The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-17

across TO California, everybody-that IS
everybody who knows anything about the
atricals-has heard of Aunt Louisa A
first night without her presence lacks the
caohet that should belong to it, while a
funeral unattended by her sympathetic
personality-that is. a theatrical funeral
can't be right anyway you can fix 1t.
Plenty of people know Aunt Louisa by
photograph Plenty more know her by
sight Half New York has speaking
acquaintance with her, but you have to
know her well to realize that behind the
testing. jovial manner and concealed by
the bright chatter, is a heart big enough
to take in all the sick and sorrowing act
ors and actresses that ever, in good,
bad or Indifferent manner played their
parts.
To see Aunt Louisa at her best you
must be able to call on her some Satur-
day morning. Her hours differ from those
of Mrs. Millionaire. Old Millionaire's wife
receives after I o'clock in the afternoon,
while Aunt Louisa's hours are from early
morn up to u high noon. After that there
are matinees. Mrs. Millionaire gives the
usual afternoon tea, but Aunt Louisa la
dies out as is required, a sympathetic
joke a kind word or even more material
treatment when called for. And it is very
often called for.
Everybody knows that as a girl, Aunt
Louisa was a great beauty. But nova
days, as the result of attending TO the
affairs of the entire theatrical profession,
weeping with those who weep and smiling
with those who smile she has, as a clever
woman said, lost the first flush of extreme
youth, that flush having been succeeded
by a full hand. But such q fun hand! l
don't believe that there is a human being
so miserable that Aunt Louisa couldn't
sympathize with him or her and make
certain amount of happiness take the
place of some of the misery. And Aunt
Louisa doesn't show her sympathy merely
in words. t+t
Somebody said. with truth, that, while
the average theatrical agent made money
out of his business, Louisa Eldridge has
an amateur charitable association in act
i've operation, from which she doesn't de-
rive a dollar, but TO which she deVotes
her attention with the loveliest of spir-
its-one entirely devoid of a single merce-
nary thought.
Go down there some Saturday-and by
there /. mean the house in which Aunt
Louisa has dwelt for over thirty years.
This house was originally decidedly arts
tocratic to look upon, but, like most
earthly tenements, it has tumbled from
grace and has not been improved by the
elevated railroad tearing along past its
windows and making conversation a con-
tinued effort. But, no matter how much
noise there may be, Aunt Louisa always
hears the appeal for help. h' rfu
little Miss f-and-Powder was on
hand when l went in the other day. She
had at last got an engagement and had
thing in the shape of a pink satin skirt
that she'd lend her until she got her first
weeks salary, when she would return it
and get new one. Near her sat a tall
gaunt, CHASTITY looking man, who wore his
hair long and his collar decollete and who
needn't have held so conspicuously that
bundle of manuscript to impress me that
he had come to read a play to Aunt Lou
lisa. He was willing not only to read It,
but to act il for ner, making his voice
change TO suit every part.
Aunt Louisa was not present as l en-
tered, though / heard her consulting with
a telegraph boy in the hall about a mess
age which had just come to her c. O. d.
Miss Fluhkins, who in her palmy days
last autumn wore no costunes except
those made in Paris, was stranded in Col
orado and had telegraphed to Aunt Lou
lisa for money to get home. In half an
hour the man with the play was making
her belt in huge trunk and l was helping
her find a costume for the Puff and Pow
der girl, who had gone off for rehearsal.
A few minutes later an old-time actor
a very old time one, since his legs were
distinctly bad and his back decidedly queer
came in and after a gracious good
morning all around, said he'd like to
speak to Aunt Louisa alone for a few
minutes. We all know what that means
He's getting a little money direct from
Aunt Louisa herself and in addition is
urging her to use her influence with JEFF
ferson or Mansfield to get him a position
In the company.
Then there are two or three elderly act
resses who drop in and who remember
Macready and have no opinion of the peo-
pie of to-day; therefore they severely crit
icise all the young actors. who to them
are sticks. Yet they are nice kindly old
souls, who left the stage while they were
in their prime, and whose names appear
in the history of the American theater
If an actor dies, the reporters think
nothing of ringing Aunt Louisa
up at o'clock in the morn
ing to find out whether he was
first old man with Forrest, played juve-
niles with the elder Booth or voted the
straight democratic ticket. A little later
on Aunt Louisa will be using her influence
with the actors fund TO get it to do some
thug for the widow and children; and
she VIII nave stuff dyed black so that the
poor souls may be in decent mourning,
and she will nearly run her legs off look
ing after the interests of this tribe, who,
up TO the time of the late lamented's
death, was unknown TO her.
However, there is one day in the year
when Aunt Louisa is literally queen of
the May. This is on the Sunday night aft
er Christmas when every small tot con-
nected with the stage is taught what
Christmas means by having his little tum-
tum wei filed, his little body well cover
ed, and his poor little heart delighted by
the very gift that he wanted most
For weeks before Aunt Louisa and
Tony Pastor work together, as only real
mlnlstering angels do, and then, when the
Eesuyity takes places. Aunt Louisa, dress
ed in her finest frock, is simply one mag
nlhcent smile and doesn't look a day over
"a Mr.. Grease Paint, whose son, II wears
Old Is training for the legitimate. is made
happy by hearing him recite Hamlet.s
sohloquy; the small niece of Miss Puff
and-PoWder (whose liseness to Miss Pufr-
and-Powder is sufficiently great to make
unklnd people shrug theirs houlders) does
skirt dance wrile the small boy whose