The Washington times., 1904-04-03
Why Art Thou "fIudge?"
So Sings a Disconsolate Critic to the
Youthful Eva.


When Eva Nudge, who is in the Chase
bin this week, was in San Francisco
the dramatic editor of the Cali
thought enough of the little artistic to
give her a special tribute from his own
pen. from which the following is culled:
The burning question OF the week in
upper dramatic circles has been whether
or not Eva Nudge, the lightning change
artist at the Orpheum. is twins (The
grammar Of this sounds doubtful. but as
/ happen to know that she isn't twins /
can hardly be expected to subscribe TO a
syntax that would imply Miss Mudge's
plural existenoe) Her soft, smudgy lit
tie name Interested me in Miss Eva long
before / had seeA her ingenius turn 1
wondered where she got it, what odd
freak of feminine humOr had led to its
choice, for il is vastly unlike the 'F'leur-
cites and 'Montmorencys' that blossom
so freely in the vaudeville garden /
was almost disappointed to find that
she comes by it honestly, that the hu-
morists were the good Mudges, her pa
rents. and that their only daughter has
her quaint little name by the prosaic
right OF inheritance. In my disappoint-
ment 1 even dropped into rhyme. for
which, under the dire propagation.
hope to be forgiven;
20 Eve. why art thou Mudge?'
! dreamed thee We're de We're
/ dreamed q humOr dear.
When Nudge fell on my ear.
But thus doth fate begrudge
The scanty laughter here.
O Eve. why are thou 'Mudge2
j dreamed thee We're de We're,
] thought 90 hasty judged
An attic lester near
The female vital fudge?
Wen. YOU are right. ! fear,
O Eve, why are thou Nudge
! dreamed thee We're de We're.
But. nevertheless Miss Nudge is a
very charming little person, and her
turn is the cleverest Of its kind that
has come within my ken. She sings. in
quite unframed. but pleasing con
traltO voice. a patriotic ditty. Illustrated
by four complete changes of costume
II is the Iighming-like rapidity Of the
clanges that constitutes the chief Won
der of the turn. and that has given
rise 10 the rumOr that Miss Nudge is
twins.
"Of course. there is a mystery, and
little Miss Nudge beSoughJ me not to
give it away, for she said, quantity:
IF people know how it is done.
why. il will not be a wonder any more
Il almost crossed my heart to die
that ] would not tell, driven thereto by
the appealing blue eyes of the yOunE
lady. but stern duty TO my paper
forbade. and here. with humble apollo
cyles to her. is the secret. There Is a
fairy godmother in the case, two Of
them, in fact They stand in the wings.
and as soon as Miss Nudge leaves che
stage they wave their wands and the
air is full OF flying garments. Coats
fly off and gowns fly on faster than
eye can see. a cap drops from no
where and perches itself on the Nudge
curls, shoes attach themselves TO the
Nudge feet seemingly of their own &C
cord. and. presto, prestissimo. there you
arel Nothing is a mystery when you
know how il is done.
But the godmothers are OF duty on
the stage. At her ordinarT DRESSING
Miss Nudge loiters and flsses au3d
dawdles Just like the average girl She
is much more like the average girl in
evel ything. by the way than the usual
vaudeviHian Her father AID mother
travel with her wherever she goes, and