo lever-saw you, and.shall'determine-.'to win-.you-'i-by.'fair means/ or Foul," 1 -almost fainted' with fright.' ' Indeed, for weeks" on .'lily way to, school 1.-almost avoided .'walking o)i .'the-pavement, lest 'this horrible-person should politico but from :somo alley or; area and'carry-' mo off. ' -■ , •'. ■'. ■;"-. ' ■-,•, •-■ '..-Fortunately; • .lidwe'ver,, the .letters...l :'• have; riiceiv<ki ; from 'unknown', admirers have-hot' always been.'of.'this.alarming; •character.:/ * On the. second:night-of my apnearancoas;. a SandoW VGirl-'.'l■■"received' tho' following- offer ofmarriagoiTT-,-':.--' . ■•: ' ."' %' •' . .-.."Until'to-night, although, of course, 1 have seen your photograph in hundreds of shop windows, I. was unaware,that yon were a. strong woman. In ten days'.time F. leave to join an exploration party in West Africa, bnf/as I shall be away for a numher of rears 1 should very much like to take my wife with mo., Will you be my wife? I have never met another woman in the -rorlrl I should care• to marry, and, as you are a Sandow Girl, you should well be able to stand the climate on the West Coast of Africa, which, as you. may have heard, is not of tho best. I would- add that I am a comparatively rich man—-I have an income of between &isand

seven f.housand a year. In consequence it would he unnecessary for. you ever to return to the stage agam." "De.-ir Miss 'Dure'''(ran'another letter I received when playing in "Tho Catch of the Season"), —"Kvery night fnr the. past three weeks 1 have taken the same sent in the front row of tho stalls at .the Vaudeville Theatre in tho vain endeavour, thut you might notice me and give me some sign that you were pleased to see me. '"Your cn'olnoss' towards me. however, drives me.to desperation, and. unless I hear from you'withiit the next twenty-four hours, J,shall,do something desperatii. My intentions towards yon are perfectly honourable, and 1 say here that I woiild marry you tb-morr'ow if you would only have he.' Were such a happy consummation tn come to pass 1 would only make one stipulation—that we spend our honeymoon in a balloon." . . . ..In her interesting book Miss Phyllis Dare gives some idea of an actress's day when preparing to start on toiir: Three visits to .theatrical dressmaker; two visits to. my own"dressmaker: measured for theatrical shoes; measured".for private footgear; six hours at photographers; four hours, at . rehearsals; business connected with appearance in pantomime; two. visits, to theatrical. milliners; visit to song-writer'lo try. over, new. songs; an hour's practice at two new dances; signed over three hundred picture post-cards and replied, personally to thirty-four letters. Apropos of the life of a child actress and the sending of. bouquets there:is tho following anecdote: In a pantomime in which I was playing was a little girl of'nine playing the part .of the Queen of the Fairies; She. looked radiantly happy on the stage, hut "off" she. always; looked, oh, so sad! . ... One night I found her standing all alone "in the wings," sobbing. I tried to comfort her, and asked her what was the matter. "Oh," sho said, "mother is so ill, and we have no money except what I earn, and the doctor says, that unless she goes to a .warm seaside place at once she will die." - At this moment the call-boy's voice rang out. "Fairies, please," and in two minutes that .plucky little child was .beaming - and smiling before the audience, looking-the very personification of happiness. As she, left t-lio stage a bouquet of lovely flowers was handed, to .her'which' must have cost quite five pounds; I am sure. ."If only," the. little, fairy said to me afterwards,- ■ "people ' would send useful things instead of flowers and silly toys, what a lot I'could do! to help mother!"

.A SHANTUN'G vSILK,, \ The point, about, this'costume- differentiating it from,others ;of the same silk is .that it is trimmed .with the fashionable Egyptian embroidery',-, the ■ sleeves ending :in - a 'novel three-piece cuff, also embroidered;