The New York herald., 1922-05-07

ne famous Drury Lane Theater, where
notable
started my career. had already gained
some experience and success in my per-
ormances at the Anomalies Dramatic Club.
The following letter from my dear old
friend, Aunt Kate" gives a vivid impress
sion of the attitude taken by some people
toward the theatrical profession in those
lays:
"34 Avenue de Villiers,
Paris,
18Th October, 1886.
my dear Beatrice,
have felt almost unable to write. The
shock it gave me I could never explain
to you nor would you understand it.
Nor did / quite realize before hoto dear
you were to me. I should hardly have
believed that losing you would, after all,
have caused me such infinite pain.
poor, unfortunate child, may God help
you, If, as you say, the die for evil is
cast l can only pray, as the only chance
to save you, that you make too decided
failure ever to try again.
GOOD God, how could you think I
could write and wish you success? Ho1o
thankful / feel that II was not whilst
with me that you took the wrong turn
ing. Mrs. Hogarth is a vulgar mind
she made, too, in one of her letters OBJ
servations which decided me about her.
L forget, but to the effect that 1t mat
tered little about you II you got money.
But your mother! / should have
thought her the uery last to allow you to
enter on such PATH
"Ah, WELL do not think any one ever
loved my poor little child as I did AL
though our meetings were difficult, l
knew you were there-I felt l had one
other tie to earth. And when you we're
the first rate musician which I have
never doubted your becoming l hoped
you might have played with glory at
concerts, and over here, what a Joy to
have heard you-and your praise For
that would have been honest and repu-
table praise. Whilst gaining which you
could have held up your head in any
society. oh, my poor Beatrice. you can
form no idea-you have yet to learn
the shame, the humiliation of seeing
yourself despised by decent people.
Even the admiration of the mob will
not make up for it to you. You have too
much intelligence for that, and, had
thought, too much pride.
II now see your reason for leaving me
so many weeks without a letter; you
would not hint at it till too late And
yet, Of course, no remonstrance would
ever stop you! How could they allow
and encourage your first home attempts?
How can woman bid with pleasure
farewell to her best and happiest heri-
tage-name, reputation, affection--to
allow her every look and movement to be
criticized by all the common jeering
mouths and minds of the public! And
this was once dear little Beatrice-the
poor little girl who spent one happy
year in Paris with her Aunt Katel'
What a dream 1t will be to you in
your future riotous life? In fact am
wretched - such a sorrow and disap-
pointment of what 1 thought in store for
my darling. However, let me have my
own feelings alone-they are nothing In
the matter; and the past is gone. I
must try to forget that dream.
Should you succeed there may at last
be money; but what is that to those
around you all? 1s your future moth
ing, your happiness?
well, Texas would have been better
than this! On the receipt OF your letter
OF six weeks back told Charley you
had some secret plan in view OF 'ex-
ouisite Joy I said. almost with bated