The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-17
Copyright. ISL

4
York straight across to California,
| everybody-that is, everybody who
knows anything about theatricals-has
| heard of Aunt Louisa" a first night
| without her presence lacks the cachet
| that should belong to it, while funeral
unattended by her sympathetic person.
aHty--that is, theatrical funeral-can't
| be right anyway you can fix 1t. Plenty
| of people know Aunt Louisa by photo
graph Plenty more know her by sight.
Half New York has a speaking &C
quaintance with her, but you have to
| know her well to realize that behind the
| testing, jovial manner and concealed by
| the bright chatter is heart big enough
| TO take in all the sick and sorrowing
actors and actresses that ever, in a
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 Million
aires wife receives after 4 o'clock in the
afternoon, while Aunt Louisa's hours
| are from early morn up to II high
noon. After that there are matinees.
Mrs. Millionaire gives the usual after
| noon tea, but Aunt Louisa ladies out,
as is required. sympathetic joke,
| kind word or even more material treat
ment when called for. And it is very
| often called for.
Everybody knows that. as a girl.
Aunt Louisa was a great beauty. But
| nowadays, 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
full hand. But such a full hand. l
don't believe that there is a human be-
| ing so miserable that Aunt Louisa
couldn't sympathiZe with him or her
and make a certain amount of happi-
ness take the place of some of the mis-
cry. And Aunt Louisa doesn't show
her sympathy merely in words.
Somebody said with truth that, while
the average theatrical agent made
money out of his business, Louisa Ed
ridge has an amateur charitable aSso-
citation in active operation from which
she doesn't derive a dollar, but to which
she devotes her attention with the love-
liest of spirits-one entirely devoid of
single mercenary thought.
Go down there some Saturday-and by
there I mean the house in which Aunt
Louisa has dwelt for over 80 years.
This house was originally decidedly
aristocratic 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
it's windows and making conversation
a continued effort. But no matter how
much noise there may be, Aunt Louisa
always hears the appeal for help.
Little Miss Puff-and-Powder was on
hand when 1 went in the other day.
She had at last got an engagement
and had come to know if Aunt Louisa
had anything 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 a 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 ii for her, making his voice
change to suit every part.
Aunt Louisa was not present as I en-
tered, though 1 heard her consulting
with a telegraph boy in the hall about
a message which had just come to her
C. o. d. Miss Fluffkins, who in her
palmy days last autumn wore no cos
tunes except those made in Paris, was
stranded in Colorado and had tele-
graphed to Aunt Louisa for money 10
get home. In half an hour the man
with the play was making some correc-
tons. Aunt Louisa was up 10 her belt
in a huge trunk and l was helping her