Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-10-21
Bab's Pen Picture of Famous
"Aunt Louisa"
WHEN 70 SEE HER AT HER BEST
Receives From Early Morn to
High Noon.
Yun Have to Know Her Well to Realize
That Her I,Iitheness Conceais Heart
Large Enough TO Take in All the Sick
and sorrowing Actors and Actresses.


heard of "Aunt Louisa" A first night with
out her presence lacks the cachet that should
belong to it, while n funeral unattended by
her sympathetic personalty-that is, u the
atrical funeral-can't be right any way you
can Fix il. Plenty of people know Aunt
Louisa by photograph. Plenty more know
her by sight. Half New York has n speak
Ing 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 actors and
actresses that ever, in a good, bad or i'll
different manner, played their parts.
To see Aunt Louisa AT her best YOU must
be able to call on her some Saturday morn
Ing. Her hours differ from those of Mrs.
Millionaire. Old Millonaire's wife receives
after o'clock in the afternoon, while Aunt
LOnisa's hours are from early morn up to
]? high noon. After that there are matinees.
Mrs Millionaire gives the usual afternoon
tea, but Aunt Louisa ladies ont, as is re-
CURED, sympathetic joke, a kind word or
even more material treatment when called
for. And it is very often called for.
Everybody knows that, as girl, Aunt
Louisa was great beauty. But nowadays,
as a 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.
lpnl SuCn Iull mana! UOn De1eNe tnAt
there is "A human being so miserable that
Aunt Louisa couldn't sympathi2e with him
or her and make a certain amount of hap
piness take che place of some of the misery
And Aunt Louisa doesn't show her sym
pathy merely in words.
Somebody said with truth that, while the
average theatrical agent mlde money out
of his business. Louisa Eldridge has an
amateur charitable association in active
operation from which she doesn't derive
dollar, but to which she deYotes her atten.
ton with the loveliest of spirits-one en-
trely devoid Of single mercenary thought.
Go down there some Saturday-and by
there ! mean the house in which Aunt
Louisa has dwelt for over 30 years. This
house was originally decidedly aristocratic
TO look upon, but like most earthly tene
nents It has tumbled from grace and has
not been improved by the elevated railroad
tearing along past its windows and making
conversation Il continued effort. But no
matter how much noise there may be- Aunt
Louisa always hears the appeal for help.
Little Miss Puif.and- Powder was on hand
when went in the other day. She had at
last got an engagement and had come to
know If Aunt Louisa had anything in the
shane OF 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 n 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 manu-
script to impress me that he had come to
read play to- Aunt Louisa He was willing
not only to read it, but to act IT for her,
making his voice change to suit every part.
Aunt Louisa was not present as | entered,
though ! heard her consulting with u
telegraph boy in the hall about message
which had lust come to her C. O. d. Miss
Fluffkins. who in her palmy days last
autumn wore no costumes except those
made in Paris, was stranded iii Colorado
and had teiegraphed to Aunt Louisa for
money to get home In half an hour the
man with the play was making some cor
rections. Aunt Louisa was up to her belt in
u huge trunk and was helping her find a
costume for the Puif-and.Powder girl who
had gone off for rehearsal
A few minutes later an old time actur-a
very old time one, since his legs were dis
tinctly bad and his back decidedly queer
came in and after gracious good morn
ing" all around. said he'd like to speak TO
Aunt Louisa alone for few minutes. We
all know what that means. He's getting a
little money direct from Aunt Louisa her
self, and in addition is urging her to use her
influence with Jefferson or Mansfield to get
him a position in the company.
Then there are two or three elderly
actresses who drop in and who remember
Macrcady and have no opinion of the
people of to-day; therefore they severely
criticise 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 theatre.
Ii IN actor dies, the reporters think moth.
ing of ringing Aunt Louisa up at O'clock
in the morning to find out whether lie was
first old man with Forrest, played juveniles
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 something for the
widow and children ; and she will have stuff
dyed black so that the poor souls may be in
decent mourning, and she will nearly run
her legs off looking after the interests oil
this tribe who, up 10 the time of the late
lamented's death, was unknown to her.
However, there is one day in the yeal
when Aunt Louisa is literally Queen of the
May. This is on the Sunday night after
Christmas, when every small tot connected
with the stage is taught what Christmas
means Ivy having his little tum-tum vel
filled his little body well covered and hi,
poor little heart delighted by the very gif
that he wanted most.
For weeks before Aunt Louisa and Tony
Pastor work together. as only real minister
ing angels do. and then, when the festivitN
takes place, Aunt Louisa, dressed i'll hei
finest frock, is simply one magnificent
smile and doesn't look day over q. MIR
Grease Paint, whose son, IL years old, il
training for the legitimate, is made happy
by hearing him reCite Halnets soliloquy
the small niece of Miss Puff-aud- Powde
(whose likeness to Miss Puff-and Powder il
sufficiently great 10 make unkind peopl
shrug their shouldersl does skirt dance
while the small boy whose grandfather wa
Edwin Forests dresser makes stunt
speech. Aunt Louisa is too tender hearted
to refuse TO allow any child to make u foo
of itself, and everybody knows that TIN
theatrical child is never happy unless it i
following in the steps Of its more or les
artistic predecessors. The children hav
N their innings in one way; then. before tn
Widespread table, they have it in another
and then the Christmas gifts are distributed
Earlier in the day there has been u meet
ing of mothers and children at the Hote
Eldridge, when warm tlannels shoes an,
stockings good topcoats, hats, everything
or anything that can make child comfort
y able in the way of clothes is given out 4
the poor little bits of humanity who know
what it means to be cold.
Il These are the times when millionaire
are writing TO Aunt Louisa; when Elbridg
Gerry sends his check and tells her that
comes from him with great pleasure; whel
Mrs. George Gould gives her contribution
when everybody is glad to give as much a
he can so that the little people OF the stag
may have happy Christmas. And the
wouldn't be so generous, these millionaires
if it were not for Aunt Louisa Eldridgt
i They know her sincerity, and they know
n her honesty, and they are sure that ever
n dollar given will be spent to make som
stage child happy.
Aunt Louisa knows more pretty girls thai
millionaire duke, and she's as much in
terested in the love affair of little Mis-
Soprano as if she hadn't listened to thes
stories Of true love year IN and year out
Aud she gives good advice, does Aun
at aI tha mir mn