Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-03-14

| plause had not yet ceased in the audience,
Mamma, I'm afraid your not 'zactly pleased
with me tonight As reassured her she
| quoted from Sarah Carens who used to say
her dolly did her sawdust best, and said
| Mamma, did really do my sawdust bestg
The reason we thought Of letting her 60 on the
| stage was because when she was a tiny child
she evinced SO much taste for it. Whenever
| she was taken to the theatre she came
home and acted the whole performance.
When she was years old Joe jefferson took
her with him as Little Mena, In RIP Van
Winkle, and the next year she played in all
the large western cities as the smallest boy in
RIP Van Winkle.' She was almost too
small for the part, but Jefferson said she was
the best boy he had ever seen in all his
twenty-seven years Of playing the part, even
II she was little girl
"She is fond Of every stage carpenter and
scene shifter as well as the actors, wherever
she plays, and gives them all her sweetest
smile alike. wouldn't allow her to be any
other way 1t was her success in 'Editha's
Burglar that caused Mrs. Burnett to give
her the part in Lord Fauntleroy,' for it was
she who gave it to her. When she made her
arrangements with Mr.. French for the pro-
duction Of her play, it was with the under
standing that Elsie should have the part"
SHE LEARNS HER OWN LINES.
"Who teaches her her Enesl l used to, but
she can read now and learns them herself.
She learned Lord Fauntleroy in the sum-
mer, you know, and she used to take this rug
out on the balcony, spread an umbrella over
1t for play house, and carried out her large
family of dolls and her pet white mouse, and
when she had things all arranged she would
stretch herself out on the rug with her head
on her hand, and, propping her book up
against the lions head on the rug, she would
study little while, get up and arrange the
toilets of the dolls, send them all of on q visit
somewhere, study little more, play witk the
little tame mouse, talk her part to 1t or to the
dolls, and so on until she was tired She
learned the first act In three days She recites
It just as she talks, and all we ever teach her
Is the simple light and shade Of dramatic ef-
feet. All the artistic part Is her own, I'll
that is known In the profession as stage bud-
ness, and out Of 1t g acting Is her own No
one ever told her to put on her grandfather
glasses or peer into tho lions mouth that be
uses for footstool She thought out for
herself all the childish curiosity she manifests
over the bell, and to put ON 'Dearests bonnet
and every pretty trick in the play. She ire
quently odds something to 1t that surprises
d all, and think laughed as heartily -
any one in the house the first night she quoted
Dicks what yer givin' u.s. with tho little
backward jerk Of her thumb and the shifting
Of the strap.
TENDERLY CARED FOR.
"No, she never seems tired, only the night
she doesn't play she IS 50 restless and dis
turbed that we have to put her to bed at
o'clock. We take very good care Of her, have
her walk every morning and 60 to sleep
every afternoon at 4 II the queen came she
couldn't wake my little girl up, until her
nap IS over. OF course, we are very careful
concerning her diet and habits, and she Is 20
precious we don't let draught Of air blow on
her-but here she Is to talk to you"
"What makes you like the stage, ElsieT
"Oh. because we have such fun, and every
ono Is so nice"
(which part do you Like bestr
"The part where they clap their hands,
and then sometimes they make noise with
their mouths-whistle Hka like that, too,
It Il 50 funny"
"But mean what part Of the play do yoc
like best"
"Oh, the second act I like boys parts bet
ter than girls anyway. wish could play
The Prince and the Pauper.' like that"
"What else do you like to do besides actr
"Oh, l like my dollies when have some
one to play with me, and my books when
am alone"
TOMMY RUSSELL
Little Tommy Russell, the associate OF
Elsie Leslie in Little Lord Fauntlerov. !" r.