The times., 1898-04-24
FRIENDS OF LAST WEEK.

If there is one form of literature more
amusing than another in this country of
ours is the averags 'mash note
prevalent opinion regarding the abnormal
appetite of the standard chorus girl is
responsible for many of these eoistles,
while the writer's of ali seem 10 take 1t
granted that morality is a dead letter in
the theatrical profession. For the most
part the notes are absolutely harmless,
for. while the recruit for stellar or CHOIR
ister's honors may feel hurt or worried
over them, she soon grows Indifferent,
laughs heartily at the impudence of the
writer, accepts the missive as a per-
quisite of Office. and retains ii much as
Indian keeps the scalps of his vic
Tins. All the ''mash notes do not come
from deluded college youths or gilded
young men, iliiteracy In such communi-
cations being not infrequen.. The aged
rascal is much IN evidence, but not so
often successful. the average profession
al woman having better things to do than
wait at stage doors with her skirts held
high, as pictured by certain illustrated
papers.
Age. condition and general appearance
seems to have little to do with the mat
ter, Marie Bates having once confessed
to receiving missive of the kind named
while playing Mrs. Murphy, in "Chim-
mie Fadden," while the Russell Broth
ers and Richard Harlowe all have. or
claim to have trunks of them. '"The
Callboy,'' a brilliant and interesting con-
tributor to the columns of the Dramatic
Mirror. has been publishing his collection
of late and the chief purpose of the pres
ent article is TO append to it two speci-
mems seen the other day. They were in
the hands of Truly Shattuck. the charm
ing vocalist who pleased audiences all
last week at the Bijou. The first was
scrawled on big sheet of rough. blue
ruled paper. freshly torn from a tablet
and muItifolded into a small yellow en-
velope. The writing was in pencil and
the author evidently believed both in
short hand and phonetic spelling. The
generosity of his offer is said to have
tempted Miss Shattuck soreiy but she
brayely resisted and added it to her COL
lection.
The letter runs, My deer Miss shat
tuck-deer miss: having sean you work
this week at the bijou and being much
don't Believe that i am Il masher for
am not but L like yur work and i wood
like to meat you. If you can be at The
Stag doar tonight After yur turn no wun
wood ever no anything abot 1T and
think / wood show you a Crate time
with out saying anything abot it. now.
my deer miss Shattuck, du meat me and
we will go over TO sum place and have al
the beer and oisters You want at my
eXpence and i rename yurs ever Toony
p S-Yu will no me by my having pip
in My mouth and a little flag in my hat
will stand for the beer
The correctness of the last sentence
lead Miss Shattuck into the idea that the
author was either directed by some one
else at that moment or that the thought
of the amber liquid brought into his mind
that divine inspiration which comes only
once in a lifetime, The second letter
was written in a fair hand on ruled note
paper and read as follows:
MY Very Dear Miss Shattuck: l want
TO write and tell you how much | like the
turn you do this week. / think it is the
best | ever saw. l should like to know
YOU and if YOU would care TO know me
all YOU will have to do is to nod this af-
ternoon from the stage and L will see
YOU tonight. OF course, whatever hap
| pens. | want you to keep this quiet he
| cause | have a wife that might raise Ned
| if she knew it. Do let me see you and
| don't forget to let me know.
| Both of which go to show that Wash
| ington need not fear losing caste because
| of the lack of stage door hangers-on.
| Miss Shattuck has filed both letters and
will keep them as souvenirs of her visit
| to the Capital City.