The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-10-13

Misc Alice NAYS Opinion Of ~ 1sw
Breed, Their Habits and 0sigfn.

Miss Alice MAYS Opinion Of 10 asw
BreeA, Their Habits and Osigin.
From the Louisville Commercial.
"And you want to know about dudes
and actresses. YQp observe thst am
very plump and excessively abundant
for the cigarette boys, yet have seen
them in India, Australia, England and
America, and my chance Of observation
has been unlimited"
Tho speaker was Miss Alice May, the
charming soprano Of Ford's comic opera
company, and she addressed the above
remarks to Q representative Of the Com
mercial.
'The funniest thing ever saw hap-
pened while was in the company Ole
duds. I was unconscious Of tho fact at
the time. While I was stopping ct the
Firth avenue hotel, In New York, re-
eefved very pleasant note from gem
tleman who Jntimated that ne was an
Englshmaf1y ana was well acquainted
with the best friends ! bad In LONDON:
He asked permission 70 cali, and !, OF
course, consented. a very 9apper
yorng fellow, with his hair psr'eo ~ tne
equator, who wore close-ftting trowsers
and coat which buttoned all the way
ND to the thrOat, was shown into the
parlor adjoining my room. He talked
very languidly about BIRDS and flowers,
and pulled nervously at few struggling
hairs he had on the side Of his face.
THAT very same clock you see on the
mantel. piece" said the lady as she
pointed her tapering fingers in the di.
rection of the tiRe.piece, "was on the
mantsl then and had allowed il to run
down. The conversation Jagged and
thought to Improve the hour by getting
the right time from my new acquaintance
J noticed that he had WHIST called q
tfOphy watch chain anchored tcthe top
most button hole Of his vest. j took
down my clock and inquired the time.
His face turned deashly pale. Madam,
| havs no WATCH he said, in voice Of
anguish as he arose and started from his
seat. He didn't take time to bid me
formal goodbye. The fellow skipped
out of the hotel and never came back.
afterwards learned that he was one Of
the premier dudes Of the metropolis.
"But here am gushing away about
of opera bouffe, as she famed away wig:
orously and pulled her chair in the
nsiphborhood OF an open window, when
Pm in city that is iairly alive with the
poor wretches; even hear that genu.
inc dude has developed in the business
department OF the Commercial office.
am afraid TO say anything about the
dudes IN Louisville, because u is u fact
that this element constitutes thc largest
part of tlie theater goers. It's against
the rules in our company TO peep from
behind the curtain, but the temptation
on the matinee afternoons 10 Irresistible
and il is very amusing to see the dude
lounge into the theater, fall into an easy
seat, cough In hacking voice, and then
look all over the house TO see who Is OBJ
serving him. These are the fellows
who imagine the p city actresses ana
chorus girls are charmed in their pres
ence. Before the curtain rolls up per-
feet shower OF notes are Yained upon the
stage, requesting the company OF Miss
So.and-so to fash onbie supper after
the curtain is down."
"Some OF the illusions must be anus
inpT, interrupted the reporter.
"Yes. And do you knew that 1t Is
rule among us TO preserve every note
wa receive? Uo You see that large trunk
i'm the corner? / have been on the road
l3 years, and 1t is almost full OF gushing
epistles." !,
The reporter saw the trunk and asked
10 look at some of the notes which the
pretty singer had filed away.
"Pve thousands of them in there, and
some of them are too soft to mention.
Here is one received while was play
ING at the Alhambra theatre in London"
she said, as she passed piece of faded
paper to the reporter. IL read:
Sweetest Alice, charming love, my
own. How l long for your heavenly
presence. I have riches. Be mine,
and yours shall be the happiest lot
money can buy"
"I didn't answer il, ,"the lady resumed [,
"and the next day I received tho fol-
lowing from the same fellow"
"Darling, you have wounded my poor
heart. shall droop and die, and when
the signing winds moan the last requiem
over my bones, remember that you were
the cause OF my DEATH"
Another note written in New York
recited:
SAY that you will be mine and LET
me live. Oh! thou faIrer than the an
gels. can only be happy in thy pres
ence. Meet me after the theater to-
night"
I1hVo you IeColtcu any uUtc0 Uculuu
the scenes since you came to Louisville?"
''Strange to say have not. A note
was passed up for me, but some one else
got it. The other girls in our company
tell me that Louisville dudes wear them
selves out by writing notes. ! am sure
should like to preserve some of their
precious scribblings In my trunk" and
the lady smiled coquettishly and asked
the reporter IL he knew Mr.. w. p. q.
the New Orleans champion.
II have noticed that American dudes
represent the younger men in society.
In England Il is different. There the
solid men are known M dudes. First
they were styled .crutch and toothpick'
brigade. They carried stick mounted
with huge shepherds crook, and wors
haymarket coat which Tapped almost to
the shoe tops. Gradually the abundance
of dress was curtailed, until now / won.
der how the poor silly creatures can en-
dure the torture when they sit down."
This was almost all that the fair Alice
had to say about dudes, and as the jour
Dalist retired on his way to the Office he
happened TO fall in with dude acQuaint-
ance and laughing'y recited the lady's
conversation.
The dude grew red in the face and
declared very viciously that Miss May
had no room TO talk. She was dudette
herself, and INDUCED more extravaean-
tly in MASKING over the footlights than
any other actress in the country.