The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-16

ora very old time one, since his legs
were distinctly bad and his back de-
cidedly queer--came i'm and after a graz
cious 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 influ-
ence with Jefferson or Mansfield to get
him position in the company.
Then there are two or three elderly
actresses who drop in and who remem-
Der Macready and have no opinion of
the people Of today: therefore they Sc
verely criticise all the young actors,
who to them are sticks. Yet they are
nice, kindly old souls, who left the
stage while they We're 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 morning to find out
whether he was first old man with For
rest. played juveniles with the elder
Booth or voted the straight Democrat
ic ticket. A little later on Aunt Louisa
will be using her influence with the act
ors' fund To get il TO do something for
the widow and children; and she will
have stuff dyed black so that the poor
souls may be i'm decent mourning, and
she will nearly run her legs off looking
after the interests of this tribe who, up
to the time Of the late lamenteds 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 sun
day night after Christmas, when every
small tot connected with the stage is
taught what Christmas means by hav.
ing his little tum-tum well filed. his
little body well covered 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 ministering angels DO, and then.
when the fcstivity takes place. Aunt
Louisa, dressed in her finest frock, Is
simply one magnificent smile and
doesn't look a day over 2t Mr. Grease
Paint, whose son. il years old is train
ing for the legitimate. is made happy
by hearing him recitc Hamlet's solil-
oquy. the small niece Of Miss Puff-and-
Powder (Whose likeness To Miss Puff
and Powder is sufficiently great TO make
unkind people shrug their shoulders)
NOtS a Sklll 0tnttt Mllit llf tllldll nbY
whose grandfather was Edwin For \
rests dresser makes a stump speech.
Aunt Louisa Is too tender hearted to re-
fuse TO allow any child TO make a fool
OF itself. and everybody knows that the
theatrical child is never happy unless
it is following in the steps OF its more
or less artistic predecessors. The chit
drcn have their innings in one way,
then. before the well spread table. they
have It in another. and then the Christ
mas gifts are distributed.
Earlier I'm the day there has been n
meeting 81 mothers and children at the
Hotel Eldridge. whom warm aanncls.
shoes and stockings. good ;opCoats.
hats. everything ur anything that can
make child comfortable I'm the way
or clothes is given ont To- the poor Nt-
ilp bite OF humanity who Know what IL |
means to Dee cold.
These are The tlmcs when mi1ionaires
are writing 90 Aunt Louisa. whom !
Gerry sends his check and tolls |
her that IL comes from him with ereat /,