and exceedingly ill-founded. It is wise to avoid the
thorny question how far the recognized leading ladies of our first-class
theatres are satisfactory--yet it may be said that a successful
playwright recently complained that as a body they were not, and that,
despite his protests, he was compelled to have his works performed by
the ladies in possession--and judicious to shirk the proposition,
sometimes put forward, that some of these do not hold their positions by
mere force of merit. Putting, then, aside the actresses enjoying
grandeur in London, and leaving out of account a still more remarkable
group which includes Mrs Kendal, Mrs Patrick Campbell and Miss Olga
Nethersole--whom we too rarely see in town--and even ignoring what may
be called "recognized leading ladies" who are "resting" reluctantly,
there remains a powerful group of young actresses of experience and
talent fully competent to satisfy the reasonable requirements of these
gentlemen who are complaining of the "dearth." Since this was written a
number of young ladies then on the boards but not accepted as leading
ladies have made their way to the front.

Character Actresses

Several letters have been written lately, pathetic letters, from
actresses unable to get engagements. All of the writers have enjoyed
successes, have been referred to by important papers as "promising" or
"coming leading ladies," each has had at least one engagement at a very
handsome weekly salary, yet every one of them is in doleful dumps.

Here is a passage from one: "In 1904 I did so well that I lived in
luxury, and, I fear, somewhat extravagantly, and my performance as
heroine in ---- was so highly praised that I had no doubt my future was
well assured. Last year I earned L40, and I have to live on what I earn,
and if I look dowdy when I go seeking an engagement I have little chance
of getting it. Yet I am under thirty, and although not one of the little
group of alleged beauties whose faces appear monotonously week after
week in the illustrated papers, I am well-enough-looking when made up,
and have read in criticisms references to my 'charm of presence' and
even to my 'beauty.' What is to become of me, I don't know. Of course I
am particularly hopeless seeing that nine of the London theatres out of
less than three times that number are now devoted to musical comedy and
I am unable to sing, nor should I be enthusiastic about taking work
sadly in contrast with my once high a