Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-29

~ 7RANCIS HODG-
~ u SON BURNETT
fSNAI processes to dislike
HHz }~I the publicity of her
tk3% k4ANISS fame. She may be
az N9Ws~ sincere in saying so.
,N%AkS6EUA Her singularities of
K>/IfNa&AlA costume when ap-
MN WNk5E4$3a pearing on the stage
GNTlE kSN in response to the
4aky3f calls of theatrical
X3NSHNEzW audience, and her
c~F ,peculiarities of de-
~ %A ZNmeanor wherever
she goes, do not
seem to belong to lady of retiring DISPOSE
ton. However, no matter how much she
may really suffer under the gaze of popular
curiosity, the big fortune which she is max
ing out of ''Little Lord Fauntleroy" should
assuage her agonies of outraged difidence.
But what I set out to write is the fact that
little Lord Fautleroy, in all his multitudin-
GUS Implications, has been killed outright
by dramatization. Before the story of the
abnormally good little boy was made into
play, we saw numerous examples of him
everywhere. A long-haired boy, dressed in
fashion to make his sex an uncertainty to
the observer, at least from his belt to his
cap, was encountered in every street prone
made. Ridicule has followed close upon
popularity, and he has been shorn of his
locks, and put into boyish garments. The
relief to the general public is great, and to
the poor little sufferers from Fauntleroyism
it must be immense. Most of our mothers
have come to their senses, and if they are
still fond of discovering Fauntleroy good
ness In tneir urchins, they are happily
cured of the folly OF costuming them like
blessed little idiots. think that the few
chaps left in the guise of Miss Nancys are
resentful about it.
HE WAS NO Grille.
Anyhow, saw one yesterday who dis
proved the charge Of effeminacy in a most
thorough manner. He was pitiable sight.
His long, yellow hair was curled and
banged; his wide-brimmed hat was turned
up and feathered like bellies; his body
was encased fancifully in velvet, and only
a short skirt instead Of knee breeches was
needed to make girl of him exteriorly. He
was standing at the entrance of drygoods
store, while his mamma was shopping
within.
80, see de chippy," cried street boy,
using New York's slang word meaning a
little girl.
"What you giving me?" retorted Little
Lord Fauntleroy, with q vim and diction
quite as startling as though a winged angel
had dropped into profanity.
Then there was rapid exchange of ju-
venile insults, and then tousling, scram-
bling encounter, all the way across the side
walk and into the gutter, where the combat
ants rolled over and over in the dust. Little
Lord Fauntleroy whipped his enemy, but
himself sustained rather the more damage,
because the others clothes were much less
susceptible of injury; but fancy that if the
circumstances and completeness of the ruin
Of that costume would but prevent its being
succeeded by another of the same sort, the
youngster would deem his victory glorious.
REFORMED PRODIGY.
There are several women in New York
who make business of training infant
prodigies, and providing them to managers
| in need of such talent for the stage. When
I saw one Of these developers of genius enter
dramatic agency accompanied by no less
| than four specimens of little Lord Fauntle-
roy, couldn't resist the temptation to fol-
| low her in. I guessed that one more co n
pany to play Mrs. Burnett's piece was being
| formed, and that these were candidates for
| the title role; but was wrong. as 1 ascer-
tanned by means of diplomatic search for
| particulars.
An old Snowman had hit upon what he
| thought was bright idea. He would hire
| precocious boy, capable of reciting wln-
| somely, and put him forward as reformed
actor. He reasoned that many very sue
cessfuI evangelists had, as he termed it,
"worked the reform racket" and why
shouldn't boy who had enacted the part Of
Fauntleroy turn pious in the same way, re-
nounce the wickedness of the stage, and find
profitable acceptance on the Lyceum plat
form? Wouldn't the church folks coddle
and enrich such an elocutionary brand from
the footIight burning? Anyhow, that was
the showman's scheme, and he proposes
to realize it. The prodigies were being
brought to him for selection.
FRECKLEs ARE UNFAsHIoNABLE.
All the girls are here in delightful pro-
fusion again, slightly bedraggled as regards
their costumes but as fine as ripe apples
physically A summer outing touches up
the iaded features in a very pleasing way,
am sure, and yet, now that the girls find
themselves in the cool autumn light with a
tint of the gold of August in their faces,
they worry themselves over the question of
getting bleached back to o snowy pallor
to be, of the glow that was desirable few
weeks back. I chanced across Berkshire
Hill young woman at the theater night or
so ago and the instant complimented her
upon the warm mantle of tan that lay so
charming1y on her features she buried her
face in her hands and begged me to say
nothing more about it.
"But it is an additional beauty" ven
tured. "You look like an Indian princess"
"But don't want to look like an Indian
princess" she pouted, 81 want to look like
New York society GIRL"
Then she told a story about pretty friend
OF hers who in some manner or other became
afflicted during the warm weather with at
least SIX little freckles exactly across the
bridge of her nose.
FRECKLE PARTIES.
'Oh. the cutest things you ever saw"
rapturized the Indian princess. "Sprinkled
like little grains of sunshine on lily bud,
so some boy told her. But she cried over
them, and said they were abominable, and
she would scald them out, and do all sorts
of other foolish things to get rid Of them,
Finally, one day fellow who was quite
dead over her, declared that he knew a sure
cure for freckles. He had never known the
remedy to fail, and he could promise that it
was not in the least disagreeable to take.
After great deal of discussion dear little
freckles said she would undergo treatment
Well, now, do you know, that in order to
have the cure complete the young man was
compelled to go out by moonlight
to certain part of the ho-
tel grounds accompanied by the
freckles, when, after an absence of five min
utes he would bring his companion home