Judge — December 9, 1916 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ee es INTERPRETATIVE DANCING ; The Only Girl By ESTHER LINDNER ~) . Ts symphonic orchestra plays the opening bars of Mendelssohn's i \ ho Commanded Spring Song. The curtains part, revealing a soft velvet, or plush, or \ . , : » | A Nation’s Armies brocade drop—the texture depending upon how popular the dancer is, and how great her box-office receipts. Upon the stage are , gremn flowers and garlands. The spectators sigh feelingly. This is A simple little girl of bgher entertainment. : sixteen played one day Through a slit in the drop comes the dancer, attired in cheese-cloth. in a little lose village. There is no getting around it, it is cheese-cloth. The costume is very low 4 jee eee et, ea 9 neck, and extremely high as to skirt and sleeves. Around the middle p the tongs of Fence, ditisa loose cord and tassel. The artiste’s limbs and feet are quite bare. she led them in triumph ave for some six coats of whitening. The audience draws its wraps close, f to victory, tod shivers. “How artistic!” it murmurs. ‘The dancer advances slowly Great dukes bowed be- Stooping, she gathers some of the flowers into her arms. Tossing them over fore this girl who could not read. Sinful men, ith a gesture like that of a sinking swimmer, she stoops once more | 4 bead with 2 ge B T men who had cursed and . togather a fresh armful. This she does some cight or ten times, until she | \ : ‘dcaniegnd imurdered:all She is their days, followed has managed to get the stage and herself quite messy and dirty meekly her every order. jaying her stage sweeper five hundred dollars a week—her press agent has ieen kind enough to announce that. She believes in making him earn his ts It is the most dramati the most amazing story money. . All the while, she is making faces at the spellbound audience. It is { in the whole story of hu- ‘ti hey d ind. Twirling, sh saily se he man life. In the dim, sulting, but the do not secm to mind. wirling, she pouts gaily over her ; sy far-off past, Joan of Are doulder. Reversing, she opens wide her mouth and deliberately yawns. ; mene her shining sway 18 Thete is no mistake about it, it is a yawn. Her personal dentist get’s a | France—and her story thousand a week—again the press agent—and he ce As she skips : was pcre fold a ‘ : * rant shou! ve been till i back and fort h across the stage to keep warm, frown: nd grim was'told by'an Amer description chase each other in quick succession over her face. She 23 i can— s with the orchestra leader. But no one listens to the music—it is the interpretation that counts. : The dancer has had enough. It is the end of the composition, she has aepped on a sliver, and she is thirsty. With a final chord the musicians by down their instruments. ‘The dancer flops down on the stage. the cur- tins come together. According to the publicity man next day. applause shakes the house. The orchestra swings into the livelier strains of Schubert's “* Moment Musical.” Once more the curtains part. The stage is quite clean. Evi- ently the sweeper has learned to work quickly. The dancer runs out. She has not changed her costume. It is even less modest than before, for o the exertion of the former dance, its folds have become slightly disar- nmeged. Looking at her, one would say that by this time it is summer, were it not that she is now frantic with cold, and runs about waving her arms and slapping her knees. Suddenly she stands still, But it is too draughty for that. She starts a course in isthenics. ‘This she does for the spe tators gratis, charging them nothing beyond the price they have paid to fain access to the theater. She shows them by what exercises she developed ber marvelous arms and legs, pumping these members up and down at a great rate. The women can sce themselves trying it in front of their mirrors before retiring that night, and when the curtains come together again, they applaud vigorously, in the hope that the dancer will return to finish the kesson, She docs. Stepping out, she executes a bowing movement, faranteed to reduce the hips from five to ten inches, and backs into the drop. Again the leader takes up his baton, and the plaintive melody of the Barcarole from “Tales of Hofiman” Ils through the house. The spot ght centers upon a dim stage, and in it the dancer suddenly appears. She ‘asa fiery red scarf wound around her. Perhaps it is warmer than the other ostume, perhaps she is tired. At any rate, she moves more slowly. The Comers of her mouth droop. Gradually she raises one arm and loo! it. | She must have injured it, for she puts it through various maneuvers to sce Shether it will work No great harm has been done. She is getting too warm, and xmping about, she manages to loosen her scarf and removes it by hiring round in one direction until she has unwound it entirely. She Smore like herself—cold but happy. She now proceeds to demonstrate to ‘be women how to keep an evening gown on without pasting it. She has most made a failure of this lesson, when the music ceases. The spe pr aena the dancer bows several times, pretends for about five minutes Pen oes not see the flowers she paid her press agent to send her, and ‘nally retires for the last time. “Wonderful,” says the audience. To us whose chuckles had turned which makes {t human. Mark pathos at “Huckle. ‘Twain's Joan of Arc is'no cold ho felt the statue in a church: bronze on - a pedestal, but a warm, human, fo us who, saw loving gitt ain Tn s “s the coming of * of Are” if y from the pen of Mar a tbe. ablime U "4 Twain was no surprise A the pen « Cc an of Arc’? ly to revel " n Mark T It is in warm story We were re him this book “Ut h: the lof Bib Get Your Set For Christmas Before The Price Goes Up Novels Stories Essays Hamor Travels History i Ch This is the set he wanted in ane him, Because he asked it, Harpers have worked to make a perfect set at a reduced price, Before the war we had a contract price for paper, so we could sell this set. of Mark Twain at'a reduced price. The last of the edition isin sight. The The Great | omc Mav'fwain at the present price, American Send Coupon; No Money Born poor — growing up | There never again will be any more in a shabby little town Mark ‘Twain at the present price. the Miss : the 25 volumes now, while ’ you can, Every American has got, to . havea setof Mark Twainin 2% his home. this now The vastness of the West | and save money. MARFER & he fearlessness of the ar chy BROTHERS pioneer—th Mark Stwaigg Yous / Prastiia Savare opby of the country boy | wanthim. Send Bow Vers ret acmttey | the coupon to” send me, all charges simpli now — fetot Mark hc wain's wotks in 25 vol- laya when | are Jooks/ umes illustrated” tun Hmperor and | ingatit. // in handsome green King, Chinese sampedin gold gold tor darin and plain deckled edges. I? not satisfac can, all alike, wept tory, I will return them at you expense, Otherwise I will send you $1.00 within 5 days and $2.00 month for 12 months, thus getting the ben of your half-price sale. —_——_— — HARPER’ & ae BROTHERS ny if Franklin Sq. New. York ieee le That is Art.” comicbooks.com