Life — December 26, 1901 — page 15: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

GUS DIRKS. always short. Tho faces tat caused this eagor- noss were of young and pretty women, upon all . of whom, Lire, with recklesa liberality, bad bestowed alluring fortunes, Tho suitors, as a rulo, were British, with one or two Frenchmen and Italians, Of tho few Americans who responded, one was a gentleman of sixty-flve or soventy who called in person at the office, When, in answer to bis inquiries, Mr. Metcalfe—more embarrassed, perhaps, than the suitor himsolf—explained fo the gentlest and most delicate torms that the heiresses were fictitious, the suitor showed disappoint- mont—and confusion, Ho pulled himself togetbor, however, and hastened to oxplain that he had called in the interest of another person, ote.; and ho burried away. But, of all, the most difficult to answor was a young officer In a distant army who sent, with a vory long letter, a five-pound note with his portrait, He was poor; but among bis relatives wore titled people. The letter, like his fuco, was simple, sensible, und frank. If wo would give him our personal guarantee that the hetress whose face ho liked was comme il faut, he wished to marry her. Of tho honosty of tho letter no doubt was possible. In re- turning his money and bis photograph, we returnod also his letter, that he might destroy, with his own hands, all evidence of our guilt and bis own innocence. Tho prastical joker being, in our own opinion, the very lowest form of animal life, my task in explaining the situation to him was oxquisitely painfal. Awk- ward for bim, but worse for mo, as ho had thrown himself trustingly on Lrre’s honor, pald bis money, and relied upon our advico. In the Sanctum. Of the four mon who labor in tho sanctum, Martin, Motcalfo, Masson and myself, I could tell things, But I dare not. Eulogy 1s easy and there seoms no call for abuse, The bare facts would bo.dull, especially as most of our readers are already familiar with 561 thom. For mostof our readers know that Lire’s editorials are writ- ton by Mr. Martin; that Mr. Meteaifo is responsible for the dramatic column—along with other matter—and tbat Mr. Masson is tho literary editor and a constant contributor, And in the concoction of ideas Mr. Gibson and Mr. Walker must also tako their share. Asfor Mr. Martin, I would describe him, roughly, as a sheet-anchor of Lirg, a rudder, a safety valve, and pennant, Hoisalso ballast, and consid- erable fuel, Mr, Martin's intimacy with Lirg dates from prehistoric times—from those misty, chaotic days before Number Ovo issued ; those days when authors and artists drew back in terror at the mention of the Unborn Thing—and fled, He and I together brought the first number into the world, and our own contributions to it were more than liberal, Since that day tho editorials in Lirg have been written by Mr. Martin. Ono should speak modestly of his own paper, but this must bo said: that the honesty of Lie’s editorials has nover been questioned ; that thoy aro high in purposo, clean in spirit, and always for cbarity and Justico; that they havo accomplished more toward the moral suc- coss of the paper than anything elso in its pages. And for this all credit belongs to the man who writes them, E, S. MARTIN. It was Mr, Androw Miller, Live's business manager from the very beginning, who fuced every known form of discouragement in those carly days,and lent a strong hand in getting the tottering babe upon his foot. No singlo individual tn this establish: mont on- Joys richer opportuni- ties for al- fenating frionds than Mr. Motealfe, Members of “Tho Profession” are not, asa rulo, deficient in sensitivencss, and the highway of Trath will bea pleasanter road totravel for dramatic critica when the actor ceases to ac- cept tho highest praise as bis ebvious duo and all adverse sonal splte, Tho unclean and of the Theatrical ‘Trust calfo has illumined with an un- welcome, porsistent light. ‘This Trust is simply a blight; but on a ANDREW MILLER, TOM MASSON. comment as per- devious alloys Mr. Met-