Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18
MADE HERSELF AT HOME


A famous actress who played an engage
ment in Washington not many weeks age
spent a day at the modest Capitol Hill
home of a woman friend with whom she
had been on intimate terms years ago in a
western city. The actress arrived at the
Capitol Hill home in a coupe at about II
o'clock in the morning, and the fun that
she had from then on until o'clock in the
evening something glorious. She hadn't
any more than removed her wraps before
she began to skylark with the three young
children of her woman friend. and ten min
utes after she arrived she was sliding down
the banisters with them.
1T seems so nice to be turred loose In a
little old home again." said the famous
actress, "that-Well-''
And she made for the kitchen, rolled up
her sleeves, and delighted the old darby
servant by wfping the luncheon dishes as
they probably hadn't been wiped since the
housekeeping plant was started. Then the
little ones got hold of her again. and in
sisted on her playing horse and bean-bag
with them. She played bean-bag and horse
with them for an hour, and then
Il simply must make chocolate cake,
she said. Il haven't made a choc olate cake
in years, and I've been hankering to make
one for months. If you do not let me make
a chocolate Cake''-addressng her woman
friend mock-tragica lly-'1 shall do some
thing raSh,' and she caught up pair OF
scissors and waved them about ominously.
So she swooped upon the kitchen again,
and in ten minutes she was -four from head
to foot. But the chocolate. cake was a
thing of beauty both to the eye and the
palate when it was ready for eating.
Then, from the kitchen windows, her
quick eye caught sight OF the two foX-ter-
rier pups in their kennel in the back yard:
She went into the back yard and romped
with them for half an hour, and then she
cut her stock up into pretty ribbons and
bows wherewith to ornament the pups
necks
When she returned to the dining room she
suddenly concluded that she couldn't live
another hour If she were not permitted to
polish the silver. Her woman friend laugh
ingly protested that she hadn't hired the
actress at days wages to come in and do
the cleaning but the protestation didn't go.
The actress pitched in and polished the sill
Yer until the sideboard was dazzling to be-
hold.
A party of half a dozen of the hostess
young women friendS-most of them stage
struck-came in during the afternoon, filled
with awe over the prospect of meeting the
great actress face to face and talking with
her. They found her sitting in the middle
Of the dining room floor cutting out paper
dolls for the two little girls and building
block houses for the little boy. She soon
put the young women at their ease, and
they began TO ask her things about acting
and the stage in general.
The stage? said the actress, wonder
ingly. On, yes, the stage. l had quite for
gotten all about it," and the fOX-terrier
pups having been Inadvertently admitted to
the house through the kitchen door just at
that moment, she was on the floor and roll
ing with them like a tomboy.
Isn't it perfectly lovely to have thou
sands of people just hanging on your
words" said one of the young women, land
waiting, breathlesS for
I'D rather have a little old home" said
the actress, and just then one of the little
ri Il hrTr l, I'll
and bust" She busted 1t. After the
Young women had gone she played "hi spy
with the young ones for a while, and then
she descended upon the kitchen and again
humbly asked TO be allowed to prepare the
aCarOni for dinner.
Please. ma'amS let me-" she said to the
hostess pleadngly. 81 eat lots of macaroni
at hotels, but its not half as nice as l can
FIX it; And it's rs Jolly to fix it, anyhow,
Permission being accorded. she pitched
in to CRATE the cheese and to get the maca-
roni in shape forg baking. When the maca-
rom was served it was triumph. Then she
permitted one of the little girls to give her
a piano lesson. receiving the instruction
with all the soemEitY in life. after which
she performed beautifully for 4 while. Then
she surreptitiOuSly slipped out of the house
with the three children. ana when they re-
turned a few moments later the little ones
had whole armfuls OF candies and sweet
Cakes and such. Then the great actress cut
paper for the kite hen cupboards, and when
the hostess husband. came home from his
office she was Upstairs in the children :
play room. employing herself at cabinet
making with the small boy.
Il haven't had five minutes sane CONVEX
sauon with her since she came" said the
hostess to her husband, regarding the ac-
tress reproachfully. You'd really think
she had never seen the inside Of a house
before, and she has been working like a
slave. [ believe shed have chopped the
kindiing wood if l had let her"
shes womanly woman, all right. all
right thought the man.
The actress coupe came to the door at
O'Clock. and when she heard the rumble oil
the wheels and the footman's ring she
sighed.
Some day, maybe" she murmured, with
far-away expression in her eyes I'll
have little old home myself, and then"
bit more than an hour later no less a
man than Admiral Dewey, seated in a box
was splitting his gloves over her perform
ance.