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Show Diamonds Polished and in the Rough. Copyright. by the Mt:Ciure Newspaper Syndicate. Entered at Stationers Hall. London. All rial its reserved, including rights of translation. Puhlb-alion of this arti'de in whole or in jar; is express! v prohibited except by special ar- i rant; erne ut with the McClure New spa per Syndicate. HOW many times has an ill-mannered perfcon been apologetically pointed out as a rough diamond sans a setting. "His manners are bad, but he has a good heart," they say of him. "Kindness before polish." pol-ish." When you meet him he is almost uncouth un-couth in his greeting, boorish in his conversation, con-versation, but his reputation is charitable chari-table he is a rough diamond. To know that one is diamond-hearted compensates 'or a great deal but a little polish goes a 'oner way. Whether we come from aristocratic lineage or not, we can be aristocratic within ourselves. All women should cultivate culti-vate gentle voices and gentlewomen's manners. It serves them well, and how much more consideratioy they receive from men. Around a studio you can find almost every type of girl, trom tiie refined to the girl of the streets. She who is loudmouthed, loud-mouthed, coarse and vulgar never draws herself away from tbe lowest position in pictures she is called a professional extra girl. We were all extras once, but the ambitious girls speed onward and never allow themselves to stand still. Some of tiie girls cheapen their appearance appear-ance by wearing garish clothes, as they try to imitate Fifth avenue women by copying their gowned elegance in tawdry materials. The other evening I sat behind two girls and as I stared at the backs of their heads I felt that I could lead the character of their faces. T'0 you know why? Because their pretty hair was not only done in outlandish coiffures, but was bedecked with rhinestone combs and targe butterfly bare t tea. Two aisles in front of them I could see a delicately-molded delicately-molded little head, her hair coiled simply at the nape of the neck. I met this girl a few days later and told her I was glad she had come to work in our studio, for I had liked her the minute I set eyes upon her! All during the first act my "ladies of the combs," as I styled them, chattered incessantly. I endured it until the middle of the second act, when I found it necessary neces-sary to lean over and quietly ask them not to talk during the performance. Both girls were abashed, and not a word did they utter after a brief apology. I had expected a loud, ordinary argument argu-ment in response to my request, for I judged t!:e cirls iv the la ks o: the heads. Their looks lie'd-n) t:etn they were not common, hut jut sidy young V(-hooigir!s who had probably spent then pennies in Imitation jewelry, thinking it improved their appearance. A Diamond in the Rough. One day a girl stopped me with this remark: ''Say. Miss Pickford, 1 want a job in the movies, and 1 want it bad. If you're the right sort, you're going to help me. If you ain't, then good -night for met" I was very' busy at the time, so T did not make an effort to introduce her to tiie diieetor, who I was sure would he as badly impressed by her manners as I was. A friend who knew her told me later that she was one of th'-se far-famed diamonds in the rough." She really was a very good girl, the sole provider for her invalid mother, and clever in pictures. Her manner was acquired, my friend explained ex-plained she believed in talking straight from the shoulder and thought polite English hypocritical and affected. Here I go rattling on. getting to be a scolding giver of advice, and I am afraid you will grow tired of me. But It is just like having an intimate little fireside bos-sip bos-sip with you all when I write on homey subjects through the papers, and J am always al-ways thinking of the young girls who may be anxious to find out which is the straightest path toward success. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mamie A., Cincinnati, Ohio: I shall eventually return to the stage, but as I have become identified with pictures I want to climb to the top of the ladder before I give them up entirely. Xina K., Boston, Mass.: Lottie is here in New York now, resting after all her strenuous work in "The Diamond From the Sky" serial. Jack is in California with the Selig company. Harry D., Xewburgh. X. T. : Your scenarios sce-narios were very clever, but only long enough for one or two reel pictures. Try to write original clever feature plays They are more remunerative. |